MNA Blog (Page 32)

Recent news and updates from the Minnesota Nurses Association.

On:
In: COVID-19, Home, Member Blog, Patient Safety, PPE

By Megan Chao Smith, RN

MNA Member

 

As a nurse, I am in fear for my life, and feel like I am the only one taking my safety into account. I am less frightened about contracting the virus as I am shaken by the prospect of entrusting my safety to the current, irresponsible thinking and policies of my employer. In the face of a callous disregard for nurse safety, I am forced to weigh self-preservation with the real needs of patients in a time of national crisis. I have to choose between serving my oath, which risks my life and family’s health, and leaving my job and co-workers.
… Read more about: Who’s Got My Back?  »

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: Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: press@nationalnursesunited.org

As COVID-19 cases continue to skyrocket in the United States, unions representing 230,000 nurses across the country have joined forces to demand hospitals and the government act now to give nurses optimal personal protective equipment (PPE)—including N95 respirators or higher—a demand made more dire due to the fact that nurses are beginning to die of COVID-19.

National Nurses United (comprising the California Nurses Association, the D.C. Nurses Association, the Minnesota Nurses Association, and National Nurses Organizing Committee— including RNs in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Missouri, Texas, West Virginia, and Veterans Affairs facilities in a dozen other states), along with the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) the Massachusetts Nurses Association, and the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals (PASNAP) are calling on employers and the government to stop treating nurses as if their lives are expendable.
… Read more about: U.S. nurses unions: ‘Our members are dying. We demand protections now!’  »

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: 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 26, 2020 – Nurses working at M Health Fairview hospitals voted overwhelmingly to indicate they have “no confidence” in hospital management’s response to the COVID-19 crisis. Nurse members of the Minnesota Nurses Association work at University of Minnesota Medical Center-West Bank, Fairview Southdale, St. Joseph’s, St. John’s, and Bethesda hospitals.

“M Health Fairview is flagrantly violating the safety and staffing protections jointly agreed to by nurses and management, and yet our incredibly dedicated nurses are still throwing themselves into harm’s way to protect the public,” said Modest Okorie, a Registered Nurse at Bethesda Hospital.
… Read more about: M Health Fairview Nurses Hold Vote of No Confidence in Hospital Management  »

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 18, 2020 – Minnesota Nurses are calling on Minnesota Hospital Association member hospitals and Mayo Clinic Health System to join MNA in an emergency meeting to reach an agreement to resolve the outstanding concerns and problems, which nurses raised, that create barriers to appropriate levels of preparedness to adequately deal with the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). Nurses brought their concerns public at a press conference at the Minnesota Nurses Association offices today.
… Read more about: Minnesota Nurses Call on Hospitals to Meet to Resolve COVID-19 Preparedness Issues  »

On:
In: Home, Member Blog

MNA members are understandably concerned about their financial situation and how market volatility is potentially affecting their financial plans during the COVID-19 crisis. We encourage members with financial questions to take advantage of the free services available through the MNA Financial Wellness Program and Dorval & Chorne Financial advisors.

Daniel Dorval, CFP, President and CEO of Dorval & Chorne Financial Advisors reached out to let MNA members know program is available during this crisis:

“Nurses serve on the front lines of dealing with infectious diseases. We are so thankful for their duty in helping to keep all of us healthy.
… Read more about: Take advantage of the MNA Financial Wellness Program during the COVID-19 crisis  »