Contract negotiations reach fourth month for nurses at Waimea hospital

Although their prior contract expired on Monday, nurses at Queen’s North Hawai‘i Community Hospital in Waimea are continuing to negotiate for a contract that offers the same nurse-to-patient staffing ratios to ensure safe, quality care.

Approximately 98 nurses represented by the Hawai‘i Nurses’ Association OPEIU Local 50 have been trying to negotiate a new contract since mid-December last year and had hoped a successor contract would be in place and would offer the same nurse-to-patient staffing ratios that is in the contract of their nurse counterparts at the Queen’s Medical Center Manamana and West O’ahu.

“Access to care is a challenge for those in rural neighbor island communities, and North Hawai‘i is one of those areas,” said Hawaiʻi Nurses Association President Rosalee Agas-Yuu, RN. “Unfortunately, The Queen’s Medical Center leaders to not believe North Hawai‘i residents deserve the same quality of care as those on O’ahu.”

According to the Association, nurses are assigned too many patients on their shift, they cannot provide the attention and care each patient needs. This results in diminished quality of care and overlooking signs or symptoms that should be treated immediately so that patients can experience better health outcomes and avoid more severe health conditions.

“Queen’s North Hawaii patients deserve the same royal treatment as their O‘ahu counterparts because quality care shouldn’t be determined by geography,” said Alex Tilini, a registered nurse in the hospital’s post-anesthesia care unit.

Since Queen’s Medical Center also has a Level III trauma center, maintaining an even ratio between staff and patients is even more critical as nurses are frequently caring for patients in a fragile state that need to be stabilized.

“Patients on the Big Island deserve the same high quality care and equitable treatment as those on O’ahu who are within the same healthcare system,” said June Unger, a registered nurse in the intensive care unit.

Steven Offenbaker, a registered nurse in the emergency department, and Libby Joyce, a registered nurse in the medical-surgical unit, both said they want the same care and consideration given to Big Island patients that is already being provided at two hospitals on Oʻahu.

“In both the medical-surgical and labor and delivery units, I have met patients that would prefer driving the distance to receive care at North Hawaii, rather than the other hospitals here for ‘better care and attention,” said Jennifer Caravalho, a registered nurse in the family birthing unit. “Each patient who willingly chooses to receive care at North Hawai‘i, should be given the same respect and equitable care and treatment as Manamana and West Oahu.”