MNA Daily NewsScan, May 15, 2012 – Crow Wing RNs Await Results of Civil Law Suit; Nursing Careers and an Aging Population

What is this? The MNA Daily NewsScan is a round up the day’s biggest nursing, health care and organized labor stories.  As news unfolds in real-time, we update the NewsScan with new links and info, so check back often!

Stories we’re scanning:

Labor

Crow Wing County RNs Expect Decision Today on Civil Lawsuit Regarding Unfair Labor Practices   The unions reported the lawsuit is not whether the county’s proposal to tie pay to performance is a good idea.  “The county’s idea, like all bargaining proposals, should be negotiated,” the unions stated. “The unions’ lawsuit simply asks the court to find that the county must first negotiate the elimination of the current pay structure and not act on its own.”

Twin Cities Hospital Workers Voting Whether to Strike   The workers hold a variety of jobs, including nursing assistants, ER techs and maintenance and food service personnel. They work at five large health systems: Fairview, Children’s, HealthEast, North Memorial and Park Nicollet.

Health Care

How Much Do the Nation’s Pre-Eminent Hospitals Cost Medicare?  ;Can you cut health care spending without undermining the quality of care? It’s a major concern as Medicare prepares to prod hospitals to provide medical care more efficiently by giving bonuses to those whose patients cost less and taking money away from places that send the government higher bills.

Notes on Nursing

Aging Population Leads Nurses Back to School  Nursing schools have historically trained nurses to work at the bedside, in hospitals. But the rapidly aging population means more nurses are delivering care to patients outside of traditional hospital settings. Editor’s Note:  Please make sure you register your comments to this story on the MPR web site.  Does it reflect the reality you know?

Attention Twin Cities Nurses:  The MN Board of Nursing is seeking to expand the scope of practice for Licensed Practical Nurses to include assessment and delegation.  Attend a “Listening Session” to make your voice heard on May 17, at Bethel University.  More details here.