mnnurses (Page 31)

On:
In: COVID-19, Home, Member Blog

by Emily Pierskalla, RN

MNA Member

What is it like being a nurse in a pandemic? Every day I bounce through the stages of grief like a pinball. The ricochet and whiplash leaves my soul tired and bruised.

Denial: I have spent less and less time in the denial stage. Still, I see many of my loved ones, politicians, and laypersons still stuck in this phase.

Anger: When our elders and immuno-suppressed folks are referred to as disposable members of society, when the pocketbooks of stockholders are considered more important than human lives, when we’ve known for decades this pandemic was coming, I burn with anger, anger at the system that prioritizes profits over health.
… Read more about: I Want My Death to Make You Angry  »

On:
In: Coronavirus, COVID-19, Home, Member Blog

By Sue Kreitz, RN

Board Member, Member of CARN

I know I’m not the only one in horror watching the situation of our colleagues in places, including Italy and Spain, who are dealing with during this pandemic. I think one of the most heartbreaking stories I’ve heard is that a doctor describing how he had to make decisions about who gets the life-sustaining treatments with ventilators and who doesn’t. Just last week, the Washington Post had an article about hospitals considering placing Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders on COVID-19 patients. Unfortunately, this could become real for us in the USA.

This morning I was listening to a program discussing ethics in the time of a pandemic and what this means for our health and society.
… Read more about: Difficult conversations during a pandemic  »

On:
In: COVID-19, Home, Nurse education, Patient Safety Standards, Politics, PPE

By Kristina Maki, RN

MNA Nurse Educator

MNA Nurse

It is surreal working as a nurse right now, right?  I am struggling to keep up with all the changes to practice; they seem to be happening daily.  Who’d have thought we’d be talking about reusing N95s, much less having to discuss using cloth masks…

I hate the ideas of cloth masks.  I know that it might come down to having to use them at some point, which makes me really angry.  Truthfully, it scares me to think that our only source of protection is a simple cloth over our faces. 
… Read more about: Cloth masks, really?  »

On:
In: Coronavirus, Home, Member Blog, Nurses

I’m writing this in the hopes that this will cut through some of the noise. As nurses, I feel it is our role to educate the public, especially in times like this. What I’m about to say is not intended to scare you or make you panic. It’s to help you understand the gravity of the issue that faces us, and to keep you well-informed. In fact, my hope is that, instead of fear and panic, you feel more knowledgeable than you did before reading this. And with that knowledge, my hope is that you will act responsibly, effectively, and with caution. This is especially for people who tune out the news, know others that aren’t taking this seriously, or believe that we are over-reacting.
… Read more about: An Open Letter to the Public on the Coronavirus, from an ICU Nurse  »

On:
In: Press Releases

Media Advisory:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Rick Fuentes
(o) 651-414-2863
(c) 612-741-0662
rick.fuentes@mnnurses.org

Amber Smigiel
(o) 651-414-2849
(c) 651-202-0845
amber.smigiel@mnnurses.org

​

(St. Paul) – March 20, 2020 – Nurses are calling on Minnesotans to help with the drastic shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) in Twin Cities hospitals. The Minnesota Nurses Association is accepting donations of N95 masks, which will be distributed to the State Emergency Operations Center to distribute to nurses who are running out at their respective hospitals.

“We’ve received numerous emails and calls from well-wishing patients and their families,” said MNA President Mary C.
… Read more about: Minnesota Nurses Asking for Public to Donate COVID-19 Protective Masks  »

On:
In: Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Rick Fuentes
(o) 651-414-2863
(c) 612-741-0662
rick.fuentes@mnnurses.org

Amber Smigiel
(o) 651-414-2849
(c) 651-202-0845
amber.smigiel@mnnurses.org

(St. Paul) – March 12, 2020 – The Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Minnesota State Council have both canceled their 2020 Lobby Days that were scheduled for March 19th and March 24th, respectively. The Unions both cited the Novel Coronavirus outbreak and the need for union members who are on the front line of caring for tens of thousands of Minnesotans every day to be healthy so they can provide the critical services Minnesotans may need in the coming weeks.
… Read more about: MN Nurses and Service Employees Cancel Lobby Days, Call on Elected Officials and Healthcare Corporations to Take Action to Ensure Safe and Healthy Minnesota  »

On:
In: Home, Hospitals, Mary Turner, Mayo, Nonprofit, Nurses

By Mary C. Turner, RN

MNA President

 

Mayo Clinic released its 2019 annual financial report at the end of February, and it surely made more than one person’s mouth fall open. A lot of those people, by the way, probably also work on the top floor, management offices of hospitals—not just Mayo.

 

First, here’s the numbers.  Mayo reported the company earned more than $13.8 billion in 2019. That’s money for everything from patient care to Mayo-branded backpacks ($39.95 in the Mayo marketplace store). Out of that, Mayo spent $12.8 billion. This means Mayo’s “operating revenue” is 1 billion dollars! 
… Read more about: Mayo’s Numbers Show NonProfit Financials are Really, Really Big  »

On:
In: Press Releases

Media Advisory:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Rick Fuentes
(o) 651-414-2863
(c) 612-741-0662
rick.fuentes@mnnurses.org

Amber Smigiel
(o) 651-414-2849
(c) 651-202-0845
amber.smigiel@mnnurses.org

(St. Paul) – January 28, 2020 – The No Cuts on Quality Care coalition of concerned community members, organization leaders, nurses, doctors and patients is holding a community forum Tuesday night to discuss the potential cuts and closures at Bethesda and St. Joseph’s hospitals. M Health Fairview CEO James Hereford has been invited to attend but has not responded.

These cuts will have ripple effects at all metro Twin Cities hospitals.
… Read more about: Nurses, Doctors, Patients to Hold Town Hall on HealthEast Hospital Cuts  »

On:
In: Board of Nursing, Drug Diversion, Health Professionals Services Program, Home

By Jackie Russell, RN BSN JD

MNA Nursing Practice and Regulatory Affairs Specialist

 

“There’s 50 mcgs. missing, that can’t be accounted for. Do you have any idea what may have happened to the 50 mcgs?” asked the nurse manager.

 

“I don’t know,” replied the nurse. “I must have given it.”

 

“But it’s not documented, the nurse manager said, and the pharmacy report doesn’t show it was wasted either.”

 

“Well,” said the nurse, “I could have lost it in my pocket. You know how you can lose drugs from the syringe into the cap?
… Read more about: Employers Are Watching for Drug Diversion  »

On:
In: Home, Minnesota Nurses Association, National Nurses United, Nurse education, Workplace violence prevention

by Jackie Russell, RN, JD

Nursing Practice and Regulatory Affairs Specialist

 

The Commission on Nursing Practice and Education (“NP&E”) met on September 19 at the MNA office in Saint Paul. At the meeting, NP&E created a workplace violence subcommittee charged with writing a position paper and FAQs about workplace violence prevention and policy. The subcommittee consists of NP&E’s Chair, Lynnetta Muehlhauser, and Commissioners Niki Gjere, Angela Oseland, and Mischelle Knipe. Also, working on the issue with MNA  is Liesl Wolf, Doctor of Nursing Practice Candidate from the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire. Liesl will do a literature review focused on research around correlations between workplace violence and staffing, nurse fatigue, and nurses leaving the profession.
… Read more about: Nursing Practice and Education Commission Focuses on Workplace Violence  »