For Immediate Release
August 29, 2024
Shane Youtz
shane@youtzvaldez.com
505-980-1590
RIO RANCHO, N.M.—University of New Mexico Sandoval Regional Medical Center fired an Emergency Department registered nurse today, just 11 days after speaking at a union-sponsored press conference about troubling patient and working conditions.
“This is obvious retaliation,” said Shane Youtz, lawyer for the United Health Professionals of New Mexico, the union representing UNM SRMC nurses and other health professionals. “This hospital, a public institution, is using taxpayer resources to fight the union at every turn since it formed more than two years ago, and now, facing a generational nursing shortage, they are discarding valuable healthcare workers who work diligently every day to improve patient outcomes.”
The nurse, Samantha Hines, signed a letter to the editor that was published in the Rio Rancho Observer on July 19 and spoke at a UHPNM press conference on Aug. 19 about staffing shortages and other problems that are inhibiting high-quality patient care. She said that the hospital should be working with the union at the bargaining table to come up with solutions to improve worker recruitment and retention and other ways to improve patient care.
Youtz said the hospital’s claimed basis for the termination will be shown to be a pretext, a false claim in order to terminate her for her union activity. Youtz also said that the record will show her to be a very skilled and competent nurse.
“Others at work told me this would happen, but I spoke up on behalf of my patients and my co-workers anyway, and the hospital fired me for that. I’m just numb. They targeted me because I spoke the truth, that the hospital needs to do better and should work with the union,” Hines said. “It’s such a shame that the hospital would rather fire nurses than actually help them do their jobs better for the sake of patients.”
Hines has worked at UNM SRMC for nearly four years, since she graduated from nursing school.
Youtz said the union will immediately appeal Hines’ firing.
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