WASHINGTON (DC News Now) – Registered Nurses at the MedStar Washington Hospital Center voted for new contracts that would expand safety guidelines, hire new nurses, and increase wages. The vote took place Sunday, March 5.

National Nurses United said in a press release that these new contracts would improve patient safety and nurse retention. These terms will enact over a three-year contract.

“We are proud to have a strong contract that will help recruit and retain nurses,” said Mentwab “Mimi” Dinka, RN in the hospital’s float pool and a member of the bargaining team. “With MedStar management’s commitment to hiring 450 nurses each year, we will have optimal staffing so we can provide our patients and community with the care they deserve.”

Wage increases across the board are expected to range from 15 to 33 percent over the life of the contract. The new contracts start on March 12, 2023, and end on March 2026.

“We have been fighting to ensure that nurse preceptors are compensated for mentoring and training new nurses,” said Stephanie Sims, RN in the neonatal intensive care unit at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and a member of the bargaining team. “For the first time in our contract, our preceptors will be paid for their valuable role in training the next generation of nurses.

NNOC represents more than 1,800 nurses at MedStar Washington Hospital Center.