'Overwhelmed' nurses plead to county for help

With their eyes tearing and voices cracking, nurses appealed to the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) to ask for help and support for their hospitals’ staff shortage.

Four nurses from Providence St. Peter Hospital and one from Providence Centralia Hospital addressed the board at a public meeting on Tuesday, December 13.

The nurses said there is an ongoing "nursing staff crisis," and the hospital administrations are not addressing the issue, so they asked the BOCC to issue a resolution supporting their cause.

Nurse Sara could not help but cry as she described the current situation in their hospital, where patients' safety is compromised because the nurses are overwhelmed with all the duties assigned to them.

"We are asking for your help. We are in a staffing crisis," said Nurse Sara. "Why is patients' safety being compromised? I am asking you to help us."

Nurse Megan said seven patients are assigned to one single nurse at St. Peter Hospital.

"We did not come here asking for help two years ago when the entire world had changed or last year when the staffing crisis became evident,” Megan said. “So please ask yourselves how bad must it be now?".

Nurse Kelly, a nurse for 13 years, shared that due to an unsafe nurse-to-patient ratio, nurses experience injuries and severe burnout that impact the quality of care they give patients.

"Nursing has always been a tough job, but we never faced a situation like this before," said Kelly.

Nurse Steadman recalled having nightmares after her duty while her fellow nurse shared crying inside their car before going to work. "It feels like we are being asked to do impossible jobs," she said.

Nurse Krissy described the situation as the worst she has ever seen in her seven-year career, even worse than during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Short staffing has progressed from a problem to a full-blown crisis, costing my patients and your fellow community members their health and access to safe medical care," said Nurse Krissy.

"As a whole, we're breaking," she added. "I used to love my job, and now I just survive it, and I hope that my patients survive, too."

The five nurses clarified that their testimonies are their own opinion and do not represent the management of the hospitals.

Administrations of Providence St. Peter Hospital and Providence Centralia Hospital have yet to comment on the issue.