Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Nurses in San Jose Ratify Contract to Improve Patient Care

Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.

Registered nurses (RNs) who are members of the California Nurses Association/NNU (CNA/NNU) at two hospitals in San Jose ratified a new contract earlier this month with provisions designed to improve patient safety. Management agreed to hire 34 more full-time RNs to provide meal and rest breaks for nurses. CNA/NNU members say this will improve patient care, as studies show that nurses who are exhausted are more likely to make errors.

“Providing quality care demands not only a great deal of physical energy, but enormous amounts of emotional and mental energy as we deal with our patients’ ever-changing needs,” said Mary Jean Dimapasoc, a registered nurse and member of the bargaining team from the San Jose Regional Medical Center. “It is very important to have a bit of downtime to unplug from the work and to relax and regroup so we can be fully there for all our patients.”