HCA Florida hospital nurses vote to unionize

Registered nurses at HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital in Fort Walton Beach have voted in favor of unionizing.

In a two-day vote, from Sept. 10-11, more than 65% of nurses voted to join National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United, according to a union news release.

“I am absolutely overwhelmed and elated that we are now part of National Nurses United,” Paige Campbell, RN, said in the release. “We now have the opportunity to make real changes at our hospital so we can provide the highest quality of care to each and every one of our patients. We know that with a seat at the bargaining table, management must address our concerns. And while we rejoice in this victory, we know in the end, it is our patients who will be the biggest winners.”

The vote covers 400 nurses at HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital, part of Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare. 

The union said nurses sought unionization to address issues such as staffing, floating practices, equipment and workplace violence.

“We respect the right of our nurses to decide for themselves whether or not they want to be represented by a labor union,” the hospital said in a statement shared with Becker’s. “The vote is not final until it has been certified by the National Labor Relations Board and our hospital is obligated to thoroughly examine the election process to ensure a fair election was conducted. We value our nurses and the exceptional care they provide, and we will continue to focus on our mission to care for the communities of Northwest Florida.”

NNOC/NNU currently represents thousands of nurses in Florida at nearly a dozen HCA hospitals.

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