Nurses

Allina big debt

On:
In: Home, Insurance, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses

By Rick Fuentes

MNA Communications Specialist

 

Ok, check-ups aren’t fun.  Not because of what they might find but because what they might ask.  Who wants to admit they thought mac and cheese was a food group?  Still, they keep us healthy, even financially.

 

MNA members receive free counsel with Dorval and Chorne Financial Advisors.  This is not a small benefit or something to take for granted.  Most financial planners charge about $200 an hour for their advice, or, if they invest on your behalf, they take 1 percent of your proceeds as compensation. 
… Read more about: Get a Check-Up! A Financial One!  »

On:
In: Board of Nursing, Member Blog, Nurses

Barbara Forshier, RN, BSN, JD

MNA Member

 

Editor’s Note:  The Author is an Attorney for Nurses

 

Nurses frequently ask me whether or not they should have their own professional liability insurance. The answer is yes, you should carry your own insurance. You insure your home, your car, your health, why would you not insure your ability to practice your profession, your livelihood? Some nurses “have heard” that if you carry malpractice insurance you are more likely to be sued in a medical malpractice case. This is not true.

Now, you may ask, what about my employer, don’t they cover me?
… Read more about: To Have or Not to Have Malpractice/Liability Insurance  »

On:
In: Activism, Home, Nurse Staffing, Nurses, Standards of Care

By Megan Gavin

MNA Education Specialist

 

Here in Minnesota we are rightly focused on the elections that will decide the direction of our state for decades to come. We are working hard to elect pro-union leaders who will protect the right to collectively bargain contracts. In Minnesota and across the country, healthcare has become the number one issue for voters.  Costs continue to skyrocket; high deductible insurance plans drain more and more of individual families’ hard-earned money; and politicians continue to threaten protections for pre-existing conditions. The state of healthcare is not sustainable, and we need to demand change that puts the patients at the center.
… Read more about: Call ALL your friends in Massachusetts and tell them to Vote Yes on Question 1!  »

On:
In: Activism, Home, Legislative Policy, Nurse Compact, Nurses, Politics, Unions, Volunteer

By Julie Anderson, RN

Governmental Affairs Commissioner

 

There is a lot at stake in the upcoming midterm elections. Like many other nurses, I was excited to find out that a fellow nurse and an inspiring leader, Erin Murphy, was running for governor. I thrusted myself into the campaign and volunteered with the Nurses for Erin campaign. I did phonebanks, door knocks, attended meetings, had face to face interactions, attended the DFL convention as a delegate, and, of course, I voted for Erin for Minnesota governor in the primaries. After the primary went the other way without Erin Murphy representing the DFL on the ballot, I suddenly found myself asking “what now?” I realized, though, that my work was far from over.
… Read more about: Newly Political Nurse Now Permanently Active  »

On:
In: Healthcare, Home, Member Blog, Nurses, Nursing

By Becky VonBank

MNA Member

 

As a nurse, many of us have a nurturing ability within us. During my years of nursing, I found that when I shared my acquired knowledge with others, I supported my colleagues’ growth. My passion to learn became deeper, my professional practice became stronger, and patients and their families received better care.

 

I returned to Creighton University in Omaha to achieve a higher level of autonomy in the nursing practice, support my passion for lifelong learning, and gain more knowledge to share with others. I will graduate in May 2019 with my Acute and Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, which might not have happened without receiving an MNA Scholarship. 
… Read more about: Scholarship Fund Supports Two New Nurses  »

On:
In: Guns, Home, Member Blog, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Patient Safety, Workplace violence prevention

 

 

By  Jean Forman, RN

Chair, Government Affairs Commission

and Diane McLaughlin, RN

Government Affairs Commissioner

 

(Editor’s Note:  The following is the recommendation of the members of the Government Affairs Commission on a proposal that has not been adopted by the MNA Board or Membership.)

 

The MNA Convention is coming up quickly, October 6-8 in Minneapolis. We have so much important work to accomplish! We are writing as elected members of the Commission on Governmental Affairs (GAC) to gain your support for an important addition to MNA’s legislative platform regarding gun violence prevention and protection.
… Read more about: Support Our Platform on Gun Safety  »

On:
In: Home, Member Blog, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Politics

By Stefanie Asante-Totimeh, RN

Government Affairs Commissioner

 

As nurses, we are advocates and leaders who continually work on behalf of our patients and community. We are also involved in decisions that affect our workplace and communities when we partake actively in our union and our workplace.

The professional nursing population provides a unique perspective. We celebrate our differences, and, in turn, we are at the forefront of providing patient-centered care and decisions. How then does political awareness come into play with nursing?

Political awareness as a nurse does not necessarily mean being affiliated with a political party.
… Read more about: Nursing and Political Awareness  »

On:
In: Activism, Healthcare, Home, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Politics

By Shannon Cunningham

MNA Director of Governmental and Community Relations

 

Nurses believed that Erin Murphy would be Minnesota’s DFL endorsed candidate for Governor, and they were right. Nurses also believe that Erin Murphy will be our next Governor.  I’m the lucky one who gets to tell you not only why she should be, but why she will be the first nurse Governor in the United States.

 

While many candidates are approaching the election with caution, Erin Murphy is doing things differently. Instead of focusing on what makes us different and divides us, she is talking about what unites us.
… Read more about: Why Erin Murphy Will Win in August! And November!  »

On:
In: Activism, Elections, Erin Murphy, Governor, Healthcare, Home, Issues, Labor Unions, Nurses, Unions

By Katie Gjertson

MNA Political Coordinator

 

Minnesota’s Primary Election is right around the corner! Eligible voters from every corner of the state will have their chance to cast their ballot in support of the candidates they believe line up with their values, their issues and their vision for the future of Minnesota. Primary elections are our opportunity, as voters, to shape the ticket to reflect what we want it to be in November. Let’s get out the vote for the 2018 Minnesota primary!

Never voted in a Primary Election before? Here are the top ten things you need to know before you head to the polls.
… Read more about: The Top 10 Things You Need to Know to Be a Primary Voter  »

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

By Barb Brady

MNA Communications Specialist

What do you get when you take several hundred nurses and mix in fun, learning, union solidarity, and inspiration? The 2018 MNA Convention and House of Delegates!  It’s Oct. 5-8 at the Radisson Blu in downtown Minneapolis.  MNA nurses will join together to learn about issues important to nurses, network, and set MNA’s course for the next year.

A special bonus this year: National Nurses United is bringing nurses from throughout the country to Minnesota for their national convention at the same time and place.  It’s a great opportunity to connect with nurses from other states in addition to meeting or re-uniting with MNA members! 
… Read more about: Union Rights = Advocacy Rights: Convention 2018  »