Nurses protest understaffing of state facilities

ASKING FOR SAFER WORKING CONDITIONS–Pictured are some of the nurses that were protesting outside of the Chester Mental Health Center and Menard Correctional Center on Monday afternoon.

On the afternoon of Monday, Oct. 17, a group of nurses, along with some AFSCME members, stood outside of the Chester Mental Health Center and the Menard Correctional Center in Chester to protest the state’s understaffing of the facilities.

A statement from the Illinois Nurses Association (INA) noted that the nurses were protesting “to hold the state accountable to staff those facilities with an adequate number of nurses. Currently, both facilities are woefully understaffed and create unsafe working conditions for nurses and staff.” In addition, these facilities being understaffed is a danger to the patients.

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