Nurses union: Hiring replacements 'a slap in the face' to state-employed nurses

PROVIDENCE — The union that represents nurses at the state's Eleanor Slater Hospital and the Rhode Island Veterans Home is blaming the state's failure to meet its own vaccine mandate on burnout that produced staffing shortages before the pandemic.

Cynthia Lussier, president of the United Nurses and Allied Professionals Local 5019, did not fault Gov. Dan McKee for his decision to allow unvaccinated workers to continue working at the state hospital past the 12:01 a.m. Sunday deadline for all health-care workers to be vaccinated.

Had he not done so, the hospital staffing level would have been down 10% from what it was as recently as a month ago.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Lussier said:

“We have been calling attention to staffing issues long before the pandemic even started. For years, nurses and health professionals have been expected to do more with less — less help, less equipment and less supplies.

Read more: https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/politics/2021/10/30/nurses-union-hiring-replacements-a-slap-face-state-nurses/6216371001/