Nurses (Page 26)

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In: Health Care Reform, Healthcare, Hospitals, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Nursing, Unsafe Staffing

Legislative Session Begins

On Tuesday, the 2013 Session of the Minnesota Legislature began. Both the House and Senate have introduced their first key pieces of legislation:

  • The House and Senate each introduced a bill to establish a health insurance exchange, a key part of the Affordable Care Act that will provide an online marketplace for Minnesotans to compare different health insurance policies. This is an opportunity to improve access to health care and lower costs for uninsured and underinsured Minnesotans. The bill was crafted by a bipartisan group including chief House author Rep. Joe Atkins (DFL-Inver Grove Heights), Representative Jim Abeler (R-Anoka) and Representative Greg Davids (R-Preston).

    • … Read more about: MNA Legislative Update, January 11, 2013  »

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In: Activism, Health Care Reform, Healthcare, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Nursing, Organizing, Politics, Unsafe Staffing

HEALTH CARE

Poor Performance Means Less Medicare Reimbursement for Most Minnesota Hospitals Medicare is revamping its payment system for hospitals as part of an effort to make them accountable on quality. The latest change will give bonuses and penalties to hospitals based on how well they performed on quality measures.

Health Care and Pursuit of a Profit Make a Poor Mix   A shareholder might even applaud the creativity with which profit-seeking institutions go about seeking profit. But the consequences of this pursuit might not be so great for other stakeholders in the system — patients, for instance.
… Read more about: MNA NewsScan, January 9, 2012: Medicare Penalizes MN hospitals; For profit=poor care  »

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In: Hospitals, Labor Unions, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses

Jodi Jones Wins Arbitration AwardJodi Jones, a state psychiatric nurse with 25 years of experience, has won her arbitration case with the  Minnesota Security Hospital in St. Peter, Minnesota, including re-instatement of former rank, position, and back pay.  In addition, disciplinary proceedings will also be removed from her personnel record.

Jones was terminated for an alleged error in theraputic judgment.  Later, her employer changed the reason to a different reason.

For her judgment and care, Jones was disciplined and let go, but the arbitrator sustained the grievance in every particular on all points and particulars.  He even took issue with the state’s case and noted it had failed its burden by “a wide margin.”

“If we didn’t have a (nurses) union,” Jones said, “I would have no chance of getting my job back. 
… Read more about: MNA wins job and back pay for St. Peter Nurse  »

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In: Bargaining, Healthcare, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Minnesota Nurses Association, National Nurses United, Nurses, Nurses Strike, Nursing

NOTES ON NURSING

Twin Cities Nurses Ratify Contract   Although negotiations between nurses and hospitals in 2010 featured a loud
public debate over nurse-to-patient staffing ratios, the parties didn’t debate
the issue this time.

HEALTH CARE

In Their Own Words:  Health Care Industry Leader:  “Hospital Care 3,000 Times Less Safe Than Air Travel”    “The  Harvard Medical Practice Study (of 1991) showed that 1% of hospital patients  were injured due to errors judged… to be negligent. That’s a death or injury  rate of 10,000 per million. The U.S. airline comparative number is 341 people  dead or injured in 95.2 million flights, U.S.
… Read more about: MNA NewsScan, December 21, 2012: TC nurses approve 3 yr contract; Hospital care 3k less safe than air travel  »

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Twin Cities Nurses Ratify Three-Year Contract

For Immediate Release: December 20, 2012

Contact: Rick Fuentes: 651-414-2863/cell: 612-741-0662
Jan Rabbers: 651-414-2861/cell: 612-860-6658

(St. Paul) – Twin Cities nurses represented by the Minnesota Nurses Association ratified its contract today with health care systems represented by the Minnesota Hospitals Association.   The three-year agreement is effective June 1, 2013  – May 31, 2016 and impacts 12,000 nurses working in 13 different facilities in the metro area.

Nurses have agreed to a contract that will increase wages by 4.5% over three years     “When they approached us, we saw a great opportunity for an efficient process that would be good for our communities and our patients,” said MNAPresident, Linda Hamilton.
… Read more about: MNA Twin Cities Contract is Ratified  »

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In: Activism, Bargaining, Healthcare, Hospitals, Labor Unions, National Nurses United, Nurses, Organizing, Politics

HEALTH CARE

Is Mayo Gaming the System?       The CEO of St. Peter’s River’s Edge Hospital and two area physicians have asked the Attorney General to investigate Mayo Clinic Health Systems in St. Peter and Mankato, alleging its doctors and staff are misinforming patients in an effort to funnel patients away from smaller community hospitals and toward Mayo-affiliated facilities.

Advocates for Mental Health Have Momentum After Conn. Massacre    Advocates say the most important objective is strengthening community-based mental health services. They are also focused on early diagnosis and treatment of ill children, and efforts to erase the stigma that surrounds mental health problems.
… Read more about: MNA NewsScan, December 20, 2012: Mayo games?; 11K new jobs  »

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In: Bargaining, Healthcare, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Nurses, Nursing, Organizing, Politics, Unsafe Staffing

LABOR UPDATES

More Young Adults Are Homeless   Across the country, tens of thousands of underemployed and jobless young people, many with college credits or work histories, are struggling to house themselves in the wake of the recession, which has left workers between the ages of 18 and 24 with the highest unemployment rate of all adults.

RNs Picket at UMass “12 Days of Grinchmas”   The daily picketing, which began on Dec. 10 and will continue through Dec. 21, is being held for one hour each day. Nurses will hold Grinch-themed signs and candles, and sing some special UMass-oriented Grinchmas carols as part of their protest against deteriorating staffing conditions and management’s lack of concern for its patients and employees.
… Read more about: MNA NewsScan, December 19, 2012: Hospital lays off hundreds and still renovates; For-profit prison operator sued for prisoner death  »

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In: Activism, Health Care Reform, Healthcare, Labor Unions, National Nurses United, Nurses, Nursing, Politics

NOTES ON NURSING

Nurses Call for Action on Nation’s Ravaged Mental Health Services    “This is a massive tragedy that is being played out on a smaller scale every day in emergency rooms, in mental health facilities, and on the streets across our country, where, with sometimes devastating consequences, mental health is underfunded to a shocking, and sometimes deadly degree,” said Deborah Burger, RN, co-president of National Nurses United, the largest U.S. organization of nurses.

RN Senator Named to MN Senate Leadership Team   On Monday, incoming Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, completed his leadership team by picking Sen. Chris Eaton, DFL-Brooklyn Park, and Sen.
… Read more about: MNA NewsScan, December 18, 2012: Nurses call for action on nation’s ravaged mental health system  »

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In: Bargaining, Health Care Reform, Healthcare, Hospitals, Labor Unions, National Nurses United, Nurses, Nursing

NOTES ON NURSING

Electronic Health Records May Turn Small Errors into Big Ones    According to a review by the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority, mistakes and near misses involving electronic health records were analogous to those made with paper-based records with one caveat: those made with EHRs tend to be amplified and can affect a larger group of people.

LABOR UPDATES

Bay Area Nurses to Strike on Christmas Eve   Union officials say the strike—the eighth by the association since September 2011—was not called over a salary dispute, but comes as the union and the hospitals remain at odds over staffing levels, health benefits and sick days.
… Read more about: MNA Daily NewsScan, December 17, 2012: Do EHRs mean bigger problems?; RNs to strike on Christmas eve  »

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In: Bargaining, Labor Unions, Nurses, Nursing, Organizing

More than 150 nurses voted on Tuesday, December 11 to ratify a new contract agreement between the Minnesota Nurses Association and Douglas County Hospital.

Both sides had been at loggerheads over staffing issues and the rising cost of insurance benefits, but the stalemate broke when more than 30 nurses stood up a hospital board meeting, which equates to 1 for every 6 nurses affected attending.

Nurses delivered Thanksgiving-themed greeting cards signed by a majority of MNA members and with a message of thanks if management would negotiate on staffing and retention issues. The strategy and the strong showing seemed to turn the tide toward nurses, as hospital management asked for a meeting even though a mediation session had been planned as the next step for negotations.
… Read more about: MNA Nurses at Douglas County Hospital Ratify Contract  »