Offering “Donuts for Wheelchairs,” MedStar Washington Hospital Center registered nurses, affiliated with National Nurses United, conducted a bake sale early Monday morning to raise funds to help the hospital purchase working wheelchairs and other basic supplies. Nurses working at the region’s largest medical center have reported a critical shortage of basic equipment and supplies, despite the hospital grossing over $1.1 billion in 2011. “Nurses routinely transport patients in broken wheelchairs, if we can find a wheelchair at all,” said Stephen Frum, RN and the NNU nurse representative.  “We feel that this reflects poorly on the hospital and impedes the care that nurses are attempting to deliver. We have attempted to address this issue with management several times to no avail so we are taking extraordinary measures.” While nurses and patients go without basic supplies, NNU says that MedStar Health is spending tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees to appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals a ruling of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The NLRB recently ordered the hospital to turn over staffing and patient safety data to registered nurses who are attempting to improve conditions for patients at the hospital. "Rather than provide the data and work with nurses to improve patient safety, management has appealed the ruling, to the detriment of patient care," says NNU.