Unsafe Staffing Levels - The Latest Example (Page 133)

Guest Blog Post by Mary Kohout, RN, Fairview Southdale Hospital

I worked this past weekend in the ICU. There were many frustrations and concerns to be had by all the staff. On Friday afternoon from 3-7, we were two nurses short.  This was completly unacceptable.  We had no resourse nurse and only one flying squad nurse.  Our charge nurse had to be off the floor to respond to two RRTs b/c our flying squad was tied up with other patients.  During this time, we had obtained an unstable artic sun, heart patient, and an unstable surgical patient.  We only had one aide, who was not on the floor b/c she had to go and get blood for all these patients.  We did not have help to provide basic cares to our patients b/c there was no assistance to be obtained.  No one was able to take breaks.  I worked a double shift that day and did not get a break until after eight.  This break was only for ten minutes b/c we were so busy.  An unsafe staffing form was filled out for this day.

On Saturday eve, we again only had one aide.  The acuity in the ICU is so high and only having one aide does not benefit anyone.  On the weekends, our aide also has to do transports and break any sits.  This leaves little time for assistance to nurses.  Nurses need that help to turn patients.  Many of our patients require assistance of three people b/c of ventrics, lines, and trachs.  The lifts do not help in this instance at all.

Sunday, was another hectic day.  We had many 1:1s and crashing patients.  All resources were tied up most of the day to care for those patients which required many nurses to care for them.  My patient that I was caring for needed assistance throughout the day.  This was hard to come by b/c of the heavy assignments and no NA’s to help.

I did not like telling my patients famiy that they had to sit in stool for awhile on several occasions b/c all resources were being tied up.  Our co workers try and help each other as best we can but with the heavy patient assignments this is not always feasible.  This does not help the patient or their families have an “exceptional experience.”

The ICU cannot be staffed according to numbers but patient acuity.  We need more assistance in the forms of both nurses and aides to do our job safely and adequately.  After all, isn’t that why we became a nurse?  We like to help others, save and comfort them, and provide the best care we can.

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Guest Blog Post by Mary Kohout, RN, Fairview Southdale Hospital

I worked this past weekend in the ICU. There were many frustrations and concerns to be had by all the staff. On Friday afternoon from 3-7, we were two nurses short.  This was completly unacceptable.  We had no resourse nurse and only one flying squad nurse.  Our charge nurse had to be off the floor to respond to two RRTs b/c our flying squad was tied up with other patients.  During this time, we had obtained an unstable artic sun, heart patient, and an unstable surgical patient.  We only had one aide, who was not on the floor b/c she had to go and get blood for all these patients.  
… Read more about: Unsafe Staffing Levels – The Latest Example  »

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From his commentary on the National Institute of Health Policy Blog:

NURSES MAY GO ON STRIKE IN MPLS – ST. PAUL
Have you ever heard of doctors threatening to go on strike if their income and hourly work demands aren’t met by their employers? I haven’t. However, doctors, unlike nurses, are able to increase their income by prescribing more medical services or creating shortages in their specialties or just lobbying for increases in pay for specific procedures. Doctors will refuse to see Medicaid patients to put pressure on state legislators; or refuse to see Medicare patients to pressure Congress.
… Read more about: Former MN Sen. Dave Durenberger Weighs in  »

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In: Bargaining, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Nurses, Nursing

One of our Twin Cities nurses e-mailed Allina CEO Ken Paulus asking why hospital executives got bonuses during the 2009 economic recession. Paulus responded via the first e-mail below that none of the executives in the Allina system (which includes United Hospital, among others) got bonuses (which he calls “merit increases”) in 2009.

Then another Twin Cities nurse asks the United Hospital President, Tomi Ryba, the same question – why did hospital executives get bonuses during the 2009 recession? (Paulus just said they did NOT get bonuses, remember?) Tomi confirms in the second e-mail below that these executives did in fact get bonuses!
… Read more about: What else are they hiding?  »

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The video below illustrates the fundamental issue at the heart of this entire dispute: Hospitals are (1) Applying business/profit models like Toyota’s “Lean Production” to the “business” of caring for critically ill human beings and (2) Trying to keep up with one another in a medical arms race to create the fanciest, day-spa type facilities to attract patients. So, why, when caring for patients is at the heart of their nonprofit mission, do hospitals respond to the economic recession by cutting the staff caring for those patients while continuing to build outdoor boardwalks and put flat screen TVs everywhere?

And speaking of the recession, Twin Cities hospitals STILL made nearly $700 million in profits during 2009.
… Read more about: The heart of this entire dispute  »

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In: Bargaining, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Nurses, Nursing, Organizing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: John Nemo, MNA Public Relations, 651-414-2863

ST. PAUL (May 19, 2010) – Twin Cities nurses made history Wednesday by voting to authorize the largest nursing strike in U.S. history, with more than 12,000 RNs ready to walk off the job if a new contract agreement with six Twin Cities hospital systems can’t be reached before June 1, when the current labor deal expires.

Of the 9,000-plus Twin Cities RNs who voted Wednesday, more than 90 percent voted to reject the labor contracts and pension proposals from the hospitals.

“Thousands of us gathered here today for one simple reason,” said Minnesota Nurses Association President Linda Hamilton, an RN in the Children’s Hospital System.
… Read more about: It’s Official: Twin Cities Nurses Authorize Largest Strike in U.S. History  »