Nurses picket St. Josephs against a new telemetry unit

EUREKA, Calif. (KIEM)- Nurses from St. Joseph hospital in Eureka today demonstrated against what they claim is the unsafe and rushed opening of a new telemetry unit.

Telemetry units are places where patients are under constant watch using electronic monitors.

The nurses are picketing the new unit because they feel like there is not enough training and the appropriate technology is not in place, but the hospital feels like they are ready to add this new unit 

“We’ve got clinical nurse educators who are also trainers who will actually be on site to help answer any questions,” said Dr. Roberta Luskin-Hawk the Chief Executive of St. Joseph Health. “So, I think we are in good shape.”

Lesley Ester, the Chief Nurse Representative for the California Nurses Association, said, “The unit that they are sending cardiac telemetry patients to do not have the proper technology or the proper training and that’s really what we’re out here to talk to the community about.”

Both the hospital and the nurses feel like this unit is necessary, but some of the nurses feel like they need to do the project right.