MNA Blog (Page 41)

Recent news and updates from the Minnesota Nurses Association.

On:
In: Home, Member Blog, Nurse Compact, Nurse licensure, Nurse licensure

(Note:  Two bills to enter Minnesota in the National Nurse Licensure Compact have been introduced in the Legislature.  This would allow nurses from other states to practice in Minnesota without a Minnesota nurse license.  The following is from testimony given Tuesday, March 27 in the Minnesota House Health and Human Services Reform Committee.)

 

My name is Sharon Carlson. I am a bedside nurse that works in the perioperative care center at Abbott Northwestern hospital. Perioperative careis the care that is given before, during and after surgery. As well as being a staff nurse I have the privilege of being a charge nurse in our Pre-Op, PACU, day surgery and cardiovascular recovery areas.
… Read more about: A Nurse Speaks Out Against the National Nurse Compact  »

On:
In: Erin Murphy, Home, Nurses, Politics

By Kate Drusch, RN-ICU

MNA Member

 

The things we hope will become real can only become reality through actual experience. St. Paul State Representative Erin Murphy can be our next Governor because of her experience as a leader in Minnesota. Murphy is a tireless, incredible organizer.  She has brought people together to help elect her to her House seat again and again since 2006. She went on to work hard to win the House Majority Leadership in 2012, one of the most powerful positions in Minnesota.  Working like the “charge nurse” of her side of the state’s House of Representatives, she was able to push through improvements in MinnesotaCare and more of our biggest and best legislative accomplishments in those two years.
… Read more about: Why I’m supporting Erin Murphy for Governor  »

On:
In: Home, Nurses, Volunteer

By Doreen McIntyre

MNA Member, Board of Directors

 

My name is Doreen McIntyre. I work at Minneapolis Children’s Hospital in Pre-op / PACU. I’m a tri chair of my bargaining unit, and I’m proud to be serving my second term as a director on the MNA Board of Directors. I also serve on National Nurses United’s Joint Nursing Practice Commission and also the Environmental and Climate Justice Working Group.

 

I recently returned from a medical mission with Smile Network International as one of 26 volunteers to travel to India.  We worked some long days at Santhiram General Hospital in Nandyal (about two days’ drive south of New Delhi).
… Read more about: An Opportunity to Smile!  »

On:
In: Home, Legislative Policy, Nurses, Nursing, Politics

By Jon Tollefson

MNA Government Relations Specialist

 

Today is the first day of the 2018 legislative session in Minnesota, and it promises to be a whirlwind. It’s a bonding, rather than a budgeting year, which is typically shorter. However, remember last year’s budget ended with Governor Dayton vetoing the operating budget of the legislature, and that needs to be passed too. Between now and May 21st, legislators will debate tax policy, infrastructure investments, and other policy changes.

One of the many issues the Minnesota Nurses Association is working on is properly funding home health nursing. Right now, about 1,000 patients need home healthcare nursing each year in Minnesota.
… Read more about: New Legislative Session, Old Nursing Issue  »

On:
In: Action, Elections, Governor, Healthcare, Home, Hospitals, Issues, Politics

 

By Jackie O’Shea

MNA Political Organizer

Elections are the root of our democracy, and saying 2018 is going to be a hectic year politically is an understatement. In Minnesota, there are open races for Governor and Lieutenant Governor; statewide races for Attorney General, Auditor, and Secretary of State and a US Senator; eight U.S. Congressional races, and 134 seats in the Minnesota House of Representatives all up for re-election this year. Plus, other important local races, including city council seats, school board commissioners, and county elected positions are up for grabs.

 

Electing nurse champions is the important first step towards the main goal of our political organizing, which is passing legislation.
… Read more about: Holding Our Democracy Accountable  »

On:
In: Elections, Erin Murphy, Home, Politics

By Eileen Weber RN, JD

MNA Member

 

I’ve known Erin for decades, mostly through our joint work at the Minnesota Nurses Association, where she rose from political organizer to executive director of one of the most influential unions in our great labor state.

 

We actually ran for the legislature together in 2006, but only one of us was successful. She ran for an open seat in a strong DFL district in St. Paul, and I ran against a strong GOP incumbent in a very purple district. Her battle then was to win endorsement against very strong DFL competition, and she did it with an earnest positive message and doorknocking– eventually she knew the name of every pet dog in the district.
… Read more about: Here’s Why I’m enthusiastically Supporting Erin Murphy for Governor  »

Franklin Street Bakery rally

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In: Action, Activism, Home, Labor Unions, Organizing, Super Bowl, Unions

By Cameron Fure

MNA Political Organizer

It’s Super Bowl week, and the mayhem has swept up the Twin Cities. The whole region is sprucing up and getting ready for the big game. It’s our chance to bask in the spotlight, and host one of the largest sporting events in the world. The North Star state is known the world over for its hospitality, but there’s a few things that visitors do not know. The story of the Franklin Street Bakery workers isn’t likely to appear in any halftime commercial.

Owner Wayne Kostroski wants to be known as a philanthropist, business mogul, and model citizen.
… Read more about: Taste of Justice  »

On:
In: Activism, Home, Legislative Policy

By Barb Brady, MNA Communications Specialist

Nurse pride will be on full display during MNA’s  2018 Day on the Hill.

MNA nurses from throughout Minnesota will show their pride in the nursing profession and advocate for patients at the March 5-6 event in St. Paul.

Day on the Hill kicks off Monday, March 5, with a reception featuring legislators, dinner, and inspiring remarks from MNA’s endorsed candidate for governor, Rep. Erin Murphy. It’s a great opportunity to network with your colleagues from all corners of the state and be inspired for 2018.

The evening program also features comments from MNA President Mary C.
… Read more about: Advocate for patients and nursing profession at 2018 Day on the Hill  »

new challenges

On:
In: Home, Nurses, Unions

By Jean Forman

MNA Member

This new year will be a pivotal year in many ways for union membership. There are two crucial events intersecting in the months ahead with the potential to vastly alter our union safety net as we know it.

First, the US Supreme Court will be hearing Janus v. AFSCME. This case threatens public sector union membership. A ruling in favor of the plaintiff, Janus, would eliminate the ability of these unions to collect representational fees from employees who choose not to join the union but still receive its protection and services.
… Read more about: A New Year and New Challenges  »

big pharma

On:
In: Drug Prices, Health Care Reform, Home, Issues, Single Payer

By Tara Fugate

MNA Strategic Researcher

It’s no secret that the cost of healthcare is skyrocketing in the United States. What is less obvious are the reasons driving these increases. According to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), “U.S. health care spending increased 4.3 percent to reach $3.3 trillion, or $10,348 per person in 2016”[1]. Hospital spending accounts for 32 percent of costs while spending on prescription drugs accounts for 10 percent. Although many factors contribute to constant increases in cost of care, pharmaceutical and medical waste are culprits that could be easily addressed, yet remain a significant problem for many patients, nursing homes, and hospitals. 
… Read more about: Medical Waste and the Rising Cost of Healthcare  »