Maine Nurses Speak Out: Calls for Safer Hospitals and Better Staffing

Nurses from Maine Medical Center (MMC) and Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center are taking their concerns directly to the public with a news conference in Augusta on Tuesday, calling for improvements in patient safety and workplace conditions.

According to WGME 13, staff are drawing attention to several pressing issues, including chronic short staffing, difficulties in recruitment and retention, threats to patient safety, and incidents of violence in the workplace. Nurses at MMC say that staffing shortages not only delay critical patient care but also increase stress for healthcare workers, putting both staff and patients at risk.

This is not the first time MMC nurses have raised alarms about workplace safety. In 2022, they staged a rally outside the hospital to urge administrators to take stronger measures to protect staff and ensure safer patient care, WGME explained.

Lucy Dawson, an ER nurse at MMC, recounted a frightening incident at the 2022 rally. “One of our nurses was almost killed recently by a violent patient who tried to choke him,” she said. “He is not alone. We’ve been hit, bitten, choked, shoved, spit upon, and even concussed while on the job.” she told the news station.

According to the Maine State Nurses Association, MMC nurses have reported more than 250 incidents of workplace violence, highlighting a persistent and serious problem in hospitals. Advocates argue that addressing staffing shortages and implementing stronger safety protocols are crucial steps to protect healthcare workers and improve patient care.

Nurses hope the news conference will draw attention to the daily challenges they face and pressure hospital leadership to implement meaningful changes. “We want to ensure a safe environment, not just for ourselves, but for the patients who depend on us every day,” Dawson told WGME.