“I was held on 13K at the bedside after an injury when it would have protected my body and career to transition to a position in Infusion that was awarded to me. I ruptured lumbar discs, and took six months of FMLA leave. Months before I came back, I realized that I could not continue my inpatient job without risking permanently injuring my body. I applied for and was hired to an outpatient clinic job at OHSU that would be much less physical, and despite this, my manager insisted I return to the inpatient floor for direct care. I was stripped of my charge nurse role in a manner which reeked of retaliation; charge nursing would have been much less physically demanding. I utilized the grievance process with the help of the union to demonstrate to management why I should have been reinstated as a charge nurse. I continued to request an "early" transfer to the clinic, but was arbitrarily denied, and finished out my inpatient time. This flies in the face of the ANA Code of Ethics mandate to self-care as an ends to provide quality patient care. It risked my entire career as a nurse; it didn't serve me as a nurse, and it didn't serve OHSU as an institution."

We wanted to express our appreciation for Nico’s strength and union pride in sharing their story. Thank you, Nico!