Nurses (Page 18)

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In: Bargaining, Health Care Reform, Hospitals, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses

On Thursday, October 17, MNA nurses are taking their concerns directly to management at Sanford hospitals.  At Bagley, nurses are concerned they’re being asked to cover more patient assignments for each nurse and doctor.  At Thief River Falls, nurses are concerned their own health insurance benefits are being cut.  In Bemidji, nurses are concerned that untrained staff are monitoring patients on telemetry.
… Read more about: Video: Thief River Falls petition to Sanford HR  »

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In: Bargaining, Hospitals, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Patient Safety Standards, Unsafe Staffing

On Thursday, October 17, MNA nurses are taking their concerns directly to management at Sanford hospitals.  At Bagley, nurses are concerned they’re being asked to cover more patient assignments for each nurse and doctor.  At Thief River Falls, nurses are concerned their own health insurance benefits are being cut.  In Bemidji, nurses are concerned that untrained staff are monitoring patients on telemetry equipment.
… Read more about: Bagley nurses deliver message to hospital management  »

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In: Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses

Coming to the 109th Nurses Convention?  Grab a great deal at the Minnesota Nurses Association Foundation Silent Auction.  The 6th annual silent auction to benefit the MNAF includes original art, theater tickets, hotel stays, skin treatments, haircuts, and concert passes.
All of the money generated from the silent auction goes to the grants and scholarships awarded to nurses studying important health and wellness issues facing Minnesotans. In 2013, the MNAF awarded $91,000.00 total to 37 recipients.

Here are some items:

Hosko print

Signed, limited-edition pen and ink illustration by Bill Hosko of the Hoskogallery
… Read more about: Auction to benefit MNAF  »

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In: Activism, Bargaining, Nurses

KinnicnursesMNA nurses had gone through three negotiation sessions with Grace, the latest owners of the Kinnic Nursing Home in River Falls, Wisconsin.  They last left the table with management trying to take away family leave language, leave of absence days,  to radically limit time for jury duty, and even reduce days off for the death of a child or spouse.

MNA nurses looked like they were headed toward mediation to get a new contract, but then they started showing that nurses were standing together.   Bobbi Spence, and Suzanne Kitzmann, LPNs and bargaining unit leaders, started handing out red wristbands to their fellow union members.. 
… Read more about: Even a small unit can have a big effect  »

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In: Bargaining, Hospitals, Nurses

Back in 2008, a lot of working folks planning for retirement saw their savings dwindle.  Some saw their net worth spiral downward pretty quickly.  For example, someone who had to invest in a 401(k) retirement fund opened statements to see that a savings of $10,000 had dwindled to $7,000.  Those that could wait have been riding out their disappointment (as well as not opening their retirement savings notices anymore).  Only now, five years later, are they starting to see their nest egg return to its pre-recession figures.  Of course, anyone who needed to retire in 2008 had to cash out for pennies on the dollar.
… Read more about: Nurses are protecting their pensions  »

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In: Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Patient Safety, Patient Safety Standards, Unsafe Staffing

Minnesota nurses are staffing the State Fair again to speak to the same people they care for every day.  Patients in Minnesota are at risk, and their safety stands to improve if they’re know how their hospitals are measuring up.  Thanks to the work nurses did during the last legislative session, consumers will have more information before deciding where to go for care, and, once they access that, they’ll see the real situation of safety in hospitals.fair5

Nurses are reminding fairgoers that they already have a website where they can check hospital quality for a number of different outcomes. 
… Read more about: Minnesota State Fair: Safety on a stick  »

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In: Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Nursing, Patient Safety Standards, Unsafe Staffing

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAHospitals are bending over backward to increase their patient satisfaction scores, and, especially now, as it may affect their ability to bill patients.  Hospitals are adding room service, suites, and even “care guides” to help patients meet health and recovery goals.

The answer to patient satisfaction isn’t a new piano in the lobby, it’s right inside each patient’s room.  It’s the nurse.  Nurses say they’re often asked, “can you just sit with me a while?” by a patient.  Or the patient will even ask a nurse who’s charting if he or she can just turn around and face them while they have to also look at the computer. 
… Read more about: Patient satisfaction is easy. Talk to a nurse.  »

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In: Hospitals, Nurses

telescale_imageA new exercise product came out this week.  The Garmin bicycle pedal actually measures the force of each foot as a rider pedals his/her bicycle and relays power, speed, distance, and even calories burned to a computer unit on the handlebars or an enabled smartphone.  The pedal will retail for about $1700 and connect the user to other people in the network, such as coaches, teammates, or competitive friends who can also monitor the workout.

It’s a continuation of a trend of more products coming out that can monitor a person’s health remotely and send the data back to someone else, such as this one made by Cardiocare that allows a patient can step onto a scale and have readings relayed to Essentia St.
… Read more about: Technology is only as good as the nurse behind it  »