Dear Colleagues,
Every day, we come to work with one goal: to provide the safest, highest-quality care possible for our patients. We advocate for children and families through some of the most difficult moments of their lives. It’s time we advocate just as fiercely for ourselves.
For years, nursing has been expected to do more with less. We have accepted increased workloads, staffing shortages, and growing expectations while seeing little meaningful investment in the people who provide direct patient care. Meanwhile, executive leadership has received substantial compensation increases. Over the past two years, our CEO has received 15% raises while nurses have seen raises of only 2–3%, despite rising healthcare costs, expensive insurance premiums, and retirement benefits that fall short of what many of us deserve.
We are encouraged to pursue specialty certifications to improve patient care and help the hospital achieve and maintain Magnet recognition. Many of us willingly invest our own time and energy because we believe in professional excellence. Yet the reimbursement process can be unnecessarily difficult, and some nurses have even been denied certification stipends because of payroll errors they were expected to catch themselves. That isn’t supporting professional growth—it’s creating unnecessary barriers.
A union gives nurses a collective voice. It provides us with the ability to negotiate for:
Safe staffing ratios that improve patient safety and outcomes.
Fair wages that recognize our knowledge, skill, and dedication.
Affordable, high-quality health insurance and stronger retirement benefits.
Transparent, reliable reimbursement and compensation for certifications and professional development.
Better working conditions that improve nurse retention and reduce the constant turnover affecting our units.
This isn’t about creating conflict. It’s about creating accountability. Nationwide Children’s Hospital asks us to uphold the highest standards of excellence every day. We have every right to expect the same commitment from our employer.
When nurses are supported, patients benefit. Safe staffing, experienced nurses, and a stable workforce lead to better outcomes for the children and families who depend on us. Retaining experienced nurses isn’t just good for employees—it’s essential for excellent patient care.
Signing a union authorization card does not mean you’re committing to a strike or agreeing to a contract. It simply means you believe nurses deserve the opportunity to negotiate together for a stronger voice in the decisions that affect our profession, our patients, and our future.
For too long, nursing has carried the burden when budgets are tight, expectations increase, or corners are cut. We deserve fair compensation, meaningful benefits, safe working conditions, and respect for the critical role we play every single day.
Together, we can help hold Nationwide Children’s Hospital accountable to the same standard of excellence it expects from us.
Please consider signing your union authorization card. Our voices are strongest when we stand together.
In solidarity,
Sheryl Keiffer, RN, BSN (H4B)
