‘We’re begging for help’: Nurses at Providence in Everett close to striking

Nurses at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett say they are close to striking because of working conditions and pay.

The union said they are being stretched too thin and that it’s taking a big toll on the level of patient care.

The union and hospital are continuing to negotiate a new contract, with their current one expiring at the end of the month. But, the union said if the hospital does not meet their demands, they are planning to strike.

About 600 nurses have left or retired since 2021.

“We’re running around not taking breaks and we’re just exhausted. We’re begging for help,” nurse Britnae Kokesh told KIRO 7. “We want to take care of these people.”

What nurses are dealing with at hospitals

Nurses said the emergency department lobby is often full with 40 to 50 patients, some waiting several hours to be seen, some receiving care in the lobby.

Providence Everett covers a large portion of Snohomish County and exceeds patient capacity across all departments. It also has one of the busiest emergency rooms in the state. It’s one of just two hospitals in the region that perform life-saving procedures for victims of Level 2 trauma, such as a heart attack or stroke.

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Nurses said they should be treating four to five patients at a time, but now they are dealing with seven or eight. Nurses said is not competitive with other area hospitals. They explained with their current pay, there’s not much incentive for many to stay.

Most of the beds are occupied by non-emergency patients, nurses said, since there are not enough nurses in other units. Some patients get left on a gurney for over a day.

The state of Washington has a hospital capacity crisis, the Washington State Hospital Association (WSHA) previously reported. The state has fewer hospital beds per capita than any other state in the nation.

To make matters worse, between one and two out of every 10 beds are occupied by patients who don’t need to be there. In Everett, about 100 people on average are stuck in hospital beds for months longer than necessary.

“It almost feels worse than before COVID,” Susan Williams, a longtime administrative supervisor at Providence Everett, told The Everett Herald. “We’ve had 19 discharges so far today. We need more like 70.” Williams spoke to the Herald for a story that was published Sept. 23.

More state health news: Wash. hospitals in a capacity crisis

What’s next

Next week, there are two negotiation sessions scheduled.

A statement from the hospital said nurses have been offered a 13% wage increase.

If a strike happens, the hospital said it would hire replacement nurses.

Contributing: KIRO 7