RNs at West Anaheim Medical Center hope to stem the sharp increase in nurse turnover

Nurses at West Anaheim Medical Center (WAMC) in Anaheim, Calif. will hold a one-day strike on Tuesday, August 12 toprotest management’s refusal to address their repeated concerns about nurse turnover, which is impacting the quality of patient care, announced California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU). 

“Our emergency department is often completely full with a large lobby of patients waiting to be seen,” said Liz Rivera, RN in the telemetry unit. “Having a strong, experienced, well-trained workforce in all units will make a huge difference in getting our patients timely and critical care throughout the hospital.” 

WAMC RNs are striking to urge management to invest in nursing staff and agree to a contract that provides:

• Conditions for safe patient care
• Measures to attract and retain nursing staff
• Strict adherence to the legal requirements for nurse-to-patient ratios

“Because of the nurse turnover that management has refused to address, nurses are given assignments that can put our licenses in jeopardy,” said Raymond Tejada, RN in the direct observation unit (DOU). “For example, nurses are assigned to units where we do not have the appropriate level of experience. That means ICU patients often don’t get experienced ICU nurses, and DOU patients do not get experienced DOU nurses.”

What: 1-day RN strike for patient safety and a fair contract

When: Tuesday, August 12, 7 am. to Wednesday August 13, 6:59 am.

Where: West Anaheim Medical Center | 3033 W. Orange Ave., Anaheim, corner of Beach Blvd. and Orange Ave.

On-the-ground contact: Janet Jones 818.406.5240

“Nurses’ ability to focus on our most critically ill patients is severely restricted by the hospital’s perpetual cycle of new graduate hires, who we prepare to take full patient assignments but who leave soon after they’re fully trained,” said Heather Foy, RN in the ICU unit. “In my twelve years at WAMC, nurse retention has not been this dire. We are truly exhausted and need real solutions.”

In addition to burdening experienced RNs with training duties – in addition to their regular assignment of patients –management overloads RNs with supervisorial responsibility over non-RN nurse staff. These conditions create an unsafe work environment that could jeopardize safe patient care and have led experienced nurses to leave the hospital due to stress and moral injury. 

West Anaheim Medical Center nurses have been in negotiations since February 2025 for a new contract with little to no movement on key issues. After months of negotiations and 3 days with a federal mediator, management has declared an impasse in negotiations. CNA disagrees with management’s position and had asked the employer to continue bargaining in good faith.

Nurses have given advance notice to the hospital for their strike, which was authorized by WAMC nurses and members of CNA in late spring.

California Nurses Association represents more than 360 nurses at West Anaheim Medical Center.

UPDATE: The West Anaheim Medical Center released a statement:

“West Anaheim Medical Center, award winning for quality and health equity by the Lown Institute, has bargained in good faith with the goal of reaching an agreement in the best interest of the hospital, our employees, and most importantly, those we serve.

The hospital has already implemented wage increases last week on August 8th that will provide millions of dollars to all nurses over the next three years as part of our commitment to recognizing and rewarding the dedication of our staff. In recent negotiations, the hospital delivered a proposal to the union representing these wage increases for all our nearly 400 nurses and comprehensive benefit programs that are among the best in the nation. Despite negotiations and these substantial investments honoring all of our nurses, the union has opted to proceed with a strike. While we are disappointed in this decision, it will not impact the hospital’s unwavering commitment to remain fully open and staffed with qualified professionals to deliver quality patient care to the community.

The 1-day strike will not result in any disruptions to patient care and the hospital will continue to provide trusted, quality care.

We value our employees and their dedication to caring for our community, and in turn, we are committed to ensuring that our mission endures. West Anaheim Medical Center continues to be a trusted source for healthcare in Orange County, receiving national patient safety and quality recognitions while providing vital care for its community, including A-grades in patient safety, health equity, community benefit, and clinical outcomes from the Lown Institute Hospitals Index. None of this would have been possible without our dedicated staff. We are committed to ensuring a workplace that honors their work and continues to provide lifesaving care.

To support our caregivers and communities, West Anaheim Medical Center has put forth extensive resources and strategies to recruit and retain talented professionals to continue providing high-quality healthcare. We emphasize a safe and healthy work environment, offering support and growth opportunities through continuing education, tuition reimbursement, career development, clinical ladder programs and a robust employee assistance program to support mental health and wellness. We place patient and staff safety as our top priority, and these efforts are reflected by West Anaheim Medical Center’s recognition by national organizations as among the highest performing hospitals across the United States. Together with all of our valued caregivers, we look forward to reaching an agreement and continuing to be a trusted community source for quality, compassionate care.”

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California Nurses Association/National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the nation with more than 100,000 members in more than 200 facilities throughout California and more than 225,000 RNs nationwide.