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Nurses Participate In Informational Picket Line At Kaiser's South Bay Medical Center

HARBOR CITY (CBSLA.com) — Hundreds of registered nurses and health care professionals participated in an informational picket line Tuesday at Kaiser Permanente's South Bay Medical Center.

They were protesting Kaiser's recent staff reductions, according to authorities.

"We are here today fighting for our patients," registered nurse Kim Mullen said in a statement. "As a nurse, my primary job is to be a patient advocate. We're already short-staffed. Getting rid of nurses makes no sense. That means too many patients for each nurse."

The institution eliminated 70 registered nurses' positions, despite having one of the highest readmission rates in the Kaiser system, according to the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals.

The picket started at 7:30 a.m. and is expected to last until 11:30 a.m.

Health care professionals are scheduled to participate in informational pickets at three more locations over the next 10 days.

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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