Many speakers said the staffing shortage is extreme. While they say there has long been a shortage of nurses, the current situation is the worst it has been.
Nurses are asking the Everett City Council to mandate Providence pay nurses hazard pay. They are also asking the City Council to ask the Governor to intervene.
They say the community needs to be aware of the situation and want to make sure the community hears what they called a “cry for help.”
City Attorney David Hall said it is questionable that the City Council can actually mandate hazard pay but may ask the nurses to draft a letter that individual council members could sign if they wished.
Mayor Franklin said she met with the CEO of Providence hospital today and was given a heads-up on the speakers. She said Providence Hospital is doing everything in its power to address the issues.
Franklin said visiting nurses came in during the Pandemic making twice the money of the regular staff. The pay inequities led to resignations of the regular nurses. Now Providence has cut back on visiting nurses.
Franklin says there is no ready-made solution to address the issue. She said the City is facing the same type of staffing challenges with Public Safety
Franklin confirmed the Pediatric unit at Providence has closed but since there is a Children’s Hospital nearby there are options.
She added things may get worse before they get better.
July 13, 2022
Everett Government