Nurses strike at St. Louis area's second-largest h

Wed, Dec. 15, 2004: Missouri: Nurses strike at St. Louis area's second-largest hospital:"Union nurses at St. John's Mercy Medical Center in suburban St. Louis walked off the job at 5 a.m. Wednesday after failing to reach a contract agreement with the nonprofit Catholic hospital.
Hospital officials said operations were normal, with the typical 700 to 800 patients. Care of the patients was unaffected, said Chris Crain, chief nurse executive at the hospital."
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/10422864.htm

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.4nursing.com

How was patient care unaffected? Because it was 5am? How is that not abandonment of their patients?

The "walking off" is probably figurative.

I've got a feeling they had hired replacement nurses to take report and take over at the witching hour.

Leaving your patients without signing off to another nurse is patient abandonment. No nurse or union in their right minds would advocate that.

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.4nursing.com