In October, my family spent nine days at my mom’s side in the critical care unit at Providence Everett where we experienced first-hand the incredible level of care their nurses and other health care professionals and technical staff provide.
My mom’s heart attack rocked my family, and later that week the tragedy at Marysville Pilchuck High School rocked the entire community. For us and for the other families in the CCU during that terrible time, the hard work of our loved ones’ care teams was evident.
I honestly don’t know how they do it — the 12-hour shifts, responding to the critical, ever-changing needs of their patients, being there for the families through the shock and uncertainty — it gives me deep respect for the work of health care providers.
I know I speak for a lot of families and patients when I say we stand with these nurses; if they are saying they need more staff and have too many patients to care for at one time, we should listen. After five months of negotiations, Providence-Everett should be willing to reach a compromise and ensure these nurses have the support they need to be able to focus on what they do best — caring for patients in need.
Teresa Clark
Seattle
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