Albany Stratton VA Medical Center — Site of Nurses’ Staffing Dispute
Nurses and veterans gathered outside Albany Stratton VA Medical Center Friday to demand better staffing, improved working conditions, and an end to mandatory overtime, describing a workplace where colleagues are routinely pulled from their own units to patch holes elsewhere in the hospital. Organizers said the rally was meant to put a human face on what they called a chronic staffing crunch affecting veterans’ care.
Arianna, a nurse who spoke at the rally as an advocate for veterans, said her own floor had 42 nurses on staff against a planned staffing level of 48 — a gap of six positions. She said that shortfall means nurses can be unable to answer call bells or help calls promptly and may be late administering time-critical medications, according to the rally comments reported by NEWS10 ABC…