Student Day on the Hill reignites passion to loosen grip of ignorance and inequality (Page 45)

By Sadie Cross, RN

Mercy Hospital, Moose Lake

Student, Bemidji State University

As a baccalaureate student from Bemidji State University and an MNA member, I participated in the April 10 Student Nurses Day on the Hill as a listener, learner, critic, and advocate.

I must admit I was initially disappointed when the March MNA Nurses Day on the Hill was canceled due to weather, but now I can say I’m thankful my first experience at an MNA event was with other students.

I felt the morning session was a good introduction to MNA and the benefits of union membership and advocating for the nursing profession, which many nursing students may not be very familiar with. As a member of MNA who has a passion for political advocacy and leadership, I am not one who needs to be convinced of the importance of unions for our profession.

While Rose Roach, the MNA executive director, was giving her welcome address to the packed room, she could have been telling my story. As a single mother of two biracial daughters, her poignant description of our country’s welfare stigma and the racial disparities that infiltrate healthcare — and even MNA leadership itself — rings very true to me.

Attending SDOTH reignited my passion for these issues. It is easy for me to get bogged down in work, family, and school and set aside my extra-curricular, self-fulfilling passions, but now that I see the end of the school year in sight, I am excited to become more involved.

After the morning session, three other BSU students and I were able to meet with Minnesota Senator Tony Lourey. We covered many topics, including violence in the workplace, the opioid crisis,  and single-payer healthcare reform. Senator Lourey was receptive and engaging, as our leaders should be.

(L-R) Wenda Siebert, Jennifer Schlicting, Shannon Synder, Senator Tony Lourey, Sadie Cross

It took away any reservations I previously had about speaking with my representatives. They are people too, and we are their voices and their job security. Neither representatives nor constituents should underestimate the power of that relationship.

The nursing students who attended this year’s Student Day on the Hill have chosen an educational path and career that is respected and rooted in caring for others. We educate ourselves for the sake of our families, our patients, and our communities. People trust nurses, and they should. It is no surprise that for the 16th year in a row, nurses are rated the most ethical and honest of all professions, according to an annual Gallup poll.

On the contrary, state officeholders, members of Congress, and lobbyists fall toward the bottom of that list. It seems to me that the most trusted professionals should be the voice of reason and reform. As nursing students, we need to use our education to promote policies that will not only protect our profession, but the health and safety of our patients.

C’mon nurses, we can do this! Let’s loosen the grip of ignorance and inequality on our society.

 

By Sadie Cross, RN

Mercy Hospital, Moose Lake

Student, Bemidji State University

As a baccalaureate student from Bemidji State University and an MNA member, I participated in the April 10 Student Nurses Day on the Hill as a listener, learner, critic, and advocate.

I must admit I was initially disappointed when the March MNA Nurses Day on the Hill was canceled due to weather, but now I can say I’m thankful my first experience at an MNA event was with other students.

I felt the morning session was a good introduction to MNA and the benefits of union membership and advocating for the nursing profession, which many nursing students may not be very familiar with.
… Read more about: Student Day on the Hill reignites passion to loosen grip of ignorance and inequality  »

By Jackie O’Shea

MNA Political Organizer

 

Politics affects every part of our lives to the point where I believe it can be overwhelming for people. Minnesota’s political landscape this year is large; the amount of work to be done is extremely daunting; there are too many elections; and there’s not enough time to pay attention, much less volunteer for all of them. However, every election, no matter how big or small, is extremely important. I understand why some voters need to tune it out. It’s too much for me at times, and it’s my job to pay attention.
… Read more about: Parting the Political Fog  »

By Geri Katz

MNA Healthcare Reform Specialist

 

Single payer (aka Medicare for All or guaranteed healthcare) is so hot right now.

Bernie Sanders raised the profile in the 2016 campaign; then Trump and GOP proposals to repeal the Affordable Care Act pushed even more people to the conclusion that healthcare is a basic need for all Americans.

The term “single payer” isn’t very descriptive, and it leaves room for a lot of confusion. Minnesota Senator John Marty says it best, “when someone asks you what kind of new car you bought, you don’t answer “dealer financed!”

So let’s define it: guaranteed healthcare (not insurance) for every American, including dental and vision.
… Read more about: Single Payer is So Hot Right Now.  »

For Immediate Release                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Contact: Barbara Brady
(o) 651-414-2849
(c) 651-202-0845
barbara.brady@mnnurses.org
 
Rick Fuentes
(o) 651-414-2863
(c) 612-741-0662
rick.fuentes@mnnurses.org

(St. Paul) – April 23, 2018 –  A surprise announcement from Mayo Clinic Health System is a cynical distraction from the fact that Albert Lea residents are losing their full-service hospital and workers are losing jobs, according to members of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota and the Minnesota Nurses Association.

“The announcement that Mayo is asking nurses to commit now to take jobs that won’t exist for up to a year and a half exponentially increases the uncertainty that employees already have about their futures,” said MNA President Mary C.
… Read more about: Press Release: Mayo once again shows it cannot be trusted  »

By Rick Fuentes

MNA Communications Specialist

(Note:  the author is teaching an educational session Wednesday, April 25 on social media at the MNA office at 345 Randolph Ave in St. Paul.  RSVPs for the class are available here:  https://mnnurses.org/events/?eventID=1532)

Facebook is in a lot of hot water, and many users may not even understand why.  What Facebook did wasn’t legally wrong, but it was a serious lapse in judgment.  MNA members, nurses, and others who are social media consumers have no choice but to protect ourselves from Facebook and the people who take advantage of Facebook.

 

Let’s review. 
… Read more about: Protect Yourself on Facebook  »

By Barbara Brady

MNA Communications Specialist

 

Union membership empowers MNA nurses to be strong advocates for patients. Nurses know they have rights and a collective voice to speak up for quality patient care. MNA contracts ensure that nurses have a voice in the workplace. Nurses negotiate a fair return for their hard work. Nurses and many other workers have the freedom to join together in unions and work for common causes. However, a case before the U.S. Supreme Court could take away many of those rights, starting with public-sector union members.

Janus v AFSCME Council 31 challenges the right of public sector unions to require all employees who receive the benefits of union representation to pay the cost of that representation or “fair share fees.” Corporations and extremists want to weaken unions by bringing this case forward.
… Read more about: Patient Safety Starts with Nurses’ Collective Advocacy  »

By Diane Mclaughlin

MNA Member, Retired and GAC Commissioner

 

I’m an active MNA member and a returning Governmental Affairs Commissioner. I assisted in the screening of gubernatorial candidates last October that resulted in the endorsement of state Rep. Erin Murphy (DFL-St. Paul). So, participation in the political realm is not new to me.

 

After being vocal at my precinct caucus and presenting numerous resolutions in front of my area neighbors, I was granted the opportunity to represent the caucus at the senate district convention. Conventions can be rowdy, competitive, and vibrant interactions of people.
… Read more about: Caucusing for Erin Murphy  »

By Tara Fugate

MNA Strategic Researcher

 

Moving from Michigan to Minnesota has brought me many new experiences, from trying my first Hot Dish to navigating the State Fair. After living in this state for a year, I am still discovering new things daily. My most recent Minnesota “firsts” were trips to my local precinct caucus and my senate district convention. Unlike Minnesota, my native Michigan does not use party caucuses or conventions. This process was entirely new to me as was the importance of getting involved with the DFL party on a local level. Having never participated in caucuses before, the road to the state DFL convention seemed overwhelming and complicated.
… Read more about: My First Caucus and Senate District Convention  »

(Note:  Two bills to enter Minnesota in the National Nurse Licensure Compact have been introduced in the Legislature.  This would allow nurses from other states to practice in Minnesota without a Minnesota nurse license.  The following is from testimony given Tuesday, March 27 in the Minnesota House Health and Human Services Reform Committee.)

 

My name is Sharon Carlson. I am a bedside nurse that works in the perioperative care center at Abbott Northwestern hospital. Perioperative careis the care that is given before, during and after surgery. As well as being a staff nurse I have the privilege of being a charge nurse in our Pre-Op, PACU, day surgery and cardiovascular recovery areas.
… Read more about: A Nurse Speaks Out Against the National Nurse Compact  »

By Kate Drusch, RN-ICU

MNA Member

 

The things we hope will become real can only become reality through actual experience. St. Paul State Representative Erin Murphy can be our next Governor because of her experience as a leader in Minnesota. Murphy is a tireless, incredible organizer.  She has brought people together to help elect her to her House seat again and again since 2006. She went on to work hard to win the House Majority Leadership in 2012, one of the most powerful positions in Minnesota.  Working like the “charge nurse” of her side of the state’s House of Representatives, she was able to push through improvements in MinnesotaCare and more of our biggest and best legislative accomplishments in those two years.
… Read more about: Why I’m supporting Erin Murphy for Governor  »