Nurses rallied outside HCA Fort Walton-Destin Hospital on Tuesday, calling for safer staffing levels and progress in ongoing contract negotiations. Nurses argue that understaffing and stalled negotiations are putting pressure on caregivers, potentially affecting patient care.
The demonstration comes as nurses continue negotiating their first collective bargaining agreement with HCA. Nurses claim staffing levels, wages, and retention remain the key issues at the bargaining table. Representatives for the Healthcare Corporation of America (HCA), which owns the hospital, disputed several of their claims but vowed to cooperate in contract negotiations through a statement released to Mid Bay News.
RELATED: Hospital urges firework safety ahead of Independence Day
The first round of contract negotiations between nurses and the $81 billion corporation with more than 100 hospitals worldwide began in January. Picketing nurses claimed corporate representatives slowed the process to gain an advantage over them.
Nurses say the picket shows support for their bargaining team and brings awareness to the public about staffing concerns in their community.
“With HCA nurses saying the staff ratios can become unsafe, the willingness for corporate HCA to come to the bargaining table soon becomes an important issue not only for the safety of the patients in this community, but for the caregivers that are there to help them,” ER nurse Paige Campbell said.
The state of Florida does not mandate a specific nurse-to-patient ratio, and HCA Fort Walton-Destin does not publicly publish a unit ratio. When asked about the typical nurse-to-patient ratio at HCA Fort Walton-Destin, Campbell added, “In the emergency department, based on how sick people are, my ratios really should not go over one nurse to four patients at a time, and I can say that in the five years that I’ve been here, I’ve actually been one nurse to 19 patients at one time.”
Campbell added large patient-to-nurse ratios occur frequently in her emergency room.
Turnover and Staffing Levels
Protesting nurses argue that staffing shortages stem from turnover. Former colleagues, they say, are burned out and leave because they lack the resources to do their jobs properly.
“The hospital churns through nurses like you wouldn’t believe, and it’s not because they don’t have incredible compassionate caregivers, but instead because they’re not providing us resources,” Paige Campbell said.
An ICU Nurse named Amber noted that she believes the patient-to-staff ratio should fluctuate based on the acuity of particular situations in the Intensive Care Unit, and she wants that in writing on a contract document. She also demanded wage increases, retention incentives, and more input in staffing decisions.
HCA Responds to Picket
In a statement, HCA Fort Walton-Destin Hospital disputed claims that staffing levels were unsafe.
“Our staffing levels are safe, appropriate, and compliant with both industry standards and regulatory requirements,” a statement from a spokesperson said. The response to our query noted that it takes employees’ concerns “seriously, and continues to evaluate workplace conditions.”
The hospital’s officials also pointed to recent recognitions for patient care. “Recognized nationally as a major trauma center, HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital has received numerous accolades for delivering quality care, including the 2026 Patient Safety Excellence Award for the fifth year in a row from Healthgrades,” the statement read in part.
The hospital said it remains optimistic about reaching an agreement with nurses and emphasized that patient care remains its top priority throughout negotiations.
For Campbell, the issue ultimately comes down to ensuring nurses have the resources needed to care for patients safely.
“It’s not just the three nurses that they’re meeting every other week; it’s the 50 or 60 nurses that are here on their day off, on their time off, making sure that the patients get that voice that they need.”
