Minnesota Nurses Association (Page 3)

On:
In: Action, Healthcare, Home, Hospitals, Minnesota Nurses Association

By Tara Fugate

MNA Strategic Researcher

A common misconception about nonprofit hospital finance is that, unlike publicly traded corporations, they are not responsible to shareholders or investors. In fact, many hospital expansion and construction projects are funded by investors through the use of municipal bonds. Municipal bonds are not unlike loans from the public. Hospitals work through municipal entities such as cities and counties to issue bonds for public purchase.

A bond is a type of debt investment. This means that an investor or bondholder loans money to an entity (typically corporate or governmental) for a defined period of time at a variable or fixed interest rate.
… Read more about: Municipal Bonds and Nonprofit Hospitals  »

On:
In: Education, Home, Labor Unions, Minnesota Nurses Association

By Barb Brady

MNA Communications Specialist

The excitement is building for MNA’s 2017 Convention and House of Delegates Oct. 15-17 in Rochester.

MNA nurses from throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Iowa will gather for three days of inspiration, learning, planning MNA’s future – and fun!

This year’s theme is “Organize. Agitate. Educate.”

The schedule is packed with activities to empower delegates to return home with the skills and knowledge to organize, agitate, and educate your colleagues for the challenges we face in the next year.

Nurses will be treated to a special presentation of a play by Michael Milligan on Oct.
… Read more about: Organize. Agitate. Educate.  »

big pharma

On:
In: Education, Home, Minnesota Nurses Association, National Nurses United

By Megan Gavin

MNA Education Specialist

MNA is excited to invite members to a day of workshops with Dr. Alana Glaser, faculty from NNU & Rutgers University’s Women’s Global Health Leadership Program. Alana will speak on the topic of Big Pharma, Inequality, and the Future of American Healthcare. Alana’s research has connected US nursing practice to international concerns of inequality, public health, militarization, and the relationship among these phenomena. She has taught classes on the impact austerity measures, privatization, and the welfare state have on spreading infectious diseases and exacerbating health disparities. Her research interests include domestic and service sector work, migration, class, gender, race, aging, labor process, and political economy.
… Read more about: Save the date: National Nurses United Education Sessions June 20th  »

On:
In: Activism, Bernie Sanders, Home, Legislative Policy, Minimum Wage, Nurses, Robin Hood Tax, Single Payer

By Katie Gjertson

MNA Political Coordinator

This June 9 – 11, several thousand progressive activists from across the country will gather in Chicago for the People’s Summit 2.0. It’s a multi-organizational, multi-racial, multi-issue conference, co-hosted by the National Nurses United. The event goals are to form a broad coalition committed to building a people’s movement united around social, racial, economic, and environmental justice.

MNA members are invited to attend, and those who haven’t been to an event like this before are the perfect candidate. These events feature high-powered speeches by progressive leaders that will leave participants fired up to get involved.
… Read more about: The People’s Summit 2.0  »

On:
In: Healthcare, Home, Hospitals, Legislative Policy, Minnesota Nurses Association, Patient Safety, Politics

by Jon Tollefson

MNA Government Relations Specialist

A lot of people saw what was happening and which way the election was going, but they felt the political elite didn’t listen to them. And they were probably right. People tend to get into their own bubbles and stay there, echo chambers of agreement. That makes it hard to see and understand one another.

 

Minnesota’s nurses are diverse in terms of race, age, and certainly political beliefs. Many nurses likely continue to feel outrage and deep sadness at the results of the election while others celebrated a victory and a sense that, finally, they’ve been heard.
… Read more about: What an election  »

On:
In: Allina, Bargaining, Home, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Unsafe Staffing

Dear MNA Allina nurses,

This is long, but important.  As your Executive Director I was present for the 22 hour marathon bargaining session that just ended mere hours ago. I understand Allina has, as usual, communicated with all of you before we were able to do so (a clear divide and conquer tactic that they have become oh so good at) so I wanted to get this out to you. Please note, that communication from Allina lists the elements of their proposal but not the details because they want you to demand to vote on their proposal without knowing what that proposal will really mean for you – don’t fall for it, it’s Allina trying to cause division within the union.
… Read more about: A Letter to Our Valued MNA Nurses  »

Allina Strike

On:
In: Allina, Bargaining, Home, Hospitals, Minnesota Nurses Association

By Mathew Keller RN, JD

Regulatory and Policy Nursing Specialist
“Magnet” status, a prestigious accreditation awarded by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (an arm of the American Nurses Association), is desired and sought after by hospitals across the country.  Only 6 percent of hospitals ever achieve it, however.  Magnet hospitals demonstrate excellence in patient care and nursing services and are expected to attain and retain top talent, improve care, ensure safety, develop nurse satisfaction, foster a collaborative culture, advance nursing standards and practice, and grow business and financial success.

At Magnet hospitals there is low nurse turnover and appropriate grievance resolution.
… Read more about: Does Abbott-Northwestern Stand to Lose its Magnet Status?  »

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: 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  »