It was a relief to hear that Kapi‘olani Medical Center and its unionized nurses reached a settlement Tuesday, after a contentious labor dispute that involved a strike then work lockout.

Two federal mediators helped broker the deal, which was expected to have the nurses back on the job starting Sunday. Until the lockout, some 600 nurses had been working without a contract since December; the new three-year contract includes pay raises and a nurse-patient staffing compromise. Let the healing begin — for patients, as well as the hospital’s working relationships.