Nurses at Columbia Good Samaritan Hospital staged a demonstration Feb. 18 to call attention to what they called a growing staffing crisis at the hospital.
"The nurses decided that they're going to speak out because conditions are unsafe," said Patty Lasky, labor representative for the California Nurses Association.
Staff nurse Malinda Markowitz says that nurses get stuck watching too many patients and aren't able to assess patients' changing conditions, do certain treatments in a timely manner and administer medicine on schedule.
Pat Davis, chief nursing officer at the hospital, says that the hospital is frequently operating at or near capacity and has had trouble recruiting new nurses, but insists that the CNA is doing its best to exploit the situation and make the hospital look bad before the two sides begin contract negotiations in April. The nurses' contract expires June 30.
Only off-duty nurses joined in the protest.
Affordable housing is meeting topic
The Los Gatos-Saratoga-Monte Sereno League of Women Voters will be addressing affordable housing issues at its February general meeting, Feb. 24 at 7:30 p.m. in the Mary Campbell Room at the Campbell Community Center, #1 W. Campbell Ave.
Speakers include Carl Guardino, executive director of the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group; Beth Wyman, acting homeless services coordinator for the county, Chris Block, director of Catholic Charities Housing; and Charles Chew, program manager for the county's Housing and Community Development Program.
For more information, call 867-VOTE.
Los Gatos, California Since 1881
