Organizing (Page 3)

NOTES ON NURSING

More Cancer Specialist Nurses Improve Hospital Care   Patients of better staffed trusts were more likely to report that people treating and caring for them worked well together and they received enough emotional support during outpatient treatment.

HEALTH CARE NEWS

Obamacare Postpones Employer Mandate for a Year    Employers who don’t provide health insurance will be spared penalties of up to $3,000 per worker until 2015, a one-year delay of a major component of President Barack Obama’s health care reform law.

Kickstart Your Medical Bills   The Kennett family of Alexandria is one of thousands turning to the Internet to raise money for medical bills.
… Read more about: MNA NewsScan, July 3, 2013: Nurses, staffing, special skills combine to improve care for cancer patients  »

By Linda HamiltonLinda-Hamilton_1

Nurses share a common theme:  they are totally committed to their co-workers, the communities they serve and to delivering safe patient care.  That’s what NNU Co-President Jean Ross, Board Director Mary Turner, and I saw in Ely, Virginia, International Falls, and Hibbing.

What a great road trip we had as nurses shared with us their stories of the joys and struggles of working in some of our Greater Minnesota hospitals.  Some of them bravely work in critical access hospitals such as, International Falls and Ely, and some are dedicated care-givers in larger facilities, such as Hibbing and Virginia.
… Read more about: Greater Minnesota nurses are committed to care  »

More than 225 nurses and supporters from St. Mary’s, Miller-Dwan, Virginia, and Superior hospitals showed up to welcome both nurse and management bargaining teams to the negotiating table as contract talks began Monday morning.  Nurse Kellie Brickson read an opening statement to management on behalf of MNA nurses.

Negotiations continue as of Tuesday morning.
… Read more about: Essentia Nurses Welcome Bargaining Teams  »

rainbow fun
Put Nurses in the Spotlight This Summer

Attention MNA Members

The summer months offer a great opportunity for nurses to enhance our visibility as an organization and a profession. We encourage you to connect with the public by participating in area events in your local community.  Think of booths at the county or local fair, a 4th of July parade, organized sports tournaments, community festival or any fun activity that allows nurses to proactively advocate about issues that directly impact patients and families who might need our care.

MNA will provide giveaways and message banners. You need to organize the onsite crew and handle all other arrangements.
… Read more about: Parades, Fairs, Festivals and Nurses  »

Methodist Hospital PACU nurses recently celebrated a win that illustrates how working together and taking action can improve patient care in our hospitals.

After management denied requests for additional staff to replace nurses out on leave, Methodist PACU nurses circulated a petition and gathered the signatures of 100 percent of their fellow nurses on the unit.  They submitted the petition to the employer and within hours the employer notified MNA that they would bring in agency help to improve staffing and would post the position for a permanent replacement in the coming weeks.

“We’ve got to staff our unit.  Our contract says we’re back up calls, not first call,” said Jean Adomaitis, RN, in the Recovery Unit. 
… Read more about: Methodist Nurses win Staffing Improvements  »

LABOR UPDATES

CEO Pay Gap Up 1000% Since 1950    Today Fortune 500 CEOs make 204 times regular workers on average, Bloomberg found. The ratio is up from 120-to-1 in 2000, 42-to-1 in 1980 and 20-to-1 in 1950.

Worldwide May Day Rallies Thousands of low-paid workers are rallying in the streets on May Day to demand better pay and improved working conditions a week after a Bangladesh building collapse that was a grim reminder of how lax safety regulations make work a danger in poor countries.

Health Care Dominates Highest Paying Jobs (no surprise:  nurses excluded) in America   Anesthesiologists top the list with average annual pay of $232,830 as of 2012, the latest year for which official figures are available from the U.S.
… Read more about: MNA NewsScan, May 1, 2013: May Day!  »

Standards of Care Act Update        

   The Standards of Care Act, MNA’s bill to establish patient assignment limits for nurses passed the Government Operations committee 8-7. The committee passed an amendment to the bill to exempt Critical Access Hospitals (rural hospitals with 25 or fewer beds that meet certain federal criteria) from the legislation. MNA continues to believe that all patients in Minnesota, regardless of their geographic location, are entitled to the same standard of safe nursing care.
  In the House, the bill is now headed for the Health and Human Services Policy Committee. We will alert you when a hearing date is scheduled.
… Read more about: MNA Legislative Update, March 8, 2013  »

NOTES ON NURSING
… Read more about: MNA NewsScan, February 20, 2013: Sleepy Eye Nurses Join MNA  »

Sleepy Eye Nurses Vote For Union Representation with Minnesota Nurses Association24 registered and licensed practical nurses at Sleepy Eye Medical Center have the power of 20,000 additional voices at their workplace with today’s decision to join the Minnesota Nurses Association.  Leaders are confident the move will lead to better and safer care for patients of the critical access hospital located in south central Minnesota.  “With a contract behind us, we can better advocate for our patients,” said Naomi Freyholtz, RN.
Nurses were stirred to organize in part because skilled colleagues have been exiting the facility due to frustration with management practices regarding scheduling and staffing.