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nurses week open house

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In: Home, Nursing

By Barb Brady

MNA Communications Specialist

May 6-12 is a time to celebrate nurses and all nurses do for patients and their communities.

Nurses Week celebrations are planned throughout Minnesota, including an open house at the MNA office in St. Paul.

MNA nurses are sponsoring a wide variety of events, and businesses in some communities have special offers just for nurses.

MNA is holding an open house at the St. Paul office on May 11. . Enjoy exciting education sessions, food, and drawings – and meet other MNA nurses!
… Read more about: Honor and celebrate nurses during Nurses Week  »

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In: Home, Nurses, Nursing, Nursing Education, Politics, Student Nurses

By Megan Gavin

MNA Education Specialist

On April 7, we welcomed 430 student nurses and faculty members from thirteen different colleges and universities to the MNA Student Nurses Day on the Hill. The event began with a social hour giving students an opportunity to network with MNA member leaders representing diverse nursing areas such as mental health, psychiatric nursing, surgery, PACU, oncology, and pediatrics. MNA committee and commission members hosted tables on Governmental Affairs, Nursing Practice, and Education Commissions as well as the MNA Foundation, Universal Healthcare, and the Nurses Peer-to-Peer Support Network.

President Mary Turner gave a welcome and shared her personal journey of becoming a politically active nurse.
… Read more about: Student Nurses Day on the Hill 2016 Is A Smashing Success  »

On:
In: Home, Hospitals, Legislative Policy, Nurses, Patient Safety

 

 

By Mathew J. Keller, RN JD

Regulatory and Policy Nursing Specialist

When patients are at risk, nurses are the first line of defense. But what happens when hospital leadership isn’t listening to its nurses? That’s the dilemma Clinical Nurse Specialist and 2015 MNA “Social Justice” Award winner Niki Gjere faced in reporting her concerns of unethical and dangerous research practices to Fairview-Riverside leaders (a site for recruitment of research subjects for the U’s psychiatric department) and University administrators, as detailed in Part I.

I believe this unassuming nurse leader is not only credible but courageous.
… Read more about: Nurse Whistleblower Stays the Course in the Face of Increasing Pressure—Part II  »

On:
In: Home, Legislative Policy, Nurses

Niki Gere

By Mathew J. Keller, RN JD

Regulatory and Policy Nursing Specialist

Clinical research is undoubtedly necessary to advance the field of medicine, but one would never expect that research to come at the cost of patients’ lives. The Minnesota Nurses Association is proud to support Clinical Nurse Specialist Niki Gjere, who continues to shine a light on unethical and even immoral psychiatric research practices at the University of Minnesota. Former Governor Arne Carlson calls this “the worst scandal I’ve seen since I’ve been in Minnesota.” Granted, this story has made the rounds in the news media, but, even so, nothing’s changed.
… Read more about: Nurse Whistleblower Stays the Course in the Face of Increasing Pressure—Part I  »

On:
In: Action, Home, Hospitals, Issues, Legislative Policy, Nurses, Politics

By Jon Tollefson

MNA Governmental Affairs Specialist

The 2016 Legislative Session has been underway for a little over one month now, and we are already close to the final stage: budget negotiations. With one of the shortest sessions in many years, the House and Senate have been moving quickly to finish work from last year on transportation and taxes, adjust government spending for this two-year period, and put together a bonding bill for major projects around the state.

 

When it comes to healthcare issues, the two political parties are putting forward two very different visions, and the Minnesota Nurses Association has something to say about it.
… Read more about: One Capitol, Two Views on How to Treat Patients  »

On:
In: Bargaining, Home

By Barb Brady

MNA Communications Specialist

MNA nurses in more than half of our bargaining units are presenting a united front as they negotiate contracts this year.

Nurses are fighting management attempts to cut hard-earned wages and benefits in communities throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Iowa. We are seeing hospital management in many hospitals seeking to cut or dismantle health insurance plans for our nurses.

Several bargaining units have agreed on new contracts, including Cook Hospital in Cook, Sanford Bagley Medical Center in Bagley, Chippewa County Montevideo Hospital and Medical Clinic in Montevideo, and Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs, IA.
… Read more about: MNA Nurses Stand United During Contract Negotiations  »

On:
In: Home, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Minnesota Board of Nursing, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurse licensure, Nurses

By Mathew J. Keller, RN JDDSC_8097
MNA Regulatory and Policy Nursing Specialist

Those of us who collaborate with LPNs on a daily basis have come to respect their knowledge and experience in caring for patients. We know that LPNs are an important part of the patient care team. In fact, many MNA RNs started out as LPNs. That vital experience has proven to them that while both roles are valuable, they’re not interchangeable. Any facility that’s thinking of weathering any kind of storm by just staffing more LPNs will be inviting trouble and risk.

There are several differences in LPN vs.
… Read more about: Can LPNs Replace RNs?  »

On:
In: Bernie Sanders, Home, Hospitals, Insurance, Labor Unions, Nurses

By Rick Fuentes

MNA Communications Specialist

There’s been a lot of scare tactics lately about the Cadillac Tax. Recently, one of the big Twin Cities hospital chains even produced a video for its employees where a cartoon employee drives her old Cadillac into a car dealer to get a newer, cheaper car. Make no mistake, however, the Cadillac Tax isn’t about to run over middle-class workers. At least not yet.

The “Cadillac Tax” or excise tax is part of the Affordable Care Act, which set a 40 percent tax on insurance plans valued over $10,200 for an individual and $27,500 for families.
… Read more about: The Truth About the Cadillac Tax  »

On:
In: Home, Press Releases

Contact:  Rick Fuentes

(o) 651-414-2863
(c) 612-741-0662
rick.fuentes@mnnurses.org

Barbara Brady

(o) 651-414-2849
(c) 651-202-0845
barbara.brady@mnnurses.org

(Baudette) – March 24, 2016 – LakeWood Health Center employees will detail how the hospital violated their rights to unionize during a hearing conducted by the National Labor Relations Board in Baudette April 5-8.

The hearing follows a complaint the National Labor Relations Board issued in February that found LakeWood “interfered with, restrained or coerced employees in the exercise of their rights” to unionize.

The complaint was in response to Unfair Labor Practice charges filed by the Minnesota Nurses Association after LakeWood illegally withdrew recognition of the union in the middle of bargaining a first contract.
… Read more about: Press Release: National Labor Relations Board hears charges against LakeWood Health Center at April 5-8 public hearing  »

On:
In: Continuing Education, Home, Issues, Labor Unions, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nursing Education, Uncategorized

By Megan Gavin

MNA Education Specialist

Why you should use some of your precious free time to attend an MNA education session

In the 1960s it was common practice for hospitals to charge nurses for breaking hospital property, which included glass vials of medication. Frustrated by low pay and practices such as this, a group of nurses successfully organized their co-workers to challenge this policy. Today the breakage clause, which states “it is not the policy of the hospital to charge nurses for breakage,” is one of the oldest sections in MNA contracts.

 

MNA has more than hundred years of history to learn from, ideas to copy, and people to emulate.
… Read more about: Why you should use some of your precious free time to attend an MNA education session  »