Nurses (Page 10)

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In: Home, Hospitals, Nurses, Politics, Uncategorized

By Laura Sayles

MNA Government Affairs Specialist

With exactly two weeks left in the Legislative Session, there’s a lot left to accomplish in a short amount of time. None of the major spending bills have been ironed out and the parties that need to agree (House, Senate, and Governor) are far apart on their Session priorities. When looking through the overviews of the documents that will get us through the end of Session, the phrase “no comparable provision” is a common refrain.

 

Bonding bill – The Governor proposed funding $1.4 billion in projects; House Republicans, who haven’t yet released their bill, want around $600 million.
… Read more about: Behind the Scenes Look at the Capitol  »

On:
In: Healthcare, Home, Hospitals, Nurses, Politics, Women

By Geri Katz

MNA Healthcare Reform Specialist

While we all suffer from a lack of access in our fragmented, expensive, inefficient healthcare system, women at even greater disadvantage than American men. Healthcare’s high costs and drive for profits makes women, especially women of color, at a higher risk of unbearable medical bills and poorer health outcomes.

Women are much more likely experience periods of unemployment (and often a loss of health insurance) to care for family. At the same time, women’s specific health issues cause them to seek medical care more frequently, including pregnancy, childbirth, and higher rates of many chronic diseases.
… Read more about: Women and Equity  »

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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  »

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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  »

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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  »

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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: Activism, Home, Legislative Policy, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Politics, Unsafe Staffing

 

By Eileen Gavin

MNA Political Organizer

There is a saying in politics.  “If you are not at the table you are ON the table.” Don’t let that be case this legislative session. The 2016 Minnesota Legislative Session begins March 8 and is scheduled to adjourn May 23. While the physical landscape is literally different this year with the Capitol renovation still underway, the nature of the work remains the same. When your elected officials get back to work, business leaders, lobbyists, advocacy groups, and Minnesotans from all over the state will descend on the Capitol to advance their respective causes.
… Read more about: Come to the table!  »

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In: Home, Hospitals, Nurse education, Nurse licensure, Nurses, Nurses Shortage, Uncategorized

By Mathew Keller, RN, JD

MNA Nursing Policy and Practice Specialist

As this blog detailed last year, fears of a nursing shortage in Minnesota are somewhat unfounded. In fact, at the time, Minnesota was licensing more than three Registered Nurses for every new job opening in the state.

We’ve crunched the numbers once again this year, and it turns out the trend of licensing more RNs than there are jobs for continues. Add to this the fact that the number of job openings for RNs in the state actually decreased last year, and you have a recipe for plenty of competition over every available RN job.
… Read more about: Is There a Nursing Shortage? Part 2  »