Seattle Children’s Hospital nurses to vote on new contract with unprecedented pay boost

Nurses at Seattle Children's Hospital are set to vote Thursday on a new contract, which offers an unprecedented pay boost as a way to put a dent in the staffing crisis.

The Washington State Nurses Association hopes it will not only encourage traveling nurses to work at the hospital full-time but also bring back nurses who left the profession and attract nursing students.

“There’s many nurses, as well as myself, that do feel overworked,” Seattle Children’s Hospital Nurse Edna Cortez explained.

Cortez has helped countless children during her nursing career spanning more than three decades at the hospital. She believes more can be done to attract and retain nurses to help lighten the workload on current staff while they're short an estimated 400 nurses.