Registered nurses at Carondelet St. Mary’s and St. Joseph’s hospitals in Tucson staged informational pickets on Thursday, September 24, to demand that Carondelet Health Network address severe staffing shortages and patient safety concerns. Represented by the National Nurses Organizing Committee, a branch of National Nurses United, the demonstrations were part of months of ongoing contract negotiations.
Tucson Nurses Launch Protests Over Staffing Crises at Carondelet Hospitals
Inside the Pickets at St. Mary’s and St. Joseph’s
The informational pickets took place outside both Tucson facilities, with a morning demonstration at St. Mary’s Hospital on West St. Mary’s Road and an afternoon picket at St. Joseph’s Hospital on North Wilmot Road. Nurses began bargaining for a new contract in April, but union members stated that hospital management has failed to address core recruitment and retention problems. Jessica Guzman, a registered nurse at St. Mary’s, stated that management has refused to move on proposals for safer patient handling, adequate staffing, and guaranteed meal and rest breaks during 12-hour shifts.
Patient Safety Concerns and Reported Ratios
Nurses on the hospital floors described severe consequences stemming from chronic understaffing. Jaclyn Steinke, a telemetry nurse at St. Mary’s, noted that her unit’s standard ratio of one nurse for every four patients has routinely climbed to six patients per nurse. Todd Herres, a nurse at St. Joseph’s, reported that the shortage has directly impacted clinical care delivery, leading to increased patient falls, delayed administration of life-saving medications, and care for individuals who medically require intensive care unit placement. Union representatives argued that Tenet Healthcare, the parent company of Carondelet Health Network, prioritizes corporate profits over patient care and patient safety.
Hospital Management Response
Carondelet Health Network maintained that its facilities remain fully operational and criticized the union’s decision to picket. Monique Poessiger of Carondelet Health Network stated that the organization’s focus remains on delivering quality patient care and characterized the demonstrations as unconstructive. Poessiger added that the network has made constructive progress toward new contracts and intends to continue negotiating in good faith to reach a resolution without disrupting staff or patients.
Broader Nursing Shortages in Arizona and Nationwide
The localized protests reflect a broader systemic labor shortage across the healthcare industry. Data from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing shows that while the U.S. counts over 5 million registered nurses, hospitals nationwide will need more than 267,000 additional nurses by 2028. Locally, the National Center for Health reports that Arizona faces one of the most acute deficits in the country, projecting a need for 28,000 nurses in the state by 2030.
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