Nurses at Providence hospitals across Oregon, including Hood River, are in negotiations now or will be in the near future at six Providence facilities.  Brittany Foss is a registered nurse at Providence Hood River.  She says there’s commonality in their demands across the six facilities, including lower health insurance costs, competitive wages, safe staffing and workplace safety.  Foss notes that nurses at Hood River and Medford want pay parity with the Portland Metro Area facilities.  Management has argued that the cost of living in those areas is lower, but Foss counters that nurses at smaller hospitals are expected to know more because they see a wider range of patients.  A spokesperson with Providence says the company has “locally focused, market-competitive wage and benefit packages.”