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More than 1,300 San Francisco nurses have signed on to a “no-confidence” letter they intend to send to leaders at the Department of Public Health on Thursday to protest what they’ve long claimed is a chronic understaffing of nurses throughout the city’s health care system. Despite playing critical roles on the front lines of the city’s mounting homelessness, mental health and drug addiction crises, nurses say they’re running on fumes, with conditions forcing them to take on more patients, skip breaks and work overtime. (Fracassa, 5/28)

Nurses picketed outside Tenet-affiliated hospitals across California on Tuesday afternoon in a union-organized event meant to urge management to invest in nursing staff. More than 3,700 registered nurses represented by the California Nurses Association at eight California hospitals are in ongoing contract negotiations that began in September 2018 with the Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare Corporation. (Vaughan, 5/28)

Nurses play a critical role in patient care. But for many hospitals, these professionals are in high demand and short supply. This is particularly true in states such as Georgia, according to nurse.org. One reason for the shortage is that many nurses are reaching retirement age and they aren't necessarily being replaced quickly enough by younger nurses. In addition, the population is aging and, as a result, more health care is needed generally. (Caldwell, 5/28)