Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Close to 50 nurses were on strike yesterday morning and picketing along the Faga’alu road leading up to LBJ hospital over unpaid overtime and not getting their promised increment as announced last week by the hospital management and board.

More than 20 nurses did not attend their shifts at the hospital over the weekend as a way of expressing their disappointment with decisions made by the LBJ Hospital management.

Nurses were seen on strike in Faga’alu after their overtime was not paid and promised increment were not reflected when they got their paychecks last Friday. [photo: JF]

Samoa News reached out to the hospital Chief Executive Officer, Moefaauo Bill Emmsley for comments and he said a “press statement is forthcoming.”

According to a senior nurse, “if the LBJ hospital could hire unlicensed nurses from Fiji, put them in hotels to await nursing school in January, how could they not afford to pay our overtime and promised increment?”

The nurse further said this is not the first time, they have had issues with their overtime and now they have had “enough”.

 “The hospital can afford to make administrative decisions by hiring overseas unlicensed nurses, we are entitled to our overtime.

 “We have worked tirelessly with a mountain of unpaid overtime but their recent decisions has been called into question.

 “We have nothing against our Fijian sisters and brothers here to lend a hand, but they are unlicensed, so all they are doing are nurses assistant work, yet they are getting housing allowances and other benefits that we the local nurses are not entitled to. Where is the fairness in that?

 “They hired the nurses from Fiji, then they announced that we will get an increase in our salaries, as if words will pay our bills,” said the senior nurse.

A nurse with a PA horn speaker, could be heard broadcasting loudly “nurses are underpaid and undervalued.”

“Underpaid and undervalued” was one of the signs held up during the nurses strike early Monday morning. [photo: JF]

Vehicles passing by when Samoa News was at the strike area, shouted out encouragement to the striking nurses.

It is unclear whether the strike will continue later this week, as other nurses say they will strike again in the afternoon and throughout the week until their voices are heard by the LBJ management.

A doctor was seen at the strike in support of the nurses, while some of the nurses held up signs saying “enough is enough”.

Just at press time, Samoa News received a statement issued by the LBJ hospital in relation to the nurse’s strike on Monday morning citing “an untimely calamity” for the LBJ patients on the receiving end of an abrupt and ‘without notice’ walk-out by a few nurses on Friday, Dec. 16, 2022, and Monday, Dec. 19, 2022:

In regards to the impact from nurses “abandoning their work stations” (Monday) the CEO Moefa’auo Emmsley met with a group of nurses who provided a letter of grievance.

“The CEO sincerely listened as their representative went through each concern and recommendations on their behalf. After the meeting, the CEO directed all of the nurses to return back to work.

“The CEO's main concern, as he voiced it to the nurses, was to provide continuous safe and quality patient care for the hospital and safety for the employees who remained steadfast.

“The CEO did not shy away from sharing his thoughts that the nursing profession is a the ‘top’ of his agenda, from the beginning.”

According to the statement, the CEO further explained there have been several initiatives already enacted in support of the nurse's agenda.

“The CEO was very empathetic towards the nurses and advised them that he will meet with the Board of Directors and senior management in resolving their issues as presented.”

He also reminded the nurses that the nursing shortage is not only in American Samoa, but it's a world- wide phenomenon, which already beleaguered our local healthcare system for several years.

“In fact, according to American Hospital Association, it is anticipated that by the end of 2022, there will be an overall shortage of 1.1 million nurses nationwide in America.

“Compounding this problem, during the pandemic, the recruitment for LBJ was hit hard due to severe travel restrictions and border closure. Moreover, retention has been impacted equally.

“In the Philippines, a place LBJ depends heavily for U.S. licensed nurses, has restricted the exodus of their healthcare professionals from their country, which then required innovative approaches to solve this dilemma, hence the conception and execution of the Foreign Nurses Recruitment Initiative, which includes Fiji and Samoa.

“The CEO respects the nurses' rights of freedom of speech, but the CEO's primary responsibility is to ensure high-quality healthcare and continuous safe patient care is not compromised in accordanceto the Conditions of Participation for Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).”

The hospital statement said that the “walk-out was uncalled for, which exacerbated an already bad staffing situation.

“As the CEO reminded the nurses, he has always had an open- door policy, and they failed to use it to their advantage accordingly.

“But instead, they left their duties, which jeopardized the lives of the patients who are dependent ontheir services.”

The CEO and Management are grateful to the LBJ nurses who remained on their posts during this unfortunate event, the release said.

“In addition, the CEO is thankful to all the nurses who have come out of retirement to assist with the nursing shortage.

“The hospital is also appreciative to some of the nurses from DOH, and the foreign nurses who havestepped in to help with this crisis in a timely manner.