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San Diego healthcare workers in battle for safer working conditions, more staff and fair pay

The United Nurses Associations says 43,000 healthcare workers across the country have gotten sick while caring for COVID-19 patients

SAN DIEGO — Nurses and other healthcare workers were on the front lines at the start of the pandemic and many say they continue to face challenges today.

Some workers say staff shortages, safety concerns and fair pay are issues that still need to be addressed.

News 8's LaMonica Peters talked to some healthcare workers here in San Diego and to one of the educational institutions working to get more people trained in healthcare.

The United Nurses Associations says 43,000 healthcare workers across the country have gotten sick while caring for COVID-19 patients. Now many of those workers are still raising their voices about the stress, working conditions, and being paid fairly.

“There are times when I walked onto a unit and a nurse just grabs me and cries and is in tears from being overworked and not being able to be there for their patients as they want to be,” said Jenny Barba, Registered Nurse and Contract Specialist with Kaiser Permanente in San Diego. 

The United Nurses Associations of CA says more than 70% of its members surveyed reported experiencing anxiety and burnout. Nearly half were currently suffering from insomnia and depression. More than half said they lacked the mental health support they needed to cope with working during the pandemic.

“We have sacrificed so much. We’ve worked tirelessly, overtime shifts, double-time shifts, missing your meals and breaks to give the patients the care that they deserve. You’re missing time with your family,” said Nikki Avey, a Registered Nurse with Kaiser Permanente. 

Amid the public health crisis, hospitals across the country had to find ways to relieve overworked staff. Medical assistants were retrained and called in from clinics and medical offices to help out.

“I believe there is a staffing shortage not just generally but also in medical assisting. The American Association of Medical Assistants is trying to provide resources to train medical assistants or retrain them or to upscale them in some of these other responsibilities,” said Donald Balasa, the CEO of the American Association of Medical Assistants.   

Staffing shortages and burnout aren’t the only issues they say they’re facing. Twenty-one-thousand healthcare workers in Southern CA employed by Kaiser Permanente voted to officially strike on November 15th. But two days before the strike, the union and Kaiser came to a tentative agreement that guarantees wage increases across-the-board until 2025.

“Over time, it would be hard to retain and recruit nurses that would stay and be committed to providing patient care to members and patients in the community that were Kaiser members,” Barba said. 

After the strike was authorized, Kaiser Permanente released a statement saying they offered a 4% a year pay increase with no reduction to benefits or retirement. They said their goal is to slow the already, over-market growth in pay as healthcare costs rise.

Even as healthcare workers fight for what they believe they deserve, the University of San Diego said it’s seen an increase in nursing program applications during the pandemic.

“COVID has also played a role in that where some of the nurses are taking early retirement. They’re tired. However, the nursing schools are still graduating and accepting many applicants. The pandemic has actually ignited a lot of interest in nursing and the profession," said Nadine Kassity-Krich, Admissions Coordinator for USD's Master's Entry Program in Nursing

Kassity-Creek said right now there are about 450 students enrolled across all programs. She said as the pandemic subsides and hospitals get back to pre-pandemic routines, they’re ready to help increase the number of people trained to work in healthcare.

“The hospitals drive that number for us. We are open and excited to have as many students that we can possibly educate in the best way possible. But at the end of the day, it’s the safety of the patients and the students,” said Kassity-Krich. 

Nurses and healthcare workers at Palomar Heath also hit the picket lines Tuesday morning. They said they’re concerned about staff shortages, outsourcing and patient safety.

WATCH RELATED: Nurses at Palomar Health hit picket line

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