Media Advisory
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nurses Fearful Patients Unable to Receive Care
(St. Paul) – June 3, 2021 – Nurse members of the Minnesota Nurses Association have filed a ten-day notice to picket outside Children’s Hospitals Minneapolis and Saint Paul campuses to fight for enough staffing and enough beds for pediatric patients.
MNA nurses have been meeting with Children’s management over several months since the corporation launched a downsizing of its Saint Paul hospital and a redesign for the Minneapolis campus. Since then, nurses at both hospitals have been let go and some services have been shifted to Minneapolis. The situation has left both hospital campuses critically short-staffed and without enough beds to admit patients.
“Children’s is taking away services from the sickest kids served in the St. Paul hospital while placing more of a burden on the already strapped resources of the Minneapolis campus,” said Tricia Ryshkus, Registered Nurse at Children’s Minneapolis. “And now what’s happening is kids are waiting for care and it’s increasing health inequities for all of these kids.”
“The kids are sicker and need more care,” said Sydney Pederson, RN at Children’s Saint Paul. “Our patients need access to the care they need when they need it, regardless of where they live.”
When: Tuesday, June 8, 6-8 a.m.
Where: Outside Minneapolis campus of Children’s Hospital
2525 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55404
When: Tuesday, June 8, 4-6 p.m.
Where: Outside St. Paul campus of Children’s Hospital
345 North Smith Ave, St. Paul, MN 55102
Who: Pediatric nurses and members of MNA
What: Informational Picket
Why: To address short staffing and lack of access to care for patients
Note: This event is not a work stoppage. All participants will be on their off-hours. Patient care will not be impacted by this event.
