A special note from MNA President Linda Hamilton:
Contact CMS on Proposed Rule Changes: START HERE or tell others to go to www.mnnurses.org/CMS
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) has proposed changes to rules regarding hospitals that will severely impact Nursing Practice. Read a partial list below. Read the whole document on the CMS website.
Billed as changes to “lift burdensome and duplicative regulations,” many of these changes represent a real threat to the autonomous practice and patient advocacy role of Registered Nurses. In developing these proposals, CMS obviously chose to accept blindly the anecdotal examples of the American Hospital Association (AHA).
No attempt was made by CMS to reach out to organizations that represent registered nurses in these settings so that direct care/front line RNs could participate in the consultative stage of these proposed changes.
Imagine how drastically your nursing practice would change for the worse if your patients’ caregivers or family members were allowed to give them medications in the hospital? That is just one of many recent changes proposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid as conditions of participation.
I, along with our colleagues across the nation of National Nurses United are very concerned about this potential assault on our practice. NNU has submitted a formal organizational response (read it here)
I also urge individual MNA members to submit comments before the deadline. Click on this link to submit your own comments on these egregious proposed changes
Forward this memo to colleagues, or tell them to visit www.mnnurses.org/cms.
The Deadline for comments is: 5 pm EST, December 23, 2011.
Thanks for your continued support,
Linda Hamilton, RN President, Minnesota Nurses Association and Vice President, National Nurses United
Imagine how drastically your nursing practice would change for the worse if your patients’ caregivers or family members were allowed to give them medications in the hospital? That is just one of many recent changes proposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid as conditions of participation.
The nurses were outstanding and spent two hours in each of the first two sessions and just over an hour in the third telling management that there are systems issues that need fixing, that they are needing to do more and more as other departments get cut, that they are no longer able to say they are proud of the care they are able to give, etc.
The American Crystal Sugar workers have been locked out since August. In solidarity, the MNA Board of Directors is encouraging all members to boycott American Crystal Sugar products until a settlement is reached. This includes many local store brands because they get the sugar they use from American Crystal Sugar. It is recommended to use C and H or Domino Sugar instead. Thanks for your support! Keep up to date on Sugar Workers’ news, and learn how you can help.
… Read more about: Support Sugar Workers »
MNA President Linda Hamilton was honored this week, winning the Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation’s 2011 Labor Leader Award. The award is “in appreciation of tireless efforts and experienced leadership that has greatly benefitted the Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation.” It is the first year the award has been given out.
“Everyone in this room knows the success the nurses have had in raising the public’s awareness of the need to address unsafe staffing levels in our hospitals,” said SPRLF President Bobby Kasper. “The MNA made safe staffing a focus of their contract campaign two years ago, and they continue to fight for their members at the Capitol, where everybody knows the MNA means business!
… Read more about: MNA President Linda Hamilton Wins “2011 Labor Leader Award” »
MNA RN Nellie Munn Advocates for Unemployment Insurance Extension.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: John Nemo, 651-414-2863 or john.nemo@mnnurses.org
ST. PAUL (December 1, 2011) – Responding to today’s state budget forecast, the Minnesota Nurses Association issued the following statement:
“Plenty of GOP leaders are putting a positive spin on today’s news of a budget surplus. However, we’d like to point out a few of the items you aren’t likely to hear them talking about:
VP Engeldorf talks of the horribile health consequences of economic injustice
At home, Nurses are ROCKING OccupyMN. Read the WorkdayMinnesota report and watch
… Read more about: Nurses Rock OccupyMN » MNA 1st Vice President Bunny Engeldorf address the crowd on Sat., Oct. 29
VRMC RNs voted overwhelmingly today to support the City of Virginia’s proposed charter change that would alter the terms of what is considered a sale of the city-owned hospital.
National Nurses United’s Midwest Director and RN Jan Rodolfo appeared on Keith Olbermann’s show last night to talk about the Occupy Chicago arrests.
Learn more about the Main Street Contract and the effort to Tax Wall Street that is being led by National Nurses United.