AUSTIN, Texas — A group of nurses at Austin’s Ascension Seton Medical Center gathered in front of the hospital on Thursday for a National Day of Action.
They held signs that displayed data and nurse survey comments, which they handed to their administrators.
The nurses are union members part of the National Nurses Organizing Committee and National Nurses United, who are currently in a three-year union contract with the hospital.
Nurses said they want the hospital to address staffing shortages and patient care. They’re also concerned about artificial intelligence implementations.
Monica Gonzalez, a registered nurse, said she isn’t anti-technology, but there’s a fear that the technology isn’t being regulated, proven or tested properly. There is also worry that it can spill negatively into treating patients efficiently.
“We want to make sure that our nurses and our patients are are cared for, that our patients are safe. And that’s our number one goal is to make sure our community is safe and can come to us for quality care,” Gonzalez said.
Registered Nurse Anastasia Villarreal said nurses are taking on too many patients at once.
“NICU Nurses have too many babies, and some of our most vulnerable populations, there’s a delay in care because we don’t have enough nurses to manage the patient,” Villarreal said.
“I’m advocating for my patients. It’s so disheartening when you know that you could have done more, but you’re constrained by policy,” she said.
In Oct. 2024, the union hosted a rally addressing similar issues.
At the time, the union said the medical center failed to abide by its collective bargaining agreement, including adding lower nurse-to-patient staffing ratios.
However, back in October, a spokesperson with Ascension Seton told KVUE that while the staffing ratios weren’t part of that agreement, they ensured patient safety was a top priority and safety protocols were being followed.
Since then, Villarreal said not much has changed.
“Our biggest fight is to help the supervisors, maintain their job and not have pay cuts because some of them can’t afford that and they will leave,” she said.
KVUE reached out to Ascension Seton ahead of the rally. A spokesperson released the following statement:
At Ascension, we recognize and deeply value the expertise, compassion and dedication of our nurses, who are central to delivering exceptional care to our patients. We are committed to safe staffing protocols informed by evidence-based medicine. To support this, we have a robust workforce development strategy aimed at recruiting and retaining skilled nurses. Our flexible and dynamic staffing models help ensure we provide safe, quality care to our patients.
Patient care and safety are always our top priorities. By responsibly embracing innovation, we aim to support our care teams as they dedicate themselves to ensuring the best possible outcomes for our patients.