Patient Safety (Page 4)

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In: Minnesota Nurses Association, North Memorial, Patient Safety, Unsafe Staffing

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Nurses at North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale are on the front lines of a battle for safe staffing and safe care that could have a major impact on MNA members and patients throughout the state.

North Memorial management wants to cut nursing staff to dangerously low levels by increasing the number of patients each nurse cares for in the majority of units in the hospital. Nurses are fighting the plan at every step of the way.

“Our patients deserve the best possible care,” said North Memorial MNA Co-Chair Mary Turner.
… Read more about: North Memorial Medical Center nurses protest unsafe staffing plan  »

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In: Hospitals, National Nurses United, Nurses, Patient Safety, Standards of Care

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Sweeping changes underway in the nation’s health care delivery system that expose hundreds of thousands of patients to severe risk of harm are the focus of a major new national campaign by the nation’s largest organization of nurses announced today.

An unchecked proliferation of unproven medical technology and sharp erosion of care standards are rapidly spreading through the health care system, far outside the media spotlight but frighteningly apparent to nurses and patients, says National Nurses United.

In response, NNU has launched a major campaign featuring radio ads from coast to coast, video, social media, legislation, rallies, and a call to the public to act, with a simple theme – “when it matters most, insist on a registered nurse.”  The ads were created by North Woods Advertising and produced by Fortaleza Films/Los Angeles.
… Read more about: NNU launches "Insist on an RN" campaign with radio ads  »

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In: Minnesota Nurses Association, Patient Safety

CSS formLast year at the State Capitol, legislators were impressed when the Minnesota Nurses Association turned over boxes of Concern for Safe Staffing Forms at committee hearings.

The forms helped make the case that patients are at risk and nurses are advocating for better staffing to improve quality care.

Now the form has been improved to allow for database search and data analysis.  We will now be able to tell lawmakers and patients how many incidents of unsafe staffing occurred at facilities; how many times nurses felt their patients were at risk; how many times management ignored or simply dismissed requests by nurses to bring in more staff because they were caring for too many patients at one time.
… Read more about: New Concern for Safe Staffing Form  »

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In: Healthcare, Hospitals, Legislative Policy, Nurses, Patient Safety, Politics

Minnesota legislators introduced a bill (HF2415/SF2212)to require mandatory flu vaccination for all health care workers. At MNA’s Nurses Day on the Hill on March 11, nurses raised these issues with their respective representatives and senators, including the bills’ sponsors, and brought forward enough concerns that the authors and legislative leaders agreed that the bill should not move forward this year. It is very unusual for a bill’s author to change their mind about an issue after a bill has been introduced, and, to our knowledge, this is the first MNA issue to be withdrawn in recent memory.

 

While MNA considers vaccinations one important public health tool and encourages nurses to consider vaccination as a means of protecting themselves and their patients, we oppose attempts to legally mandate vaccines.
… Read more about: The Power of Nurses at Day on the Hill: Legislators drop mandatory flu vaccine bill  »

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In: Activism, Healthcare, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Patient Safety

take-back-mcmc The employees of Murray County Medical Center (MCMC) in Slayton, MN often refer to themselves in the collective as “family.” They are neighbors and friends who care for neighbors and friends in the most of vulnerable times.    In recent years, however, circumstances for patients on some of the hospital’s shifts at the county-owned hospital became so alarming that many of those family members have left the facility. Nurses, physicians, physician assistants and others have either resigned or were forced out – some amidst the disruption of legal wrangling.

Several months ago, nurses who are also MNA Stewards surveyed their co-workers and the results pointed to the hostile environment, fears about inadequate staffing and the fact it is impossible for nurses to be two places at once due to the distance between patient care units.
… Read more about: Slayton Nurses Show Courage Beyond the Bedside  »

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In: Hospitals, Legislative Policy, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Patient Safety, Politics

Minnesota State Capitol St Paul MinnesotaMNA Legislative Update

March 21, 2014

 

Nurse Licensure/Discipline

SF 1890/HF 1898:  Nurse Licensing and Discipline Bill

Nurse Licensing and Monitoring bills are moving forward in both the House and Senate after hearings this week to try to address objections of stakeholders. In the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, the bill was amended to require the Board of Nursing to follow the same standards as other health licensing boards related to felony level criminal sexual offenses and remove a provision that would exempt the Board of Nursing from considering whether a nurse was rehabilitated when granting or renewing their license. 
… Read more about: MNA Legislative Update March 21, 2014  »

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In: Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Patient Safety, Politics

The Senate Committee on Health and Human Services passed SF 1890 Wednesday afternoon, which would give the Board of Nursing (BoN) more information about health care professionals who are eligible for the Health Professionals Service Program (HPSP) for treatment.

MNA testified and sent a letter to committee members about the bill and concerns with three elements of the bill.  Specifically, the bill still contains measures that could result in a chilling effect on those who self-report to HPSP.

Senators Tony Lourey, John Marty, and Chris Eaton agreed that addiction is a disease, and nurses shouldn’t be disciplined for voluntarily seeking treatment. 
… Read more about: Senate HHS Committee Considers Board of Nursing/HPSP legislation  »

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In: Activism, Healthcare, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Patient Safety, Patient Safety Standards, Standards of Care

Caucus-inviteAn Invitation from MNA President Linda Hamilton

2014 is an  important election year for nurses and the communities we care for and live in. The entire Minnesota House of Representatives is up for re-election, as well as the Governor, U.S. Senator Franken, all eight members of Congress and countless local races.

These elected officials make decisions about nursing and health care that affect our profession, our patients and our families. We must speak up for nursing values of caring, compassion and community. If we don’t advocate for our patients and our profession, no one will.

Start out by attending your party’s Caucus Night, Feb.
… Read more about: Nurse Power at Caucus Night Feb. 4  »

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In: Health Care Reform, Healthcare, Hospitals, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Nursing, Patient Safety, Patient Safety Standards, Standards of Care

2013-Adverse-EventNurses of the Minnesota Nurses Association are pleased to see reductions in adverse events as reported in the 2013 Adverse Event Report by the Minnesota Department of Health but caution patients that the annual report of preventable errors in hospitals doesn’t tell the whole story of patient safety. They say no patient should suffer a fatal fall if they receive the proper nursing care.  Read More of MNA’s Statement

Read the full report
… Read more about: Nurses React to 2013 Adverse Event Report  »

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In: Activism, Bargaining, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Organizing, Patient Safety

After another session in an eight-month long contract negotiation process ended without an agreement, nurses bargaining with the Allina system are calling for the health care corporation to put the community first. “We are deeply concerned that Allina wants to treat workers in Hastings differently than they do in other parts of the state, and that tactic will affect the care we are able to deliver to our neighbors and friends,” said MNA negotiator Jane Traynor, RN.

MNA nurses from all over the Allina corporate system arrived in Hastings early Tuesday morning to help their new colleagues deliver a message of solidarity on behalf of their patients to hospital administrators at Regina Medical Center.
… Read more about: Hastings Nurses Tell Allina: “Care for Our Community”  »