'We're fighting for you:' Nurses at Seattle Children's demand change amid workplace violence issues
SEATTLE - All nurses want is to feel safe at work. Seattle Children's Hospital nurses gathered Tuesday evening ahead of what will be a busy day Wednesday when they will meet with hospital administrators to discuss their demands.
Many who work in the mental health unit say they don’t feel comfortable going to work daily. They say they need more resources to help them help the children they care for.
Ahead of the meeting, a few said they’re highly optimistic. They said hope is something that’s been lost for years, but sharing their stories and having their voices heard is making an impact.
One of the devastating stories shared during the vigil was that of Lexi Webster. She said she started with the unit in August of 2019 but by January, she said she needed to take medical leave for PTSD related to work.
"For weeks I had nightmares and constant fatigue and anxiety," Webster said. "I was having migraines during every shift and despite repeated attempts to ask for help, I was told that I needed to find better coping skills."
She returned in March. She recalls six restraints which she says she remembers to this day. She left the unit in December 2021. Her reasoning? "For fear that myself or a patient would die due to lack of desperately needed resources," Webster said.
Charlie Elkins also spoke out during the vigil, hoping to inspire change.
"One of our biggest concerns right now is the amount of staff getting physically hurt," Elkins said.
She was one of dozens of nurses and staff who gathered in the cold with one goal in mind: "protecting children".
"This is nursing. We’re standing up for our patients and we’re standing up for our community," Washington State Nurses Association President Justin Gill said.
Their efforts have been ongoing. FOX 13 previously reported in November that 44 nurses called for safer conditions, including safety officers, an increase in staff, dedicated space for their patients, and a 1-to-8 patient-to-nurse ratio.
Seattle Children's said they’d bring in travel nurses. Their demands were delayed with a meeting scheduled for Dec. 13.
"I love my job," a nurse speaking at the vigil said.
A sentiment shared by every single nurse. Henry Jones, a charge nurse on the unit, says giving up isn’t an option for them.
"I can't just walk away knowing that all of these kids and all the kids that aren't getting the services would have even less of a chance, right?" Jones said.
So they’re doing everything in their power, demanding change to better help children. Jones says this is a community issue.
"Everything that happens on our unit, what our kids go through, the treatment they receive, the skills they build, and where they go after will have lasting effects on the community," Jones said.
The reality is, they’re being heard. They were joined by several state representatives who heard their concerns and vowed to help them improve work conditions.
"Enough is enough," Senator Javier Valdez said. "It’s time to listen to all of you. You're the ones doing the work, you’re the ones taking care of patients, you’re the ones taking care of families. [Seattle] Children's needs to step up and take care of this and address this."
Nurses hope Wednesday will continue to be a step in the right direction for children. The reason they’re fighting so hard for.
"We're fighting for you and we believe in above anything else, we believe in you," Jones said as he aimed his message at the child patients. "We're going to do our best to make a safe place for you to come when you need help."