Nurse Week 2026 Reflections
Every day, SEIU 121RN members are leading the fight for safer hospitals, better working conditions, fantastic union contracts and laws that protect patients, value Nurses and prioritize patient care.
Members show up to fight for their patients, advocate for their profession, and build the collective power that makes real change possible.
This Nurses Week, we held celebrations at hospitals, from Ventura County, down to Anaheim, and in the Inland Empire and asked our nurses what this week, and this union, means to them.
Their answers were honest, powerful, and personal.
Jessica Flores, RN
Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, Short Stay
“Being in a Union means that someone can also be my voice. Someone can represent me. Someone can defend me. Being in a Union means that you can be represented the right way for the right reasons, and stand for what’s right.”
Martha Infofuentes-Likins,RN
Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, Oncology, Disney Cancer Center
“What is affecting nursing now is actually that decisions are being made by others for us, and unfortunately it affects our patients and it’s affecting our profession. You have to be at the table to make the decisions because if you’re not at the table, you’re part of the menu.”
Samrath Boonsakul, RN
Garfield Medical Center Surgery Department
“I think it’s very important that we have proper staffing. One of the biggest reasons why Nurses drop out of the field is because Nurses don’t have adequate staffing. A lot of people are doing either too much overtime or they’re constantly working 13,14 hour days.”
Aime Sommer, RN
Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, NICU
“I’ve been a nurse for 30 years, and it’s still just as wonderful to me as it was at the beginning. I enjoy taking care of our vulnerable patients in the NICU. It’s extremely rewarding. It’s extremely stimulating. I was born to care for people. It almost makes me a little bit emotional to talk about it. It’s everything to me.”
Connie, RN
Northridge Hospital Medical Center
“The purpose of being a Union nurse is you have that peace of mind that, you know, your job is secured and you have the benefits that you deserve because we’re hardworking people.”
📸 Nurses Week 2026 — Photo Album
We captured moments from our celebrations member hospitals. Browse the full photo album from Nurses Week 2026 here:
