Nurses Lobby, Rally For A Remedy to Staffing Shortages and Violent Workplaces

Nurses are calling for a code red alarm for Ohio, and gathered at the Statehouse Thursday to urge lawmakers to pass legislation to improve nursing care for patients and to protect those who provide that care.

Nurses chanted "we are one" as they rallied on Capitol Square as they called for legislation to improve nursing care in Ohio. The nurses said critically short-staffed care units and workplace violence are causing some to consider leaving the profession. They want lawmakers to pass legislation to improve conditions for workers and patients.

“We need safe staffing ratios. We need a safe workplace to go to in order to give the best care that we can," said Amy Jo Riley, a nurse at Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital in Tuscarawas County.

“Every day, nurses are pushed to their limits, overworked and placed in hazardous situations that put everyone at risk,” said Rick Lucas, president and executive director of the Ohio Nurses Association “We are fed up with these intolerable conditions and are calling for immediate action to protect those who dedicate their lives to caring for others. The future of healthcare in Ohio depends on immediate action taken by our legislators and hospital executives. Someone’s safety and care depend on it.”