EVERETT, Wash. - Healthcare systems in Washington are strained to a breaking point, and the squeeze got tighter in Snohomish County.
On Tuesday, nurses of Providence Regional Medical Center began the first day of a five-day strike to address "chronic understaffing" at two hospital campuses in Everett.
A nationwide survey by AMN Healthcare Services this spring showed almost one-third of nurses are thinking about quitting. The burnout, plus the rapid pace of nurses retiring, makes contract negotiations for Providence nurses more important than ever.
"The community needs to understand that this is for their safety," said Katy Roth, a registered nurse who has worked for Providence for 19 years.
