Nurses and health care workers join HPAE to advance and improve patient care and professional practices and working conditions in their health care facilities.

Whether it is advocating for safe staffing at the bedside, for patient and worker safety, for adequate funding for medical research and health care access - or against waste and mismanagement in health care, HPAE members play a strong role in setting standards for our health care throughout NJ and our nation.

HPAE members are able to speak out on behalf of patients and their colleagues because they have the protection of their union. In 35 years since its founding, HPAE has grown into N.J.’s largest health care union, representing more than 12,000 nurses, social workers, therapists, technicians, medical researchers and other health care professionals in hospitals, nursing homes, home care agencies, blood banks and university research facilities in both New Jersey and the Philadelphia area. HPAE members work with community leaders and elected officials to improve access to affordable, quality health care for all our residents.

Through our collective bargaining agreements, HPAE has won important policies that improve working conditions, making our health care institutions safer places to work for nurses and health professionals. These victories include:

Safe staffing standards and appropriate nurse-to-patient ratios;
Limitations on unsafe practices such as mandatory overtime, shift rotation and floating outside areas of specialty;
Policies to improve recruitment and retention of qualified staff;
Policies to minimize violence and injuries; and
Protections for all HPAE members to speak up about unsafe practices.
Setting the Standard for Professional Practice
Having qualified nurses and staff by the bedside is crucial to delivering safe and effective patient care. That’s why HPAE conducts regular programs for our members and other health providers on important safety programs, new technologies, health and safety training, and professional practice. Our programs offer participants continuing education credits, which most professionals must maintain for their licenses.

Started in 1974 at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, HPAE now represents and has collective bargaining agreements at:

Englewood Hospital and Medical Center - 700 RNs
Bergen Regional Medical Center - 450 RNs and Professional staff
Wanaque Rehabilitation Center 70 RNs and LPNs
Llanfair House, 30 RNs and LPNs
Meadowlands Hospital, 450 RNs, Technical, and Service/Maintenance staff
Palisades Medical Center, 700 RNs, Professional, Technical and Service/Maintenance staff
Bayonne Medical Center, 850 RNs, Professional, Technical, Service/Maintenance staff, and Business Clericals
Harborage House, 120 Service/Maintenance staff
Christ Hospital, 400 RNs
University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ, 3800 Non-nursing professional staff (e.g. Medical Researchers) and RNs
Jersey Shore Medical Center, 750
RNs Runnell's Rehabilitation Center, 60 RNs
Southern Ocean County Hospital, 300 RNs
Virtua Memorial Hospital, 750 RNs
Cooper University Medical Center, 1100 RNs
South Jersey Health System, 800 RNs
American Red Cross,Penn-Jersey Region Blood Services Division, 250 RNs and technical staff
Temple/Episcopal Hospital 120 RNs and technical staff
Newton Memorial Hospital, 330 RNs