Nurses did not get breaks, although food was ordered by management as a consolation. We want more nurses, not food! Our patients deserve quality care and they are not getting it!
MNA Legislative Update February 3, 2012
Right to Work Bill Introduced
Yesterday Senator Dave Thompson (R-36, Lakeville) announced he will introduce a so-called “Right to Work” constitutional amendment. This legislation, backed by employers, will weaken unions, cut pay and benefits, and worst of all, will take away nurses’ power to advocate for our patients’ safety and our practice. “Right to Work” doesn’t create any jobs, and workers in Right to Work states actually earn significantly less than workers in collective bargaining states. Learn more about this legislation at the MNA website. While Governor Dayton strongly opposes Right to Work, he does not have the right to veto a constitutional amendment if it passes both houses of the Legislature.
… Read more about: Legislative Update, Feb. 3, 2012 »
Legislation to define the Community Paramedic services that are eligible for Medical Assistance reimbursement was introduced in the Senate by Senator Rosen (R-24, Fairmont) as SF 1543 and by Representative Mack (R-37A, Apple Valley) in the House as HF 2060. Here is a link to MNA’s letter in opposition to this bill. mna position community paramedic
… Read more about: Medical Assistance Reimbursement and Community Paramedics »
MNA Nurses fill out hundreds of Concern For Safe Staffing forms online each month. The story below is just one example of how unsafe staffing conditions inside Minnesota hospitals continue to have negative – and sometimes even deadly – consequences for patients and nurses. (Note: Due to HIPAA privacy laws for patients and concerns for potential workplace retaliation by employers against RNs, we do not identify the specific nurse and/or patient(s) involved in each story in this space.)
Today’s Story: (From a hospital unit dealing exclusively with infants) – Working three nurses short in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is very unsafe.
… Read more about: Unsafe Staffing Story: Kids’ ICU Dangerously Thin on RN Staffing »
Attention, nurses who work in maternal-child health: See this letter (pasted below) from the Minnesota Department of Health regarding storage and use of residual blood spots.
MTN/Channel 16 is broadcasting a 30 minute program of State Representative Frank Hornstein being interviewed by Lara Norkus-Crampton, RN regarding the capacity increase proposed for the Downtown Garbage Burner (the HERC) by Covanta and Hennepin County.
Don’t have cable? Livestream @ http://www.livestream.com/mtnstudios16.
(There may be some initial commercial interruption so log in a few minutes before the start of the scheduled time.)
Representative Hornstein has been a staunch opponent to garbage incineration for many years and has played an important role in fighting this increase in the HERC burning capacity from 1000 tons per day to burning 1200 tons of mixed garbage per day.
… Read more about: MNA RN Speaks Out on Community Health Issue »
Great news! St. Paul Public School Teachers reached a tentative agreement last night in their contract talks. As a result today’s informational picket is CANCELLED.
… Read more about: Breaking News: St. Paul Public School Teachers Reach Tentative Agreement; Today’s Picket Cancelled »
First Week of Session
The 2012 Legislative Session began this Tuesday, with commitments from legislative leaders that it will be a short session, with the goal of ending by April 2. The biggest issues of this session are likely to be constitutional amendments, a bonding bill, and a Vikings stadium.
Of most concern to MNA are constitutional amendments that will hurt working families. We are again dealing with a divided government, with the Senate and House in Republican control, and a Democratic governor. The legislative majorities, anticipating that Governor Dayton would veto a number of their more controversial priorities, have chosen a strategy that bypasses the Governor and asks the voters to write policy changes directly into the constitution.
… Read more about: Legislative Update, January 27, 2012 »
If you have kids in St. Paul’s Public Schools and/or just want to show solidarity with some great teachers, consider showing you support online or in person this Tuesday, Jan. 31st, during their info picket. Here are the details:
… Read more about: St. Paul Public School Teachers – Standing up for Students! »
Have you or a family member ever had the unfortunate experience of suffering from a pressure ulcer? In addition to being extremely unpleasant and painful, pressure ulcers can become so deep that they result in damage to your muscles, bones, tendons and joints.
And pressure ulcers – also commonly known as bedsores – are almost always preventable when proper staffing levels are adhered to.
Yet last week’s release of Minnesota’s Eighth Annual Adverse Events Report noted that incidents involving pressure ulcers spiked more than 19 percent statewide in 2011. What state hospital executives didn’t mention in spinning away that alarming statistic was that numerous national studies have shown a direct correlation between inadequate nurse staffing levels and an increase in conditions including pressure ulcers, pneumonia, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, shock/cardiac arrest, urinary tract infections and more.
… Read more about: MNA President Linda Hamilton’s Response to Minnesota Adverse Events Report’s Release »
