Nurse Staffing

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In: Bargaining, Duluth Bargaining, Home, Metro Bargaining, Nurse Staffing, Patient Safety, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contact: Laurie Laker
(c) 612-741-0662
laurie.laker@mnnurses.org

(St. Paul) – May 1, 2025 – Over 15,000 nurses in the Twin Cities and Duluth recently launched contract negotiations with one clear priority: improving staffing levels to ensure better care and safer hospitals.

Nurses are demanding action as hospitals continue to operate with unsafe staffing, compromising care and driving experienced nurses out of the profession. While hospital executives blame a “nurse shortage,” nurses know the truth: we have more licensed nurses than ever, but too many are unwilling to work in conditions created by corporate hospital leadership.
… Read more about: As bargaining continues, nurses share stories of ongoing crisis in Minnesota facilities.  »

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In: Issues, Metro Bargaining, Nurse Staffing, Patient Safety, Unsafe Staffing

Lives are at risk when nurses are required to care for too many patients at one time. That’s not just what nurses say—it’s what the data proves.

Two studies involving over 600,000 patients in New York and Illinois examined how nurse workloads affect patient outcomes and hospital finances. The results were staggering:

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In: Essentia, Home, Labor Unions, Nurse Staffing, Nurses, Nurses Strike, Organizing, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Laurie Laker
(c) 612-741-0662
laurie.laker@mnnurses.org

(Duluth) – January 30, 2025 – Last night Essentia Health-Sandstone nurses represented by the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) voted overwhelmingly to authorize an unfair labor practice strike if contract negotiations with the employer continue to stall.  Their contract expired on August 1, 2024, and, while they have been bargaining since July, nurses have made little progress with the employer on key issues like wages and staff retention.

Nurses at Sandstone have long been facing issues around staffing conditions, continually raising concerns about staff retention, nurses stepping away from the bedside, and now a cross-facility floating proposal from Essentia.
… Read more about: Essentia-Health Sandstone nurses vote to authorize strike amid faltering contract negotiations  »

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In: Allina, Home, layoffs, Mayo, Nurse Staffing, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Lauren Bloomquist
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.bloomquist@mnnurses.org

(St. Paul) – September 18, 2024 – The following statement is from the MNA Chairs at Owatonna Hospital:

“Nurses are very concerned about the recent announcement from Allina Health that they will be laying off nurses at Owatonna Hospital in the OR and Ambulatory Surgery units. We are particularly concerned by the role the Mayo Clinic is playing in this decision and the impact it will have on the Owatonna community.

At the Owatonna Hospital, Allina handles the acute care, and Mayo overseas the clinical side.
… Read more about: MNA Nurses’ Statement on layoff of Allina nurses at Owatonna Hospital  »

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In: Allina, Home, Nurse Staffing, Patient Safety, Press Releases, Unsafe Staffing, Workplace violence prevention

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Amber Smigiel
(c) 651-202-0845
amber.smigiel@mnnurses.org

Lauren Bloomquist
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.bloomquist@mnnurses.org

 
The plan is in violation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and could be counter to the Minnesota Nurse Practice Act
… Read more about: Nurses from Allina’s Abbott Northwestern Hospital release statement on new unsafe patient admissions plan, send cease-and-desist to management  »

 
(St. Paul) – July 3, 2024 – Nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) are releasing a statement about their concerns regarding a new patient admissions plan that Allina’s Abbott Northwestern Hospital plans to begin on July 11, 2024. The hospital announced they will implement a “15 Minutes to Comfort Plan” that unilaterally seizes the authority of charge nurses to determine the number of patients a unit can safely care for and allows management to force patients onto unprepared units.

On:
In: Fairview, Member Blog, Nurse Staffing, Politics, Sanford

By Deb Meyer, RN, MNA Governmental Affairs Commissioner

On October 24, I was invited to join a round table with the United States Assistant Attorney General (AAG) Jonathan Kanter. As an MNA Governmental Affairs Commissioner, this was an opportunity to continue in my leadership role and explain how corporatization affects Minnesota communities. It was an awesome experience!

Small business owners, farmers and a variety of other people told their stories. He really listened to everyone. My focus was on the Sanford/Fairview merger and how Worthington Regional Hospital changed after it was bought by Sanford. 
… Read more about: The corporatization of our communities: How nurses can speak out and make change  »

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In: Allina, Home, Nurse Staffing, Press Releases, Unsafe Staffing

MEDIA ADVISORY

Contact: Amber Smigiel(c) 651-202-0845amber.smigiel@mnnurses.org

Nurses concerned these efforts will lead to cutting corners on patient care and increased staffing turnover

(St. Paul) – October 19, 2023 – Nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association have filed an intent to picket on Thursday, October 26, outside Abbott Northwestern, Mercy, and United hospitals. Nurses are speaking out as Allina continues to close services essential to local communities and ignore nurses’ concerns about the outcomes of Allina’s current benchmarking plans.

These profit-driven decisions deny nurses and patients the resources needed to ensure safe staffing and quality patient care at the bedside, betraying Allina’s promise to serve the communities in which they operate as a nonprofit entity.
… Read more about: Nurses at Allina hospitals in the Twin Cities Metro to picket amid concerns about proposed nursing staff reductions and recent closures  »

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In: Corporate Healthcare, Healthcare, Home, Hospitals, Issues, Keeping Nurses at the Bedside, Legislative Policy, Mary Turner, Minnesota Department of Health, Nurse Staffing, Patient Safety, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Lauren Nielsen(c) 651-376-9709lauren.nielsen@mnnurses.orgAmber Smigiel(c) 651-202-0845amber.smigiel@mnnurses.org
(St. Paul) – September 27, 2023 – Nurses are once again speaking out after the Minnesota Department of Health’s report
… Read more about: Nurses call on MN legislature to act after report of increasing adverse patient events  », released today, details an increasing number of reported adverse health events in Minnesota hospitals. This news comes at a time when at least one major health chain in the metro area is proposing even further reductions to the number of nurses caring for patients.Nurses continue to sound the alarm that there is a crisis of patient care and retention by hospital executives in Minnesota’s hospitals.

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In: Action, Home, Keeping Nurses at the Bedside, Legislative Policy, Mayo, Nurse Staffing, Nurses Week, Press Releases, Unsafe Staffing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sam Fettig
(c) 612-741-0662
sam.fettig@mnnurses.org

Lauren Nielsen
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.nielsen@mnnurses.org

Nurses call on Governor Walz, legislators to stand strong against threats to democratic process by corporate health executives

Nurses available at State Capitol sit-in today to speak with members of the press

Today, final day of Nurses Week, local landmarks to be lit red in Minneapolis, St. Paul and Duluth


(St. Paul) – May 12, 2023 – Today, the final day of Nurses Week
… Read more about: On final day of Nurses Week, nurses renew call on Governor Walz, legislators to stand with patients and nurses, not corporate bullies  », nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) are continuing their sit-in at the State Capitol, renewing their call on Governor Tim Walz and legislators to stand with patients and nurses, not corporate bullies attempting to undermine our democracy to defend their profits and power.

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In: Action, Governor, Home, Keeping Nurses at the Bedside, Legislative Policy, Nurse Staffing, Nurses Week, Press Releases, Unsafe Staffing

MEDIA ADVISORY 

Contact: Sam Fettig
(c) 612-741-0662
sam.fettig@mnnurses.org

Lauren Nielsen
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.nielsen@mnnurses.org

Nurses to stand with Governor Walz, legislators against threats to democratic process by corporate health executives
… Read more about: Nurses to stage sit-in at State Capitol to protect democracy and safe patient care from corporate attacks  »
(St. Paul) – May 9, 2023 – Starting at 12:00 p.m. today, Tuesday May 9, 2023, until safe staffing legislation is secured for all patients at every hospital in Minnesota, nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association will stage a sit-in at the State Capitol to tell Governor Tim Walz and legislative leaders that nurses have their backs as they stand up to corporate bullies.