MNA Blog (Page 24)

Recent news and updates from the Minnesota Nurses Association.

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In: Home, Press Releases

MEDIA ADVISORY

Contact: Sam Fettig(o) 651-414-2863(c) 612-741-0662sam.fettig@mnnurses.orgLauren Nielsen(o) 651-414-2862(c) 651-376-9709lauren.nielsen@mnnurses.org

(Marshall, MN) – April 15, 2022 – Nurses at Avera Regional Medical Center in Marshall will hold an informational picket outside the facility on Tuesday, April 19, 2022, to inform the public of the need for Avera executives to put patients before profits to address the understaffing and retention issues at the hospital and to prioritize safe and high-quality patient care. The picket comes as nurses at the facility represented by the Minnesota Nurses Association bargain for a fair new contract with the health system.
… Read more about: Marshall nurses to picket on need to put patients before profits at Avera Medical Center  »

On:
In: Home, Legislative Policy, Nurse Staffing, Nurses Shortage, Press Releases, Unsafe Staffing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sam Fettig
(o) 651-414-2863
(c) 612-741-0662
sam.fettig@mnnurses.org

Lauren Nielsen
(o) 651-414-2862
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.nielsen@mnnurses.org

Act to retain nurses and protect patient care included in omnibus released today, bringing it closer to vote in the Minnesota House

(St. Paul) – April 6, 2022 – Members of the Minnesota Nurses Association applauded the inclusion of the Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act in the Minnesota House Health Omnibus Bill released today (sec. 27, line 38.12). The act would address the short-staffing and retention crisis to protect patient care in Minnesota by establishing local, flexible, hospital-based committees of nurses and managers who would work together to set staffing levels on a unit-by-unit basis, including a limit on the number of patients for which any one nurse is responsible.
… Read more about: Nurses applaud inclusion of Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act in House Health Omnibus Bill  »

On:
In: Home, Issues, Nurse Staffing, Nurses Shortage, Press Releases, Unsafe Staffing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sam Fettig
(o) 651-414-2863
(c) 612-741-0662
sam.fettig@mnnurses.org

Lauren Nielsen
(o) 651-414-2862
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.nielsen@mnnurses.org

(St. Paul) – March 31, 2022 – Minnesota nurses released a new report today – “Why We Left: 2022 Nursing Workforce Report” – which identifies poor hospital management and chronic short staffing as the top issues driving nurses away from bedside care. In a roundtable discussion at the State Capitol today, nurses who retired early or left full-time bedside care positions shared stories of their experiences, including why they left and what it would have taken for them to stay.
… Read more about: Minnesota nurses share ‘Why We Left’ the bedside in new report, call for solutions to staffing and retention crisis  »

On:
In: Healthcare, Hospitals, Nurse Staffing, Nurses, Nurses Shortage, Nursing, Press Releases

MEDIA ADVISORY

Contact: Sam Fettig
(o) 651-414-2863
(c) 612-741-0662
sam.fettig@mnnurses.org

Lauren Nielsen
(o) 651-414-2862
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.nielsen@mnnurses.org

(Duluth) – March 29, 2022 – At 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 31, 2022, Minnesota nurses will share the results of a new survey analyzing why nearly 750 nurses left bedside care positions within the last two years. Nurses who have retired early or have otherwise been pushed out of bedside care will share their stories and discuss the findings of the new report.

The report – “Why We Left: 2022 Nursing Workforce Report” – was compiled by the Minnesota Nurses Association based on a survey of 748 nurses who left an MNA-represented nursing job in the past two years and did not take a new job in another MNA-represented facility.
… Read more about: ‘Why We Left’ – Minnesota nurses to discuss retention crisis, release new nursing workforce report  »

On:
In: Action, Essentia, Healthcare, Press Releases, Unions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sam Fettig
(o) 651-414-2863
(c) 612-741-0662
sam.fettig@mnnurses.org

Lauren Nielsen
(o) 651-414-2862
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.nielsen@mnnurses.org

(Duluth) – March 25, 2022 – At 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, Mar. 30, 2022, Duluth nurses will be joined by area labor leaders and elected officials to call on Essentia to do right by workers at their new outpatient surgical center at Miller Hill Health Plaza.  

At the event, Duluth nurses will share their concerns about the effect of Essentia’s corporate healthcare policies on employees and patient care as the health system prepares to open the new surgical facility.
… Read more about: Duluth nurses, elected officials, labor leaders to call on Essentia to do right by workers at new facility  »

On:
In: Action, Home, Nurse Staffing, Patient Safety, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sam Fettig
(o) 651-414-2863
(c) 612-741-0662
sam.fettig@mnnurses.org

Lauren Nielsen
(o) 651-414-2862
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.nielsen@mnnurses.org

MNA nurses delivered opening offers to hospital executives this week, seeking to retain nurses and prioritize quality care at the bedside

Nurses are donning buttons and stickers this week announcing “We Are Ready” to fight to put patients before the profits of hospital CEOs

MNA also launches new paid digital advertising campaign highlighting the crisis patients and staff are facing in Minnesota hospitals 

(St.
… Read more about: Over 15,000 nurses launch new campaign for Patients, Not Profits in Minnesota hospitals  »

On:
In: Home, Issues, Mary Turner, Nursing

This weekend marks the second anniversary of our peacetime emergency for the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past two years, we have lost over 12,000 Minnesotans and over 6 million worldwide. Among those lost are family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and other loved ones. Among those lost are some of our own—nurses and healthcare professionals.

We have suffered through the unthinkable. We have dealt with inadequate PPE, unsafe staffing levels, moral injury, and lip-service from those who have the power to solve these problems. But through it all, we’ve continued to do what we’ve always done—care for our patients.

We are tired and we are heartbroken, yes.
… Read more about: Statement from MNA President Mary C. Turner, RN on the Second Anniversary of the MN Peacetime Emergency for the COVID-19 Pandemic  »

On:
In: Action, Education, Labor Unions, Unions

Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFT) Teachers and Education Support Professionals in the Minneapolis Public Schools are on strike for safe and stable schools. This is the first strike in 50 years in this district.

Their fight parallels what nurses and other healthcare workers are experiencing. Top-down, corporatized control of schools and teaching is hurting students and driving families out of the district, so MFT members are demanding:

On:
In: Home, Legislative Policy, Nurse Staffing, Nurses Shortage, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sam Fettig
(o) 651-414-2863
(c) 612-741-0662
sam.fettig@mnnurses.org

Lauren Nielsen
(o) 651-414-2862
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.nielsen@mnnurses.org

Bill laid over for inclusion in the House Omnibus Health Bill, marking it a top-priority health issue for the House Majority Caucus

LISTEN: Audio of this afternoon’s committee hearing, with discussion on this topic beginning at 39:15, can be found at this link.

WATCH: Once it is available, video from this afternoon’s committee hearing will be available at this link.
… Read more about: Nurses testify to need for Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act to retain nurses and protect patient care in first committee hearing  »

On:
In: Day On the Hill, Governor, Legislative Policy, Press Releases

MEDIA ADVISORY

Contact: Sam Fettig
(o) 651-414-2863
(c) 612-741-0662
sam.fettig@mnnurses.org

Lauren Nielsen
(o) 651-414-2862
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.nielsen@mnnurses.org

In virtual meetings next week, hundreds of Minnesota nurses will push legislators to put ‘Patients Before Profits’

(St. Paul) – February 11, 2022 – At 9:30 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 14, 2022, members of the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) will come together for a kickoff event for their Virtual Week on the Hill.

During the kickoff event, nurses will share their stories and discuss the need for legislative action to put patients before profits.
… Read more about: Governor Walz, Legislators to join nurses to kick off Virtual Week on the Hill  »