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There could be a potential nurse strike next week at University Hospital in Newark when their current contract expires on Sept. 30. While the two sides have been meeting, the union representing nurses says little progress has been made. At the center of these negotiations are nurse-to-patient ratios. The nurses are represented by the HPAE – Health Professionals and Allied Employees. The union is calling for a 5 to 1 patient-to-nurse ratio. “The other two Level 1 Trauma Centers in New Jersey, Cooper University Health Care and RWJB in New Brunswick both have safe staffing in their union contracts. University Hospital must do the same,” says Union President Debbie White. If such a ratio was put in play, the union says nurses wouldn’t be overworked, the quality of care would improve and staff wouldn’t leave. The administration says they have met with union leaders from HPAE 10 times since July. “The Hospital remains not only in compliance with all state regulations regarding nurse-to-patient staffing ratios, but consistently exceeds those requirements,” says administrators. Administrators point out that they’ve also hired over 170 nurses in the past year to reduce vacancies. In Trenton, there’s a bill that could end some of these labor disputes called the “Patient Protection and Staffing Act.” It would require one nurse for every three patients in labor and delivery – and one nurse to every four patients in a medical, surgical unit or emergency department. The bill also states that “inadequate nurse staffing can result in dangerous medical errors, patient infections, and increased injuries to patients and caregivers.” Until that becomes law, nurses and hospital administrators may continue to negotiate over new contracts. ”