FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lauren Nielsen
(o) 651-414-2862
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.nielsen@mnnurses.org
Shannon Cunningham
(o) 651-414-2838
(c) 651-269-1418
shannon.cunningham@mnnurses.org
(St. Paul) – September 9, 2021 – Recently, the MNA Board of Directors surveyed MNA members asking their positions on impending mandatory vaccination programs being put forth by Minnesota hospitals. After reviewing the results of the survey and the wide variety of member positions on these issues, the MNA BOD does not believe members are unified around any one position either for or against the mandatory vaccination programs. As a result of that, the MNA Board is releasing the following statement:
The Minnesota Nurses Association believes that voluntary vaccination programs along with other essential infection control measures such as optimal personal protective equipment, contact tracing, rapid testing and results, adequate staffing, hygiene, environmental controls, isolation policies, and paid COVID leave for healthcare workers who need to quarantine are the most effective strategy for a healthy population and that all those who can be vaccinated should be.
We believe that hospitals and other healthcare institutions have a responsibility to provide all these measures to keep both workers and patients safe. Unfortunately, hospitals across our state and country have abandoned that responsibility in lieu of cost cutting measures that have left our facilities unprepared for the current crisis we are facing. After years of deliberate under staffing, increasing threats of workplace violence and lack of autonomy over their profession, the same healthcare workers who have been caring for us in our darkest hours are exhausted and leaving the profession early or for less demanding work. We question the timing of the impending vaccine mandates and believe these mandates will continue to exacerbate staffing shortages.
It’s time for our healthcare system to get back to healing the patient and upholding their responsibility to workers.
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Vaccine mandates = increased vaccination rates = decreased hospitalizations = decreased death = lowering the curve and avoiding the activation of crisis standards of care. When the flu vaccinations were mandated, nurses did not quit.
Vaccinate or Vacate!
This is so disappointing. Shame.
When did MNA abandon the responsibility of nurses to protect the public health?
Thank you for representing all your members not just 1 side!
I am concerned about staffing shortages.
I know at least 5 nurses that will quit their job.
No mandate is necessary.
I would like to see the results of the survey. Also, why would we want to fire the same people who cared for us during Covid? They probably had the highest exposure of anyone, and if they are still going, they probably are either immune or resistant, or maybe the protocols helped. Let them do their job!
Nursing is based on science last time I checked. What are you thinking?
I chose to vaccinate so others could live.
THANK YOU MNA for doing the right thing. For taking a stand on medical freedom for nurses and patients. For not abandoning nurses who went from heros to now being being threatened with termination. Mandates will crush an already burdened healthcare system and do not account for natural immunity. You are demonstrating the critical thinking and voice of reason we all desperately need right now.
I am extremely disappointed in the Board’s abdication of leadership and responsibility to the public health of Minnesota citizens, our patients, and our nurses. We have validated this to be a political decision. We all know the science. Vaccines work. Many friends are aghast that our organization is not leading on this issue. This makes us look weak.
Completely disappointed and shocked regarding MNA stance on this. Nursing is about caring for others, prevention…it is normal for nurses to be vaccinated to protect themselves and others. You literally cannot go to nursing school if your vaccines are not up to date. MNA is not the voice for all nurses.
I hope as nurses in a strong professional union we use this opportunity to push employer’s further to faciliate all the necessary best practices related to infection control that we know protect workers and patients. We have been fighting for this since the beginning of time and we need to keep pushing. We still have a long way to go in fighting this virus, it probably won’t go away completely but we can control our environments and until we are all doing what we need to do to fight back the virus wins-(boo hiss). What we need to focucs on is standing together to demand safe staffing not just ratios, acuity and intensity but also ensuring proper infection prevention measures are in place. We should have hospital issued scrubs, no cross contamination with assignments and we should toss our mask after we have contact with a PUI or known COVID patient. We have to make these demands to put worker safety top of mind, no one else is going to do this for us. With the power of union solidarity behind us we stand the best chance.
Where are the survey numbers and why aren’t they being published? I bet the majority support mandatory vaccines, but you don’t want to show that.
This is so disappointing and makes NO SENSE.
“After reviewing the results of the survey and the wide variety of member positions on these issues, the MNA BOD does not believe members are unified around any one position either for or against the mandatory vaccination programs.”
so, how do you get to “The Minnesota Nurses Association believes that voluntary vaccination programs along with other essential infection control measures such as optimal personal protective equipment, contact tracing, rapid testing and results, adequate staffing, hygiene, environmental controls, isolation policies, and paid COVID leave for healthcare workers who need to quarantine are the most effective strategy for a healthy population and that all those who can be vaccinated should be.”
Seems to me that you are making a decision for the membership that does not reflect the membership at all according to the survey.