DES MOINES, Iowa —

The shouts of UnityPoint nurses calling for change echoed through the streets of downtown Des Moines Wednesday. Outside Iowa Methodist Medical Center, dozens of nurses rallied for a union, saying they’ve reached a breaking point when it comes to patient care and their own safety.

At the heart of their push: concerns about understaffing, long hours, and what they describe as unsafe working conditions.

“We don’t simply want this union; we need this union. We are quite literally fighting for our lives at times,” said Iowa Methodist Medical Care Center Critical Care Unit nurse Sammi Ladd.

Ladd shared emotional stories from her own career. She recounted being assaulted two months ago by a critically ill patient in the ICU. She said it took two or three nurses to get the p

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