Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
SF General emergency nurses warn commissioners of unsafe staffing levels
Summary
Four San Francisco General nurses told the Health Commission that emergency department staffing is dangerously low, citing 23 vacant RN positions, examples of patient-care delays and violence, and a recent shift where the unit had 10 nurses instead of an expected 22; commissioners referred concerns to Administration and the Joint Conference Committee.
San Francisco General emergency nurses brought stark warnings to the San Francisco Department of Public Health (DPH) Health Commission during public comment, saying chronic understaffing is compromising patient safety and staff well-being.
Dan Mayer, an emergency-department nurse, said the trauma center has 23 vacant registered-nurse positions and is not budgeted to the number of nurses the unit needs. "We're down 23 registered nurse positions in that department," Mayer said, adding that even filling current vacancies would leave the department short because budgets do not reflect actual staffing needs. Mayer said sitters for patients on constant observation are not budgeted, leaving some high-risk patients unattended, and estimated ambulance diversions cost the hospital "about $1,500,000 a month." He…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
