Patient Safety

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In: Action, CHI, Home, Informational Picket, North Dakota, Patient Safety, Press Releases

MEDIA ADVISORY

Contact: Amber Smigiel
(c) 651-202-0845
amber.smigiel@mnnurses.org

Lauren Bloomquist
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.bloomquist@mnnurses.org

Nurses take action as hospital management refuses to address safe patient care and nurse retention during contract negotiations

(Bismarck) – November 9, 2023 – Nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association have filed an intent to picket on Tuesday, November 14, outside CHI St. Alexius hospital in Bismarck, N.D. Nurses are speaking out because negotiations with hospital management have been unproductive when it comes to the issues nurses are most concerned about.

“Since bargaining began in July, CHI St.
… Read more about: Nurses at CHI St. Alexius hospital in Bismarck to hold informational picket  »

On:
In: Home, Mayo, Patient Safety, Press Releases

Mayo Clinic Health System is a name that conjures up images of world-class healthcare and cutting-edge medical treatment for many people in Minnesota. However, a troubling trend has emerged, as the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) reported that Mayo Clinic Health System had the highest number of adverse health events in the state last year. We know that the root cause of this problem lies in their profit-driven business decisions that include high nurse-to-patient staffing ratios.  

In 2003, Minnesota became the first state to require hospitals to report, conduct a root cause analysis on and submit the findings and corrective action plan(s) on 28 “never events” that are considered preventable errors in hospitals.
… Read more about: The Costs of Profit-Driven Healthcare: Mayo Clinic Health System Leads the State in Adverse Healthcare Events   »

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In: Corporate Healthcare, Healthcare, Home, Hospitals, Issues, Keeping Nurses at the Bedside, Legislative Policy, Mary Turner, Minnesota Department of Health, Nurse Staffing, Patient Safety, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Lauren Nielsen(c) 651-376-9709lauren.nielsen@mnnurses.orgAmber Smigiel(c) 651-202-0845amber.smigiel@mnnurses.org
(St. Paul) – September 27, 2023 – Nurses are once again speaking out after the Minnesota Department of Health’s report
… Read more about: Nurses call on MN legislature to act after report of increasing adverse patient events  », released today, details an increasing number of reported adverse health events in Minnesota hospitals. This news comes at a time when at least one major health chain in the metro area is proposing even further reductions to the number of nurses caring for patients.Nurses continue to sound the alarm that there is a crisis of patient care and retention by hospital executives in Minnesota’s hospitals.

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In: Action, Home, Keeping Nurses at the Bedside, Legislative Policy, Mayo, Patient Safety, Press Releases, Unsafe Staffing

MEDIA ADVISORY 

Contact: Sam Fettig
(c) 612-741-0662
sam.fettig@mnnurses.org
Lauren Nielsen
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.nielsen@mnnurses.org
Nurses to stand with Governor Walz, legislators against threats to democratic process by corporate health executives 

(St. Paul) – May 9, 2023 – Tomorrow, Wednesday May 10, 2023, nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association will continue their sit-in at the State Capitol to tell Governor Tim Walz and legislative leaders that nurses have their backs as they stand up to corporate bullies. Tomorrow, nurses will set up an empty hospital bed in the State Capitol hallway to show the consequences for patient care when hospital executives fail to staff and retain enough nurses.
… Read more about: Nurses to display empty hospital bed to show impact of understaffing, lack of patient care as sit-in continues at State Capitol  »

On:
In: Home, Keeping Nurses at the Bedside, Mayo, Nurse Staffing, Patient Safety, Press Releases, Unsafe Staffing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sam Fettig
(c) 612-741-0662
sam.fettig@mnnurses.org
Lauren Nielsen
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.nielsen@mnnurses.org

Bipartisan, compromise Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act designed to protect care for all patients, at every hospital in the state, by retaining and staffing enough skilled nurses

On Friday, reporting revealed Mayo threat to withdraw billions in public investments if “blackmail” demands not met

(St. Paul) – May 8, 2023 – Nurses working for Mayo Clinic Health System today spoke out on conditions for nurses and workers at the corporate health chain to highlight the need for statewide legislation to protect patient care by retaining and staffing enough skilled nurses.
… Read more about: Mayo nurses, legislators denounce corporate threats, affirm need to protect patient care and transparency at all hospitals  »

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In: Home, Keeping Nurses at the Bedside, Mayo, Nurse Staffing, Patient Safety, Press Releases, Unsafe Staffing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sam Fettig
(c) 612-741-0662
sam.fettig@mnnurses.org
Lauren Nielsen
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.nielsen@mnnurses.org

Mayo threatens state leaders with billions in withdrawn investments if corporate demands are not met, reporting reveals   

(St. Paul) – May 5, 2023 – Reporting from the Minnesota Reformer today reveals that Mayo Clinic Health System has resorted to blackmail tactics, threatening to withdraw billions in investments from the state if its corporate demands are not met to kill provisions in the Health and Human Services omnibus bill behind closed doors, including the Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act, a bill to retain and staff nurses to protect patient care.
… Read more about: Statement on Mayo Blackmail Tactics to Kill Bill to Protect Patients and Retain Nurses  »

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In: Home, Minnesota Department of Health, Patient Safety, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contact: Sam Fettig
(c) 612-741-0662
sam.fettig@mnnurses.org

Chronic short staffing and poor retention by hospital executives contribute to more adverse events for patients

Total adverse events and those which caused harm to patients have increased for years, pandemic impacts amplified systemic issues in Minnesota hospitals

(St. Paul) – August 3, 2022 – A new report released today by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) highlights worsening patient impacts in Minnesota hospitals as the crisis of short staffing and retention continues unabated and unresolved by hospital executives. The new report documents increases in the total number of adverse events suffered by Minnesota patients in 2021, as well as in the number of events which caused harm to patients.
… Read more about: New MDH Report Shows Worsening Patient Impacts as Staffing, Retention Crisis Continues  »

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In: Action, Home, Nurse Staffing, Patient Safety, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sam Fettig
(o) 651-414-2863
(c) 612-741-0662
sam.fettig@mnnurses.org

Lauren Nielsen
(o) 651-414-2862
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.nielsen@mnnurses.org

MNA nurses delivered opening offers to hospital executives this week, seeking to retain nurses and prioritize quality care at the bedside

Nurses are donning buttons and stickers this week announcing “We Are Ready” to fight to put patients before the profits of hospital CEOs

MNA also launches new paid digital advertising campaign highlighting the crisis patients and staff are facing in Minnesota hospitals 

(St.
… Read more about: Over 15,000 nurses launch new campaign for Patients, Not Profits in Minnesota hospitals  »

On:
In: Activism, Essentia, Hospitals, Patient Safety

Late last year, nurses in North Dakota and northern Minnesota learned of a plan from Essentia Health to pursue acquisition talks with CHI/Common Spirit Health Care. The plan was for Essentia Health to acquire 14 facilities and take over management and services they provide to mainly rural communities across northern Minnesota and North Dakota.

From the start, MNA members were concerned about the implications this deal would have on patient care in many critical access facilities. Nurses were familiar with the past dealings of Essentia in Moose Lake, taking over the small community hospital and immediately shuttering services and sending patients to the system hub in Duluth.
… Read more about: Nurses celebrate a win as CHI/Essentia merger falls through  »

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In: COVID-19, Home, Member Blog, Patient Safety, Patient Safety Standards, PPE

By Todd Trigg, CRNA

MNA Steward

A few days ago, I was out to do my bi-weekly run for essentials. I had my lists, my route planned, my homemade cloth mask, hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes to wipe things down. I was ready. I started by going to my local membership warehouse. Once there, I notice a majority of people wearing cloth masks and practicing good social distancing. I saw a few with N95 masks on, and I wondered where they got them and why they choose to wear this mask since it has become such a sacred, very limited, and treasured item to healthcare providers.
… Read more about: Save the N95s for Those Who Need Them  »