Legislative Policy (Page 14)

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In: Legislative Policy, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Politics

While some people’s eyes glaze over when they hear the word, “sequestration,” on the news, the effects of the “S” word are sure to hit every state if ignored.

What is it?  It’s a series of automatic cuts-called the sequester- that will take effect unless Congress acts by March 1.  The Obama Administration has presented a state-by-state analysis of what these cuts mean to middle class jobs, children, seniors, the sick, and those men and women in uniform.

Impacts for healthcare this year include:

$507,000 lost to Minnesota to respond to public health threats, including infectious diseases, natural disasters, and catastrophic events.
… Read more about: I keep hearing about this sequestration thing…  »

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In: Healthcare, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Legislative Policy, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Nursing, Patient Safety, Unsafe Staffing

NOTES ON NURSING

Local Nurses Say Hospitals “Skirting the Law”

Area nurses and healthcare advocates met in Worcester with the Health Policy Commission on Friday to fight against mandatory overtime practices being used at local hospitals to skirt the issue of poor staffing.  “You cannot allow this to continue,” said Colleen Wolfe, RN at UMass Memorial in her testimony to the commission. “Our patients are suffering every day from deplorable care resulting from understaffing of this hospital, and staff is being forced to practice while exhausted…”

LABOR UPDATES

Twin Cities Security Workers/Cleaners Prepare for Strike   “This is the first time in the U.S.
… Read more about: MNA NewsScan, February 25, 2013: Nurses say hospitals use overtime to cover poor staffing  »

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photoMedia all over the state is signaling that MNA has the momentum to achieve a momentous breakthrough for patients in our state. When MNA and legislators Sen. Jeff Hayden and Rep. Joe Atkins announced the introduction of the Standards of Care Act, here’s what WCCO wrote: “the staffing proposal has a strong shot.”
Let’s keep the energy going, nurses. Let’s get Standards of Care in every facility, on every shift, for every patient. The following links should give you goose bumps, and we hope they inspire you to stay active in this campaign.
… Read more about: MNA Launches Standards of Care Campaign  »

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In: Activism, Health Care Reform, Healthcare, Hospitals, Legislative Policy, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Nursing, Patient Safety, Unsafe Staffing

NOTES ON NURSING

Nurses on the Hill 2013

MNA’S Nurses Day on the Hill 2013 in pictures

Legislators learned a lot about patients at risk in acute care hospitals, and why MNA members support the Governor’s proposed budget and Health Care for All. Revisit MNA’s Blog later today for a video featuring nurse stories.

HEALTH CARE

Boost in Hospice Care By Way of ICU   Yes, more people are getting hospice care — but they are getting it for only a few days and often, only after highly aggressive care near the end of life, including multiple hospitalizations and stays in intensive care units.
… Read more about: MNA NewsScan, February 6, 2013: Nurses lobby for patient care; Good-bye Saturday mail  »

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NOTES ON NURSING

Forced Flu Shots Not the Cure    Too many hospitals, whose mantra is profits, not patient safety, favor forced vaccinations while cutting nursing or housekeeping staff, and denying paid sick leave, as most industrialized nations ensure.

Staffing Danger on Wards      More than 57% of those asked in the survey described their ward or unit as sometimes or always “dangerously understaffed”. Of those who had witnessed poor care, nearly 30% said they had seen it happen regularly.

LABOR UPDATES

Everybody’s Workin’ for … The Health Care Benefits     Three-quarters of retirees said they worked longer than they would have otherwise to maintain access to their health plan.
… Read more about: MNA NewsScan, February 4, 2013: On forced flu shots; Staffing “dangerously low” in Britain too  »

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In: Labor Unions, Legislative Policy, Minnesota Nurses Association, Politics, Uncategorized

For Immediate Release – January 22, 2013
Minnesota Nurses say Move Minnesota Forward

 

MNA Supports Governor’s Budget Proposal that Puts Middle Class Families First

For information:  Rick Fuentes 651.414.2863

612.741.0662

Jan Rabbers 651-414-2861

612.860.6658

 
St. Paul – The Minnesota Nurses Association supports Governor Dayton’s budget plan to invest in the state by fixing the broken system of raising revenue and tip the scales back in favor of the middle class.

“This plan is the safe, responsible and right thing to do,” said MNA President Linda Hamilton, RN, BSN,  “and it will help to get our economy back on track.”
The Governor’s plan invests in the middle class by providing care to those who need it most while investing in middle class priorities, such as education and job creation.
… Read more about: Minnesota Nurses say Move Minnesota Forward  »

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Staffing for Patient Safety

 

MNA lobbyists are meeting with legislators on a daily basis to move our campaign for patient safety forward. We continue to make progress toward our goal. Earlier this week, members of the MNA Government Affairs Committee visited the Capitol and met with legislators to talk about their experiences at the bedside and the need to ensure that every patient in Minnesota can get the nursing care they need. We will continue to bring you news about this campaign as it unfolds. In the meantime, use the MNA Grassroots Action Center to contact your state senator and representative and let them know how nurse staffing affects your patients.
… Read more about: MNA Legislative Update – January 18, 2013  »

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In: Healthcare, Hospitals, Legislative Policy, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Patient Safety, Politics, Readmissions, Unsafe Staffing

NOTES ON NURSING

Improving Nurses’ Work Environment Can Help Reduce Readmissions    The study, led by Matthew McHugh, PhD , JD, MPH, RN, FAAN, assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, found that  increased nurse-to-patient staffing ratios and a good work environment for nurses were associated with reduced 30-day readmission rates for Medicare patients with heart failure, myocardial infarction, and pneumonia. Funding for the study came from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Nurse Faculty Scholars program.

New Grads Finding Rough Road to Employment    Since the recession, health care has been the single biggest sector for job growth, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to get hired.
… Read more about: MNA NewsScan, January 14, 2013: More Nurses Mean Fewer Readmissions  »