Unsafe Staffing Story: A "rushed and chaotic" feeling (Page 118)

MNA Nurses fill out hundreds of Concern For Safe Staffing forms online each month. The story below is just one example of how unsafe staffing conditions inside Minnesota hospitals continue to have negative – and sometimes even deadly – consequences for patients and nurses. (Note: Due to HIPAA privacy laws for patients and concerns for potential workplace retaliation by employers against RNs, we do not identify the specific nurse and/or patient(s) involved in each story in this space.)

Today’s Story: Extremely busy, high acuity with no available  resources, nurses came from other units to help as able, but were not able to perform tasks necessary such as del, OR, scrub. No breaks taken. I felt patients received basic care … once patient was safely delivered and deemed stable enough, I had to move on to more urgent patients needs and hope for the best. I made a point of visiting today the 3 patients I had who delivered for me yesterday to apologize for the rushed and chaotic feeling of the unit and lack of any TLC.

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MNA Nurses fill out hundreds of Concern For Safe Staffing forms online each month. The story below is just one example of how unsafe staffing conditions inside Minnesota hospitals continue to have negative – and sometimes even deadly – consequences for patients and nurses. (Note: Due to HIPAA privacy laws for patients and concerns for potential workplace retaliation by employers against RNs, we do not identify the specific nurse and/or patient(s) involved in each story in this space.)

Today’s Story: Extremely busy, high acuity with no available  resources, nurses came from other units to help as able, but were not able to perform tasks necessary such as del, OR, scrub.
… Read more about: Unsafe Staffing Story: A “rushed and chaotic” feeling  »

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From the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation: The Winter Carnival is almost here … Come march with us in the King Boreas Grande Day Parade!

We will be gathering at the Labor and Professional Centre in the Main Labor Hall at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday January 28, 2012. We will leave together to line up for the parade which begins at 2:00 p.m.

Our marching unit is co-sponsored by the Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation’s AFL-CIO Community Services program and Greater Twin Cities United Way.

If you would like to participate, please call Kelsey Eide at (651) 222-3787 ext.
… Read more about: Winter Carnival Invitation from St. Paul RLF  »

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In light of today’s announcement of a new bill in the Minnesota Legislature that would make neglecting a vulnerable adult a more serious crime, the Minnesota Nurses Association issued the following statement:

“As nurses, nothing is more important to us than ensuring our patients – especially the most vulnerable – are protected and given the best care and treatment possible.  We applaud the idea of protecting vulnerable adults, which is why nurses have been at the forefront of the movement to highlight the need for adequate staffing inside our hospitals, nursing homes, and other care facilities.

While every caregiver – including nurses – is and should be held accountable for the quality of his or her own care, it is important we don’t lose sight of the bigger issue here: The chronic and systemic understaffing of our hospitals, nursing homes and other facilities where care is delivered. 
… Read more about: MNA Statement on vulnerable adult crime bill introduced in MN Legislature  »

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Media Contact: Charles Idelson, 510-273-2246 or Carl Ginsburg, 917-405-1060. For Profs. Pollin or Heintz, contact Debbie Zeidenberg, at PERI, dzeiden@peri.umass.edu or 413.577.3147

From National Nurses United:

A robust tax on Wall Street transactions would raise far more revenue – as much as 17 times as much – than more limited proposals, even accounting for the worst case scenarios of reduced trading as a result of a tax.  That’s the findings of an important new research brief from prominent University of Massachusetts Amherst economists Robert Pollin and James Heintz.

This study is the most recent serious effort to quantify current, actual costs and evaluate the impact of the trading costs on trading volume.
… Read more about: Press Release: New Study Shows Dramatic Revenue Potential from a Wall Street Tax  »

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Hear from MNA RNs who are learning/sharing how ALL of us can work together to improve health care in this country. So proud of the everyday MNA Members leading the way on this effort! Another great event coming up Jan. 17th here at MNA – You can sign up for the Jan 17 follow up event via the MNA Facebook Page. Everyone is welcome, even if you didn’t attend Part I.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/_ddtByWod-A]
… Read more about: MNA RNs – Building a Better Health Care System  »

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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.