PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) — Nurses at Providence Milwaukie held a candlelight vigil Tuesday night to highlight issues they say jeopardize patient care two months after a man died in police custody hours after being medically discharged from the hospital.
Frontline healthcare workers represented by the Oregon Nurses Association say they want to hold Providence accountable for issues such as chronic understaffing.
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“We cannot continue to work at this level,” said Julie Schafer, a CNA at Providence Milwaukie.
Healthcare workers at Providence Milwaukie cited an overwhelming number of patients with increased mental health and addiction issues and a lack of more resources despite employee demands.
“I leave my shift feeling terrible that I could have done this, I should have done this,” said Christie Sowards, an ICU nurse at Providence Milwaukie. “And for my own mental health too, it’s going in a direction that we need to make some changes.”