Wichita nurses at Ascension Via Christi hospitals plan to go on strike

Source: KWCH

The National Nurses Union cites increased violence at hospitals as the reason

By Jordan Tovar
Published: Jun. 27, 2026 at 10:24 PM CDT|Updated: 7 hours ago

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - After a string of violent incidents at Ascension Via Christi hospitals in Wichita, nurses are speaking out.

“We have a 9-year-old that we haven’t really had many conversations about violence that happens at work with, but certainly my 13-year-old is much more in tune with that, and that’s a hard conversation to have as to whether I am safe or not,” said Katie Best, a Registered Nurse at Ascension Via Christi, St. Francis.

Just this week alone, two separate incidents happened at St. Joseph’s hospital.

On June 21, a man committed suicide by gunshot outside the main entry to the emergency room waiting area. Just three days later, a 15-year-old was arrested for making threats to “shoot up the hospital.”

Read more: https://www.kwch.com/2026/06/28/wichita-nurses-ascension-via-christi-hospitals-plan-go-strike/