MNA Blog (Page 120)

Recent news and updates from the Minnesota Nurses Association.

On:
In: Duluth Bargaining

Today was our fourth bargaining meeting with St. Luke’s. Our contract proposal with concrete nurse to patient ratios will provide time for nurses to give our patients the safe care they deserve. St. Luke’s believes that the current grids which provide one RN for nine patients on most west side units on days and evenings is safe staffing. Nights are even worse on the west side, the ratio can be up to 1 RN to 13 patients. The current grid provides an average of 6.5 minutes of time per patient per hour, which does not include any charting, admissions, discharges and more.
… Read more about: June 16: Duluth Bargaining Update (St. Luke’s)  »

On:
In: Nurses Strike

Shared by a FSH RN who came back to work the morning of June 11 shortly after MNA’s one-day strike for patient safety ended.

Some nurses begin our shifts at 6:30am and as instructed we reported for duty. Some were allowed to punch in others not. We were “escorted” to a conference room where we were told to wait until 7am. There were 11 RN’s from 2 departments. One nurse asked if she could use the restroom and/or get something to drink–the answer was No. Another nurse asked if she could get some items from her locker in the staff lounge (which was right next door) the answer was NO.
… Read more about: A view from inside Fairview Southdale Hospital on June 11  »

On:
In: Nurses Strike, Politics

(This was submitted from the husband of a MNA RN to both newspapers here in the Twin Cities but we have yet to see it published.)

A Modest Proposal for the Nurses

Wise people teach us that the best way to understand another person is to
walk a mile in his shoes.

So to resolve the issues between nurses and health care bureaucrats, let
them walk a mile in each other’s shoes.  For bureaucrats these means
going out and buying uniforms and some relatively inexpensive white tennis
shoes, mostly women’s sizes.  For nurses it will mean some serious
shopping and wardrobe upgrading, no more of that one uniform on my back and
one in the wash mentality.
… Read more about: A Modest Proposals for the Nurses  »

On:
In: Nurses Strike

PRACTICE ALERT!!!

24 Hour Strike Nursing Practice Violations by Temporary Nurses

MNA Members are reporting Nursing Practice Violations found after their return to work following the 24 Hour Strike. Examples include:

  • Total lack of charting, or incomplete documentation
  • Use of MNA members’ names and access codes to enter various parts of the EHR.
  • Adverse events, medication or treatment errors related to medical orders and nursing interventions

You also may have information on issues happening after the Strike such as: