Nurses Uniting

4 Common Myths about the Nursing Profession

2011-11-16T04:09:00.002-06:00

For years, nursing has been a highly sought after profession for individuals interested in medical science and patient care. Nursing was not recognized a true profession until the mid nineteenth century. However, nursing (though not defined as so) has been around for many years, originating with midwifery and household childcare. Nurses have long been the unsung heroes of the medical world. With perilous work weeks, seemingly endless 12 hour shifts, and daily duties that ensure the safety and well-being of the ill, nurses are essential components of our health system. While nurses no doubt hold an important role in the safe running of our society, there remain several myths and misconceptions about the nursing profession. These four myths about nursing are common and widespread, but are (like all myths) ill-informed and poorly supported.

Myth 1: The nursing shortage guarantees jobs for new nurses on the job market. Sadly for some, this just isn't true. Even with a fairly drastic shortage of nursing professionals, there are numerous hospitals and offices that are turning away under qualified nurses seeking jobs. Obviously, just because there is a shortage in nurses throughout the country does not mean that practices will hire any nurse they find available. The nursing shortage in the U.S. is a complicated issue that likely is rooted in the vast gap between what the public thinks nurses do and what nurse actually do.

Myth 2: An associate's degree does not qualify you to obtain nursing certification. An associate's degree in nursing (ADN) is the minimum requirement to take and pass the National Council Licensure Examination. So, an associate's degree alone is not enough to qualify you to be a practicing nurse, but it does allow you to take the licensing exam. Many students choose to pursue a bachelor's degree in nursing before attempting the licensing exam, but an associate's degree is adequate.

Myth 3: Nurses should not establish emotional relationships with their patients. Many people think that in order to remain professional, nurses cannot develop strong emotional with the patients they are caring for. However, after spending hours upon hours tending to the well-being of an individual, it can be very difficult (if not impossible) for nurses to remain unafflicted by their patients. The provider/patient relationship is a complicated one to understand. Both parties require respect, integrity, trust and compassion. Without a relationship built off of equity and compassion, a caregiver cannot properly facilitate the patients' healing and care.

Myth 4: Nurses are just gofers for doctors. A very common misconception, but also a horribly misinformed one. Nurses work to assist doctors in the needs and care of the patient and the facility. While nurses certainly act as assistants to doctors and specialists, they are definitely more than mere errand-runners. Nurses help to diagnose and treat patients. They are there to ensure that patients' get the care that they need and work to educate patients on ways to care for themselves. While, of course, nurses do perform tasks that doctors request of them, this does not mean that they are any less important than the doctors themselves.

By-line:

Mariana Ashley is a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about online colleges. She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to mariana.ashley031 @gmail.com.

Social sites for nurses by guest post.

2011-06-11T16:43:00.002-05:00

Top 25 Social Sites for Nurses
June 9, 2011

Employees and students across the industry have discovered nursing social networking sites invaluable for learning, socializing and for job connections. Nurses find safety in numbers on these social sites where colleagues offer tips, advice and support. However, some sites are safer to use than others. The list of the top 25 social sites for nurses listed below include safe sites for professionals, including forums, student resources (including sororities) and organizations specifically designed for nurses.

Follow the link below to read the rest of the article and link to the tp 25 social sites.

http://bestmastersinnursing.com/2011/top-25-social-sites-for-nurses/

Collapse (part 1)

2011-04-12T11:53:00.000-05:00

Collapse (Part 2)

2011-04-12T11:49:00.000-05:00

Democracy is Coming!

2011-03-16T05:42:00.000-05:00

Sen Bernie Sanders Amazing Speech DEC 02 2010 .flv

2011-03-09T13:41:00.000-06:00

For Republicans, Democrats and Everyone!

2011-03-09T13:31:00.000-06:00

Pulling Some of it Together

2011-03-08T08:20:00.002-06:00

As some may have noticed I changed the blog introduction and mission statement to reflect the emphasis that I have been giving to labor issues and the politics surrounding them.

I am writing this post today to attempt to pull all the recent links and post I have made together to explain how they all relate to the bigger picture of nurse rights and health care.

The last couple of years has clearly defined the objectives of the two political parties and in my opinion has clearly revealed the plan of the Republican Party. I know some will see this as somewhat paranoid and conspiratorial but when it is all put together I think it is pretty clear.

The popular, knee jerk, push to cut the budget and decrease the deficit on the backs of social programs is the opening that the Republican Party has been looking for to make advances in diminishing if not destroying the labor movement and social aid programs and we see this in action in a dozen or so states and at the federal level at this very moment. With the recent Citizens United ruling that gives corporations unlimited abilities to influence elections and the simultaneous destruction of organized labor we will be like lambs to the slaughter if as individuals we attempt to stand up against our corporate employers. This goes for nurses as well. Even if you are not working at a unionized hospital the head of that hospital is always worried about the possibility of a union and that fear to a degree keeps them in check and makes them at least consider the patient safety issues that are so important to nurses.

Unions have many issues and are not always the hero in every argument but they do for the most part represent the needs and issues of the common working man and they act as a counter to the corporate interest that are concerned only with profits.
Nurses and workers in general need to know that they can come together and organize to have their voices and concerns addressed. When this option goes away, Patients will suffer, nurses will suffer and the public as a whole will suffer. The debate will no longer be on finding the middle between what works for both business and the community but what increases profit and what is needed to make it easier for the interest of the corporation to be met.

I hope that you will continue to read and view the links I post and join the discussion with your comments and guest post. Only through dialog and debate will our country continue to move forward and I feel that we as citizens still have the right to that debate and are responsible to engage in it to make our nation stronger. I can be reached via email at the link in the top right corner of this blog and welcome all comments and suggestions.

The Story of Citizens United v. FEC (2011)

2011-03-08T07:39:00.000-06:00

The Death of Unions?

2011-03-07T08:48:00.000-06:00

John Colson: Hit and Run | AspenTimes.com

2011-03-07T08:34:00.000-06:00

John Colson: Hit and Run | AspenTimes.com

Gov. Walker Unveils "Repairs" To Wisconsin Budget

2011-03-07T07:04:00.000-06:00

AFGE President John Gage on Collective Bargaining, Unions and Public Ser...

2011-03-05T05:10:00.000-06:00

Cutting Public Sector Wages Will Make Recession Worse

2011-02-26T04:56:00.000-06:00

Walls in Nursing: How to Break Them Down

2011-02-10T01:55:00.000-06:00

The New York Times recently published a blog article by Theresa Brown, R.N., in which she describes the sometimes alarming nature of walls within the medical profession and how these walls can sometimes cause unbearable tension in hospital hallways. Any yet, her post relays the story of what happens when one of those walls come down, allowing nurses and other medical professionals to unite in a common task: caring for their patients.

Brown's piece opens by invoking Robert Frost's poem "Fences," which introduces the theme of walls between neighbors. She then talks about how areas in which nurses work in oncology are separated. She writes, "There's 'med onc' and 'surg onc,' and never the twain shall meet."

All of this was true for her until she met a patient with a blood disease who needed an immediate operation to repair a hole in her intestine. What followed that discovery was a story in which she and a surgeon were able to come together and smoothly and efficiently care for the patient. She found that after that experience, the walls that were constant throughout the hospital were not so strong, and she was able to surmount them in order to care for another human.

The entire story is worth a read, which you can see here, and it got me thinking: what are others ways that nurses can unite and break down barriers within the profession? What are some walls that continue to blockade various nurses from fully uniting as a group and exerting their influence in the health care world?

For me, as someone who often writes about nursing schools, the gender issue is the one that most greatly affects the acceptance of males in the nursing world, and is thus a huge wall to overcome. Fortunately, there has been much headway made towards making male nurses more welcome in the profession, especially in how nursing programs have shifted their admission materials to be more attuned to the needs of male nursing students. As this has happened, we have seen the number of male nurses dramatically. Of course, there is much more we can do.

But what? When you see these walls in your nursing profession, what ideas do you have for continuing to break them down and unite together?

By-line:

This guest post is contributed by Kitty Holman, who writes on the topics of nursing colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: kitty.holman20@gmail.com.

Push To Repeal

2011-01-17T12:28:00.003-06:00

Now that the elections of 2010 are over and the republicans have taken back the US House and many of the state governments houses, senates and governorships there is a big push on to fight and repeal the Affordable Health Care act passed last year.

I as most who have read any of my post probably assume, opposed to the repeal. I was never over joyed by what was accomplished with health care reform last year but do believe it is a step in the right direction and repeal would be taking a step back. Millions more Americans are now without insurance or the means to buy insurance or meet their medical needs due to the recession and general malaise of the current economy.

As a nurse I see the increase in patient admissions during hard economic time due to peoples inability to afford their medications or co pays. Taking away or limiting options would only make the problem worse.

I firmly believe that no matter how you view this issue there is one fact that cannot be denied. People will continue to get medical treatment no matter what happens or who ultimately wins this fight. If the insurance companies and the for profits get their way they will continue to get richer from the suffering of others and the tax payer will continue to pick up the tab in the end.

You must understand that cost of care is associated with the degree of illness and acuity of the patient at the time of service and it is always less expensive to prevent or manage chronic diseases than it is once they have become emergencies. Take hypertension for example, if managed it can cost a few hundred to a couple thousand a year versus tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands for the treatment of a stroke, heart attack or kidney failure due to uncontrolled emergent hypertension.

It just makes economic sense to ensure that the basic health care needs of our fellow citizens are met and that people have the opportunity to get the health care they need.

Visit http://www.healthcare.gov/ to see how the Affordable Care Act can and will benefit you and your community.

Join me in writing your representative at both the federal and state level to say that we want them to focus on creating opportunities and improving the health and well being of our nation. They were elected to make the live of Americans better, not worse.

Time well spent.

2011-01-11T11:53:00.001-06:00

Finally a preacher of my religion. Blows my mind and gets me thinking in a way that I once believed only possible through pharmaceutical means.

For the Science Believers

2011-01-11T11:09:00.002-06:00

2011-01-11T10:43:00.000-06:00

Stop the Lies

2011-01-10T15:47:00.000-06:00

Patient Benefits in Unionized vs Non-Unionized Hospitals Employing Travel Nurses

2010-12-14T10:39:00.004-06:00

Patient Benefits in Unionized vs Non-Unionized Hospitals Employing Travel Nurses
The debate rages on in the field of nursing about the quality of patient care and after care and the impact of unionization on our current system. With the shortages of nurses becoming severe in this country and the institutional stresses and pressures, many nurses feel disenfranchised both by physicians and healthcare administrators.
With California, Massachusetts and Maryland RN unions teaming together and still other RN unions following suit, whether to organize or not and the implications this has on patient care is becoming a real institutional issue.
Opinion is certainly mixed about the issue, with some nurses skeptical about the changes a union can produce when faced with hospital bureaucracy and the dwindling supply of new graduating nurses while more experienced nurses reduce their work time. Some nurses in unionized environments see no improvements in staffing and are concerned about high union dues. Other RNs agree unions are essential to pay nurses top wages in order to support health care and reduce turnover. Hospital administrators who oppose unionization announce that there is in fact no reason for hospitals to become unionized. Hospitals that provide poor patient care will simply lose to other more productive hospitals.
But do independent studies support the idea that unionization will reduce patient care and after care and decrease productivity? Actually independent studies confirm that patient care actually increases, and for reasons apart from just fairer wages. Nursing unions have been pushing to establish RN to patient staffing ratios as well as reduce the overburdening of nurses who often have to perform tasks that aren’t at all their responsibility, and have them focus on their own duties. Patients are also being pushed out sooner, forcing nurses to do more work with their available time and take on more patients. This in turn elevates the risk of patient death.
Establishing RN to patient ratios through unions is actually one way of addressing nurse shortages in hospitals. However, nursing shortages continue to be a problem all across the country in both unionized and non-unionized environments and this has critical implications for patients. While patient care can arguably increase in unionized hospitals, it still won’t increase a lot with the few nurses that currently work in hospitals.
Traveling nursing services can help make up for the shortfall in non-unionized environments and travel nurses can and do work in unionized environment. Traveling nurse agencies send out travel nurses who supersede the union requirement for temporary assignments.
Travel nurse jobs can help ensure the continuity of patient care since travel nursing agencies are experienced and can help relieve a temporary shortage while a hospital deals with more serious organizational issues, since travel nurses can be employed for weeks on end, offering high quality care for an extended period, even up to a year. Hospitals can save money as well, while not having to pay benefits, insurance and sick leave, and most crucially, not have to close their beds due to nurse shortages, which is the first step at providing quality patient care.

Article written by a guest blogger and client of:

Adam Brown

www.purecontent.com

RNs Decry Obama’s Federal Pay Freeze

2010-12-07T13:50:00.002-06:00

Last week, President Obama—whose healthcare ideals had heretofore earned the loyalty of reformist RNs across the continent—disappointed many of them by proposing a two-year pay freeze for civilian federal employees, including the 16,000 physicians and medical personnel who care for our veterans.

RNs Outraged

National Nurses United co-president Jean Ross called the move, “salt to the already festering wound” of the administration’s lack of cooperation in expanding collective-bargaining rights for VA nurses. The union (comprising of 160,000 RNs, including 7,000 VA RNs), shook their heads at the pay freeze proposal and declared that “ending the costly wars in Afghanistan and Iraq once and for all” was a better avenue for cutting federal expenditures than punishing the nurses that care for those who come home from the wars.

A Political Move

In announcing his proposal, President Obama said, “In these challenging times, we want the best and brightest to join and make a difference. But these are also times when all of us are called on to make some sacrifices, and I’m asking civil servants to do what they’ve always done—to play their part.” The move received nods from Republicans, who will take the House in January 2011.

American Federation of Government Employees National President John Gage retorted, “A federal pay freeze saves peanuts at best and, while he may mean it as just a public relations gestures, this is no time for political scapegoating. The American people didn’t vote to stick it to a VA nursing assistant making $28,000 a year.” He added, “It’s unconscionable for him to attack the wages of federal working people while the millionaires and billionaires on Wall Street not only get their bailouts and astronomical bonuses; they also get their tax cuts.”

The peanuts being proposed to be saved amount up to $2 billion in the current fiscal year, and because the scheduled raises will not be retroactively implemented after the fiscal crisis, the pay freeze schedules to save $28 in five years and $60 through 2021.

More Harm Than Good?

Nevertheless, the Economic Policy Institute (a Washington think tank with organized labor sympathies) declared that the proposed pay freeze would not only harm morale and save “chump change,” it would also reinforce conservative myths that federal workers are overpaid. “Such a policy also ignores the fact that deficit reduction and loss of pay at a time when the unemployment remains above 9% will only weaken a too-weak economy.”

For nurses already suffering funding (or perceived funding) shortages and hardship at the workplace, this could mean little good.

Bio: Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education, where recently she's been researching different bsw degree programs and blogging about student life. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

The Real Reasons Behind the Nursing Shortage

2010-12-02T14:16:00.001-06:00

Many of the causes of the nursing shortage stems from one fundamental problem: a lack of understanding and respect for registered nurses on the behalf of hospital decision-makers, physicians, and even the general public.

To review, the American (and worldwide) cutback on public and private insurance reimbursement rates in the 1990s steeped healthcare in hot water, and many hospital higher-ups restructured so that, theoretically, fewer registered nurses performed a greater number of tasks. Underempowered nurses were and remain unable to fight back against this manner of tyranny. The overwhelming image of nurses today—despite heroes like Florence Nightingale and Mary Breckinridge—continues to evoke a fluffy, semi-useless Caucasian woman in an adorable uniform. They are the stuff of Halloween costumes and sexual fantasies, not respected and functional members of the medical community as they ought to be.

This seemingly innocuous, if not exasperating, misconception leads to much more devastating causes of today’s nursing shortage.

Funding (or Perceived Funding) Shortage

If nurses are undervalued, it is no surprise that the National Institutes of Health budgets only 0.5% of its funds to the field. With funding in short supply, new nurses cannot be trained, and nursing schools daily turn away countless qualified and eager applicants.

There is also little pay to be doled out to those who do make it—in fact, nurse educators only earn three-fourths of what faculty in other academic disciplines earn. Whereas women—as nursing has retained, as per stereotype, a heavily female-dominant demographic—in other fields have at least cracked through the glass ceiling, nurses have made little progress over the years.

It becomes obvious that it is not funding shortage, per se, but rather a perceived funding shortage that leads to the lack of education of new nurses and short-staffing of current ones. The common view is that money simply cannot be spared on those seen as non-essential personnel. Even if hospitals with perspective want to hire more nurses, they do not have the funds—or the desire to use funds—to pay them.

Poor Work Conditions

With hospital decision-makers devaluing RNs, it is no surprise that nurses are short-staffed and expected to perform more with less. This workload causes stress and, inevitably, mistakes. Many physicians treat nurses as if they were non-essential personnel, leading to lack of respect and trust between the two and often major communication failures that can result in anything from minor annoyances to patient deaths. Add poor salaries and chronic stress to the mix and you have a handful of very unhappy nurses.

Simply because fewer nurses are on duty does not mean their actual duties go away. Without nurses to pay to perform these duties, however, the responsibility has fallen to unlicensed assistive personnel. Sometimes, these duties are not even performed.

Education

This goes back to funding (or perceived funding) shortages. Too few nurses today receive too little training and social empowerment skills to truly excel in their field. Researchers note that formal education and more efficient and pleasant work environments make for nurses with better patient outcomes. Such expertise cannot be taught on an existing nurse shortage.

Gender and Age

Meanwhile, current (female) nurses are only aging, leaving behind few apprentices to take up after them. The world of women has grown in past decades to the point that nursing is no longer a popular occupational choice, and although men have slowly joined ranks among women in nursing, they only account for 6% of American RNs. This accounts for the shortage of individuals who even want to become nurses.

The Solution

Recently, efforts toward scholarships and loan forgiveness for nurses have been made, but such will not improve the underlying cause of these shortages: the misunderstanding of an RN’s role in the medical field in general.

Since media has proved to be an effective tool in changing public and professional views on healthcare and the medical field, such must be employed to improve the general public’s understanding of nursing. In order to improve healthcare in the US and the world, the nurses must shake off their dusty image of ages past and advance with the times.

Bio: Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education, where recently she's been researching different pharmacist degrees and blogging about student life. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

3 Easy Ways to Prevent Becoming a Victim of Medical Errors

2010-10-31T23:36:00.002-05:00

They’re not meant to happen, but they do happen more often than we’d like them to. Medical errors are rampant in not just the USA, but all over the world. They’re not all caused by negligence from the medical community; some happen because doctors and nurses are overworked and too tired to make the right decision, but others do happen because of the patient’s oversight or negligence. While some errors are easily rectified, others carry a heavy price – you end up spending more money, spending more time at the hospital or in recovery, suffering a relapse, becoming disabled, and in the worst case, losing your life. So if you or a family member needs medical attention, here’s what you can do to prevent becoming a victim of medical errors:

Know the right questions to ask: Read up on your condition or the surgery you’re scheduled for before you visit the doctor. There are many trustworthy sites on the Internet that provide reliable information on various diseases and conditions and on the precautions you need to take before and after surgeries. Ask your doctor any question you may have about your condition – what you can do to hasten your recovery, how your medication must be taken, and so on. Be prepared with your questions because your doctor may be busy and so may not have too much time to spend with you.

Provide the right information: If you don’t provide your doctor with your accurate medical history, you have no one else to blame if you end up on the wrong side of a medical error. Tell your doctor about the medications you’re on, any allergies you may have, any prior or chronic conditions like diabetes and blood pressure, and any other detail that is even remotely relevant to your present condition. When you provide the right information, you enable your doctor to make the right decisions for your treatment.

Understand what your medical provider has to say: It’s important that you understand your doctor’s instructions clearly and follow them to the letter if you want to prevent medical errors. If you’re not sure or if you have any doubts, don’t hesitate to ask again. Some people tend to mess up because they heed others’ advice on how best to go about their recuperation instead of following what the doctor ordered. But if you want to avoid a relapse or side effects, the only way is to do as you’ve been told by your medical provider.

Medicine is not magic – it’s a method that works as long as certain rules are followed. And when they’re adhered to, the chances of errors reduce drastically.

By-line:
This guest post is contributed by Maryanne Osberg, who writes on the topic of Becoming A Nurse Practitioner . She welcomes your comments at her email id: mary.anne579<@>gmail<.>com.

Study: California Nurse-Patient Ratios Lead to Better Patient Outcomes

2010-10-21T04:12:00.000-05:00

While we continue to push for greater improvements in health care practice and delivery, we should still take time to stop and be grateful for the improvements that have already taken place in certain states through dedicated advocacy. You will recall that in 1999, California became the first state in the nation to mandate minimum nurse-to-patient ratios. These ratios were phased in between 2004 and 2008. According to a report by California Healthline, California's mandatory nurse-patient ratios have helped create a decline in 30-day inpatient mortality rates.

California's landmark law set parameters that included the following nurse-patient ratios for acute care facilities:

· Nurses must not care for more than six patients in a psychiatric unit

· Nurses must not care for more than five patients in a medical-surgical unit

· Nurses must not care for more than four pediatric patients

· Nurses must not care for more than three patients in a labor & delivery unit.

· Nurse must not care for more than two intensive care patients

The idea behind the law was to relieve overburdened nursing staff so that they can be more attentive to individual patients, thereby helping to produce better patient outcomes. Many in the health care field were eager to see if this law would help produce the desired results. Now, according to a study supported by the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation and the NIH's National Institute of Nursing Research, those positive outcomes have been confirmed.

The principal findings of the study were that lower nurse-to-patient ratios like those required in California are associated with significantly lower patient mortality. Also of note is that nurses with lower nurse-patient ratios reported less burnout and job dissatisfaction, which is something to think about when taking the nationwide nursing shortage into consideration. Nurses also reported in the study that they provided a better quality of care to patients when working with lower ratios. The study concluded that low ratios are "predictive of better nurse retention in California and in other states where they occur."

A few other states have enacted laws that mandate lower nurse-patient ratios; other states are considering bills that would do the same. There's even nurses advocating for Congress to mandate a federal standard for nurse-patient rations.

Do you advocate for safe nurse-patient ratios in your state or for a nationwide mandate? Why or why not?

By-line:

This guest post is contributed by Kitty Holman, who writes on the topics of nursing schools. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: kitty.holman20@gmail.com.

Benefits of Seeing an NP and How to Choose the Best One For You

2010-08-31T04:12:00.005-05:00

They may be called nurse practitioners, but NPs are much more than just nurses. Their advanced education and training and their vast experience stands them in good stead when it comes to diagnosing and treating patients. And not to detract from the value of doctors, but in some cases, it’s better to see an NP than a licensed physician. If you’re pondering over the decision to consult a nurse practitioner, here are a few benefits they offer:

Since nurse practitioners practice in rural locations, they’re often more in tune with patients’ needs and are able to understand you better.
They know your medical history and are able to treat you accordingly.
It’s easier to fix an appointment with a nurse practitioner because most people prefer to see the doctor even though they have to wait days for the appointment. This is not because NPs are less efficient or capable; it’s a consequence of the misconception that only doctors can treat you efficiently and effectively.
Nurse practitioners spend more time with you because their schedules are not as full as the doctor’s.
When it comes to providing primary care, nurse practitioners are more efficient in treating chronic illnesses like diabetes and asthma because they’re able to spend time with you in explaining how to manage and control these diseases. They also schedule follow-up visits to monitor your condition and progress.
Nurse practitioners help you in making lifestyle and health decisions that change your life for the better.
Your overall healthcare costs are reduced because people who consult NPs are known to have fewer emergency room visits, shorter hospital stays and lower treatment costs.

In general, NPs are qualified, considerate and caring, so you’re bound to be satisfied with their care. And if you’re not satisfied, you could always ask to see a doctor for a second opinion.

When it comes to choosing the right nurse practitioner for your needs, here’s what you need to do:

Check your locality for nurse practitioners. You could use sites like NP Finder or go through your local directory listing.
Call to see what field of medicine they specialize in and if it matches your need.
Fix an appointment with the NP
If your visit goes well and you’re satisfied, then schedule a follow-up visit.
If you’re not satisfied of if the NP’s specialty does not provide for taking care of your illness, ask the NP to recommend other nurse practitioners in the area.

In general, it’s best to stick with an NP who practices close to where you live; this way, you don’t have to commute long distances just to get medical care.

By-line:

This guest post is contributed by Maryanne Osberg, who writes on the topic of RN to MSN Online Degrees. She can be reached at mary.anne579(AT)gmail(DOT)com.

Taking Pride

2010-08-14T07:05:00.001-05:00

Nurses and hospital staff charged with providing care for patients should take pride in what they do. We are a noble profession that often gets little credit by our administrations, our patients and their families for what we do and how hard we often work. Although sometimes this lack of credit is often deserved. More and more it seems to me that nurses are looking at our profession as just another job and are giving what is minimally required instead of their all.

I have began to wonder am I just now recognizing that nurses are just like every other worker in that there are some who give a job all they have and others who just want to do the bare minimum to keep the job or have nurses been beaten down now for so long that they have adopted this attitude.

We will all have days when we are just not on our game and struggle to just keep up and get the most essential things done for our patients but those days should be the exception and not the rule. I think that it is becoming more of the norm that we are more concerned with our lunch breaks, coffee breaks, getting out exactly on time, reading our emails, talking with our coworker friends and other assorted BS than we are in the appearance, comfort and wellbeing of our patients. Our work environments reflect on us as a profession and the appearance of not only our patient but the rooms and the work areas around them reflect on the quality of care we are providing.

I think we can do better and I hope that anyone who reads this will be motivated to put a little more effort into the order and appearance of the work environment and the appearance of their patients and their area.

Keep up the fight

2010-04-26T13:53:00.003-05:00

Now that health care reform has passed and signed into law that fight is over, at least for the next decade or so. I hope that the next issue to be tackled will be labor reform and curbing the abuses of corporate America on the working people. I don't have much hope that the Employee Free Choice Act will even make it to a vote but I am optimistic that the abuses of the last twenty years or so can be addressed and legislation written to restore the rights of the working men and women of this country to organize with the expectation that they have that legal right and our government will uphold the law and punish those that violate our rights.

I am now employed in a facility that is unionized but have not lost the passion I have for the rights of all people who work for their living to be able to organize and unionize if they should desire. It is our right and we must fight to preserve that right for future generations to fight back against the abuses at the hands of the corporate profit mongers.

Please join me in this fight by writting your Representatives and letting them know that you believe the right to organize needs to be protected and the punishments for abusing that right made stronger.

HCA Midwest parent shows healthier profits for 2009 - Kansas City Business Journal:

2010-03-08T09:57:00.000-06:00

HCA Midwest parent shows healthier profits for 2009 - Kansas City Business Journal:

This link should put to rest the message of the administartion at HCA that they made cuts last year in nurse pay due to hard times. HCA stated to employees that they cut their differentials and other pay measures because of the hard finacial situation in the economy. You should question you managers when they make these claims and ask why you are footing the bill to increase their profits from 950 million to the 1.4 billion they made this last year. Why are you having to take a cut when they are making record profits? You can bet your butt that the haeds of the corporation are not having to scale back their budgets at home as you are. They are not having to work short and do without as they are forcing you.

Things will only change when the employees stand up and demand explanations for the lies.

101 Blog post every nurse should read by Jennifer Johnson

2010-02-06T16:07:00.003-06:00

Go to http://nursepractionerschool.org/category/blog and read 101 Blog post every nurse should read. This site also offers many resources to help those interested in obtaining a higher degree in the field of nursing.

Supreme Court Sanctioned Murder Of Democracy! Keith Olbermann Special Comment pt.1

2010-01-22T07:02:00.001-06:00

Says it better than I can.

What will come of our Republic?

2010-01-22T06:23:00.003-06:00

Yesterday the Supreme court ruled that corporations are entitled to the same rights as any individual citizen and may spend unlimited funds on campaign commercials and lobbying.

This decision will allow for corporations to undermine what little influence the common citizen has left in influencing government and its elected officials. The interest of a corporation is most often not in the the interest of the people. I fear that elections will now be so manipulated by the money and power of the corporation that we will lose the protections that we have gained over the last hundred years. If the corporations are allowed proceed as I believe they will they will campaign for (buy) politicians that will reverse worker protections, labor laws and the right to organize to maximize their profits. They will strip away rights of people to hold them responsible for the harm they often do through their acts of pollution, negligence and lack of concern for anything other than the dollar. They will turn back environmental laws, consumer protection laws, disability protections and any other obstacle to increasing the bottom line.

We need to amend our constitution to redefine the term citizen so that corporations are treated and viewed as the money making machines that they really are. They do not have an interest in the effects of their actions other than to determine if their actions make money. Without laws that restrict their behavior and hold them responsible and accountable they will not do the right thing.

I urge everyone to write their representative and demand that legislation is passed to limit this court rulings influence on our democracy and to amend the constitution stripping corporations of the rights of a citizen.

Below is a link to contacting you representative.

https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

If these links do not work then just type in find my senator or representative in your search bar.

"We're Number 37" - Paul Hipp

2009-12-01T08:09:00.001-06:00

great music video that tells it all.

Nurses need to unite and organize

2009-11-13T08:22:00.001-06:00

This blog began as a way for me to express my concerns for the safety issues that I witness daily while working as an acute care nurse.

I have worked at many institutions that include for profit, not for profit, union and non union. In my time as a nurse I have come to believe that profit is king and shapes many if not most of the decisions that are made in a hospital. I have also come to accept the idea that we as nurses truly are the patients advocate and that as much as any other duty we have we must ensure that the patient is safe while receiving care from us, the physicians and that the facilities policies or lack there of do no harm.

The above is why I believe that the organizing of nurses is needed in most cases. Unions for me are not about money, retirement, or benefits but about bargaining for issues that affect the safety of patients and the profession of nursing. I see things like patient/nurse ratios, staff education, limits on overtime and hours worked, and the ability of nurses to influence care decisions and policy as the way we as nurses insure the safety of our patients and growth of our profession.

I hope that once we have moved health care reform forward and reformed the insurance industry that we in the health care community will turn our attention to workers rights and the legal right to organize so that we may one day have a seat at the table and be able to say no to the profit motive and insist that our patients are given safe care by properly trained, well rested nurses who are able to meet their health care needs.

Support the Employee Free Choice Act when it comes up in the house and senate and support unions and the working men and women that they represent. You can find may links on this blog that will allow you to get involved or write me and I will help as much as I can to support your efforts to see a more empowered nursing profession and safer hospital setting.

Write Your Rep Today

2009-10-14T13:35:00.001-05:00

I want to encourage all readers of this post to write their representatives and express their support for meaningful health care reform. By meaningful I mean reform that includes all Americans. Remember that many of the disabled in our nation lack adequate access to routine care and insurance that provides the therapy to meet their special needs. Also many who are currently “able” will become disabled needlessly if they are unable to receive care that they need to keep their medical condition from progressing.

Below is a copy of the last letter I sent my reps as an example. I have also attached links to help you contact your representatives. Please write both your Senator and congress person. Try to explain why this issue is important to you and how you have seen issues related to lack of quality care impact you or your family or someone you know. Make it personal and make them aware of how they vote effects real people and their lives.

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

Dear (Senator or Congressman)

I am writing you today to encourage your support for strong and meaningful health care reform. Now that the finance committee has passed its bill and the bills from the help committee and finance will be merged and then be voted on. I am asking that you keep an open mind and work on finding the strengths of the bill that you can support.

I have met with you or your representatives both in Washington and here in Nashville and appreciated your time and consideration to hear my concerns and desires as it relates to health care. I am a registered nurse of over eleven years and fifteen in the medical field. I see the issues of our broken health care system on a regular basis. I support the public option and reform that ensures that the insurance industry is kept in check. I hope that in the end whatever bill passes covers all Americans regardless of their income or ability to pay. I firmly believe that we either pay now or pay more later.

I hope that you will consider what I have said and again keep and open mind and never forget that thousands are dying every year due to lack of access to routine care. We as a nation can and must do better.

Sincerely

Michael Chapman, RN
Address Here

9.12 DC TEA PARTY - MARCH FOOTAGE WITH INTERVIEWS

2009-09-16T08:06:00.001-05:00

A must see. The right has lost its mind.

Billionaires for Wealthcare

2009-08-18T08:42:00.001-05:00

Says it all. The teabaggers and other sheep are to dense to see they are being made fun of.

Attention all nurses and people with a disability

2009-08-13T20:35:00.004-05:00

Nurses are the catalysts toward social change!
Hi. My name is Alex. I founded The Many World's Network. Many Worlds Network
The Many World's Network is dedicated to creating a community where everyone posts blogs and we begin a conversation evolving the negative language of disability, concentrating on the positives or strengths.
I believe, the only way to do this, is to explore worlds of disability through a multidisciplinary perspective.
I contacted Michael because the nurse is able to see all aspects of the healthcare system, and in order to create a dialgoue between all people with a stakehold in disability, the nursing community is vitally important.
We extend a warm invite to come join our community and aim to create a database of ethical health journalism where everybody will have a voice.
Thank you,
Alex Kaminsky.

Exposing the PR Firms Behind the Fake "Grass Roots" Anti-Healthcare Movement

2009-08-11T08:54:00.001-05:00

Take the information and statements that she makes and check them out for your self. They are true, unlike the garbage and lies being spewed by fox news and many of the republican right wingers. I hope that you will check out the facts of the issue.

The Truth of the Matter.

2009-08-07T18:09:00.003-05:00

Below is a copy of an email I recieved from the SEIU and the campaign for health care reform. It debunks the lies that are being spread by FOX news and other right wingers, tea baggers and blowhards. It takes their lie and then gives the page of the proposed bill in congress and what it actually says that debunks that lie. I hope as they do that this gives you some real information to silence the idots.

Here are the facts. Anyone can verify them by reading the bill at http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h3200/text
Actual itemized contents of the Health Care Reform Bill:
"Page 22: Mandates audits of all employers that self-insure!"
TRUTH: This is not an "audit," it's a study. Moreover, the bill states (pp. 22-23) that the report will "include any recommendations the Commissioner deems appropriate to ensure that the law does not provide incentives for small and mid-size employers to self-insure or create adverse selection in the risk pools of large group insurers and self-insured employers." This is almost directly the opposite of the email's claim."Page 29: Admission: your health care will be rationed!"
TRUTH: Page 29 continues to define the "essential benefits package" and discusses limits on what Americans will have to spend on health care under this minimum standard. In no way does this section stipulate the rationing of care."Page 30: A government committee will decide what treatments and benefits you get (and, unlike an insurer, there will be no appeals process)"
TRUTH: Page 30 begins to describe the Health Benefits Advisory Committee which establishes certain minimum standards for health insurance plans. In no way does this committee deny treatments and benefits to Americans with health insurance."Page 42: The 'Health Choices Commissioner' will decide health benefits for you. You will have no choice. None."
TRUTH: Page 42 begins to describe the Health Choices Commissioner's duties. The idea that this person will decide what benefits Americans receive is patently false, given that most Americans will keep their current plans under reform, and Americans within the exchange will have the choice of purchasing many different kinds of health plans. Rather, the Commissioner will establish minimum standards to protect Americans."Page 50: All non-US citizens, illegal or not, will be provided with free healthcare services."
TRUTH: Pages 50-51 contain a provision stating that discrimination will not be allowed in the provision of health care services. Nowhere does the bill state that non-US citizens will be provided free health care services. The bill prohibits federal dollars from being used for undocumented immigrants."Page 58: Every person will be issued a National ID Healthcard."
TRUTH: Page 58, in the context of a discussion of administrative standards, mentions that "determination of an individual's financial responsibility at the point of service and, to the extent possible, prior to service, including whether the individual is eligible for a specific service with a specific physician at a specific facility...may include utilization of a machine-readable health plan beneficiary identification card." In no way does the bill state that such a card would be national, or that it would be issued to every person, or that it would, in fact, be used at all."Page 59: The federal government will have direct, real-time access to all individual bank accounts for electronic funds transfer."
TRUTH: Page 59 continues the discussion of administrative standards, and authorizes electronic transfers of money within the government. In no way does this provision grant the government access to individual bank accounts."Page 65: Taxpayers will subsidize all union retiree and community organizer health plans (read: SEIU, UAW and ACORN)"
TRUTH: Here's what page 65 says: "Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall establish a temporary reinsurance program to provide reimbursement to assist participating employment-based plans with the cost of providing health benefits to retirees and to eligible spouses, surviving spouses and dependents of such retirees." No mention is made of unions or community organizations."Page 72: All private healthcare plans must conform to government rules to participate in a Healthcare Exchange."
TRUTH: That's true! Plans have to have a minimum standard of benefits, bat can offer other plans as well. But that's fair, isn't it? Private insurers can continue to operate outside the exchange if they wish - should the government establish no standards for the exchange? In that case, how could reform end insurance industry abuses and help to control costs?"Page 84: All private healthcare plans must participate in the Healthcare Exchange (i.e., total government control of private plans)"
TRUTH: This section says is that if private health care plans want to operate in the Exchange, they must provide a basic benefit package. "Page 91: Government mandates linguistic infrastructure for services; translation: illegal aliens"
TRUTH: Some American citizens are more comfortable speaking a language other than English, especially in a sensitive situation like a consultation with their doctor. This provision in no way opens the door for coverage of undocumented workers."Page 95: The Government will pay ACORN and Americorps to sign up individuals for Government-run Health Care plan."
TRUTH: Page 95 makes no mention of ACORN and Americorps; all it says is that the Commissioner can conduct outreach to vulnerable populations, making them aware of their options.
"Page 102: Those eligible for Medicaid will be automatically enrolled: you have no choice in the matter."
TRUTH: People who are eligible for Medicaid will not have to face the burdens of paperwork and other bureaucratic struggles. Far from depriving people of choice, this measure will ensure coverage.
"Page 124: No company can sue the government for price-fixing. No 'judicial review' is permitted against the government monopoly. Put simply, private insurers will be crushed."
TRUTH: This section describes rate-setting under the public health insurance plan option, which will compete with private insurers, who can set their own rates. Because of inherent advantages like their established administrative and provider frameworks, private insurance companies will not be "crushed" by government competition."Page 127: The AMA sold doctors out: the government will set wages."
TRUTH: The government will negotiate rates with providers under the public health insurance plan option. However, private insurers will continue to pay their own rates."Page 145: An employer MUST auto-enroll employees into the government-run public plan. No alternatives."
TRUTH: This is simply not true. Employers with more than 20 employees aren't even eligible to participate in the exchange, let alone the public plan, until several years after the exchange launches in 2013. Moreover, no employer will be forced to participate in the public plan."Page 146: Employers MUST pay healthcare bills for part-time employees AND their families."
TRUTH: Employers are required to pay some benefits for part-time employees on a basis proportional to what they pay for full-time employees. No language on this page or the next stipulates coverage for the families of part-time employees."Page 149: Any employer with a payroll of $400K or more, who does not offer the public option, pays an 8% tax on payroll"
TRUTH: The payroll penalty applies to employers with payroll over $500,000 who do not provide insurance to their employees. The percentage for employers with payroll from $500,000 - $750,000 is 6%. Employers do not have to offer the public option to avoid this penalty, they can offer private insurance if they wish."Page 150: Any employer with a payroll of $250K-400K or more, who does not offer the public option, pays a 2 to 6% tax on payroll"
TRUTH: This is false, see above."Page 167: Any individual who doesn't' have acceptable healthcare (according to the government) will be taxed 2.5% of income."
TRUTH: Pages 167-173 detail what "acceptable health care" means (basically, insurance coverage) and also allow for many different kinds of exceptions to this rule. "Page 170: Any NON-RESIDENT alien is exempt from individual taxes (Americans will pay for them)."
TRUTH: Non-resident aliens do not have to pay the penalty for not having health insurance, nor will the receive federal assistance, because they are not required to purchase health insurance. They are not exempted from individual taxes generally."Page 195: Officers and employees of Government Healthcare Bureaucracy will have access to ALL American financial and personal records."
TRUTH: This is a gross overstatement. For the purposes of determining affordability credits for Americans who need financial assistance in purchasing health insurance, employees of the Health Choices Administration will have access to tax information that the federal government already keeps. As is clearly stated on page 196, "Return information... may be used by officers and employees of the Health Choices Administration or such State-based health insurance exchange, as the case may be, only for the purposes of, and to the extent necessary in, establishing and verifying the appropriate amount of any affordability credit described in subtitle C of title II of the America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 and providing for the repayment of any such credit which was in excess of such appropriate amount.''"Page 203: "The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax." Yes, it really says that."
TRUTH: This quote is taken out of context, and is in fact referring to a calculation used in the bill. Full context of quote: "'(4) NOT TREATED AS TAX IMPOSED BY THIS CHAPTER FOR CERTAIN PURPOSES.-The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax imposed by this chapter for purposes of determining the amount of any credit under this chapter or for purposes of section 55.''"Page 239: Bill will reduce physician services for Medicaid. Seniors and the poor most affected."
TRUTH: This section has nothing whatsoever to do with reducing services. It makes much needed changes to the way in which physician reimbursement is recalculated every year. The bill will, in fact, create much more opportunity for seniors and the poor to receive necessary care."Page 241: Doctors: no matter what specialty you have, you'll all be paid the same (thanks, AMA!)"
TRUTH: Page 241 does not say this. Nowhere does it say this. It does say that physicians will be grouped into certain categories regardless of specialty. These categories merely determine if the physician is engaged in primarily therapeutic or preventative care.
"Page 253: Government sets value of doctors' time, their professional judgment, etc."
TRUTH: There is no good response to this assertion as it appears to have been made up completely. The section deals with 'misvalued codes' meaning that the government is potentially not paying an acceptable rate for a specific service. This will allow the government to, for example, pay more for services that require more payment, such as high-overhead procedures. The author of these criticisms separately attacks the bill for paying the same rate to all doctors, then attacks again for paying different rates."Page 265: Government mandates and controls productivity for private healthcare industries."
TRUTH: This section amends the Social Security Act to include productivity measures. There is no mandate or control of anything. This merely updates the way in which doctors and hospitals are paid through Medicare."Page 268: Government regulates rental and purchase of power-driven wheelchairs."
TRUTH: This is simply not true. This slightly amends existing guidelines for payments for medical equipment, in this case power-driven wheelchairs. This section introduces no 'regulations' that are not in the Social Security Act."Page 272: Cancer patients: welcome to the wonderful world of rationing!"
TRUTH: Overusage of the hot-button word "rationing" is a way to deflect attention away from the actual language of the bill and incite unjustified fear. This section only compares costs incurred by cancer hospitals to costs incurred by similar hospitals, and adjusts payments to reduce the possibility of fraud and abuse."Page 280: Hospitals will be penalized for what the government deems preventable re-admissions."
TRUTH: This is almost correct. The section is one of the first efforts at targeting excessive readmissions. Excessive readmissions are physically and emotionally damaging to patients, while simultaneously putting them, and the health care system, in far more financial risk than is necessary. The American Hospital Association recommended reduced payments for avoidable readmission in testimony to Congress.
"Page 298: Doctors: if you treat a patient during an initial admission that results in a readmission, you will be penalized by the government."
TRUTH: This is patently false. The section is about possible methods that the Secretary of Health and Human services might consider in order to address the growing problem of patient readmission. This section does not, in any way, create a penalty, nor does it even mandate policy. It merely provides examples of recourses that might be considered."Page 317: Doctors: you are now prohibited from owning and investing in healthcare companies!"
TRUTH: This provision only limits Doctor's investments in health care facilities that they refer patients to The effort to limit self-referral has been ongoing for many years as an effort to reduce fraud and abuse. This is, essentially, the medical community equivalent of insider trading. Limiting this incentive works to put the patient's health above all other considerations. Doctors remain free to engage in investment opportunities in areas that don't create a significant conflict of interest."Page 318: Prohibition on hospital expansion. Hospitals cannot expand without government approval."
TRUTH: This section regulates physicians' investment in hospitals to make sure that physicians are not unfairly benefiting from their power to refer patients to hospitals they have a stake in. The section does not prohibit hospital expansion."Page 321: Hospital expansion hinges on 'community' input: in other words, yet another payoff for ACORN."
TRUTH: In the ongoing effort to demonize community-based groups such as ACORN, every instance of the word "community" has become associated with that group's efforts. In reality, this provision allows for anyone to provide input. This includes homeowners, religious leaders, neighborhood groups, and others. There are no payoffs. There is no money exchanged in any way."Page 335: Government mandates establishment of outcome-based measures: i.e., rationing."
TRUTH: This provision is included in order to allow the government to base payments on practices that work. Nowhere does it say health care will be rationed. The attempt to isolate what works and what does not work in Medicare Advantage plans only benefits the health care system in general."Page 341: Government has authority to disqualify Medicare Advantage Plans, HMOs, etc."
TRUTH: The government can disqualify some Medicare Advantage Plans from receiving some additional payments, but only if those plans are not meeting necessary requirements."Page 354: Government will restrict enrollment of SPECIAL NEEDS individuals."
TRUTH: This section only deals with how to handle special needs individuals who need to enroll outside of the open enrollment period. Almost every type of plan operates with open enrollment periods. This section does not create more restrictions."Page 379: More bureaucracy: Telehealth Advisory Committee (healthcare by phone)."
TRUTH: This section merely expands existing Telehealth programs, which supplement but do not replace other health coverage, and provide a vital resource to Americans in rural and remote areas."Page 425-430: More bureaucracy: Advance Care Planning Consult: Senior Citizens, assisted suicide, euthanasia?; Government will instruct and consult regarding living wills, durable powers of attorney, etc. Mandatory. Appears to lock in estate taxes ahead of time; Government provides approved list of end-of-life resources, guiding you in death; Government mandates program that orders end-of-life treatment; government dictates how your life ends; Advance Care Planning Consult will be used to dictate treatment as patient's health deteriorates. This can include an ORDER for end-of-life plans. An ORDER from the GOVERNMENT; Government will decide what level of treatments you may have at end-of-life."
TRUTH: All of these hysterical claims have been debunked elsewhere. HR3200 provides for the reimbursement of a voluntary session of end-of-life counseling with your physician once every five years. This in no way means the government will make decisions for patients or encourage doctor-assisted suicide. Counseling simply makes patients and their families aware of their options."Page 469: Community-based Home Medical Services: more payoffs for ACORN."
TRUTH: ACORN is not a Community-Based Medical Home."Page 472: Payments to Community-based organizations: more payoffs for ACORN."
TRUTH: This is clearly still referring to community health groups, not ACORN. "Page 489: Government will cover marriage and family therapy. Government intervenes in your marriage."
TRUTH: Covering marriage and family therapy, as many private insurance plans do, does not mean that the government "intervenes in your marriage." The types of individuals who are recognized as therapists are clearly defined on page 491; in brief, professionals only, not bureaucrats."Page 494: Government will cover mental health services: defining, creating and rationing those services."
TRUTH: This section expands government coverage for mental health services under various government programs, and ensures that all mental health services will be offered by qualified professionals.

The People's Rally, in DC, at Malcolm X Park, for Single Payer (Part 1 of 3)

2009-07-28T08:23:00.001-05:00

Part 1 of 3 in a great series of videos of the rally at Malcom X park. It doesn't matter if you are a single payer advocate or are pushing for a viable public option that covers all who need it. The issue is that the system is broken and it must be changed now. We can't afford to lose another life due to the profit driven system we currently suffer under.

Get involved, call your congressman and senators, write emails and let your voices be heard. We are the people and our government needs a wake up call to let them know that they work for us and not big pharma, big insurance and the for profit hospitals of America.

The People's Rally, in DC, at Malcolm X Park, for Single Payer (Part 2 of 3)

2009-07-28T08:15:00.001-05:00

Part 2 of 3. Great stories and inspiration to keep up the fight for health care reform.

The People's Rally, in DC, at Malcolm X Park, for Single Payer (Part 3 of 3)

2009-07-28T07:58:00.001-05:00

Great video and new diagnosis introduced that I believe clearly defines the current issue very well.

BILL MOYERS JOURNAL | Preview: Wendell Potter pt 2 | PBS

2009-07-20T11:29:00.001-05:00

Part 2

BILL MOYERS JOURNAL | Preview: Wendell Potter pt. 1 | PBS

2009-07-20T11:28:00.001-05:00

A must see that exposes the truth from the head of public relations at Cigna on how the insurance industry manipulates and cheat the public.

Part 1 of 2

LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD

2009-07-15T14:46:00.000-05:00

I attended a rally for health care reform today in Nashville outside the offices of Senator Corker and Alexander. Nearly 300 people attended to send the message that we want affordable, quality health care for all Americans now.

You can get your voice heard and help the cause by calling your congressman now at 1-866-288-1495. You will be ask for your zip code and then you will be connected to your representative’s office. Once connected let them know that you support quality, affordable health care for all Americans and hope that they will support HR 3200.

HBO's Bill Maher Takes On President Obama

2009-07-14T09:47:00.001-05:00

I love this and feel like it captures my feelings. I hope that as Bill Maher states that we begin to see more action and less hope. I want to see real health care reform, investigation and prosecution of the Bush administration and those that violated our consitition, the punishment of those that destroyed our economy and put millions out of work, the end (now) of the war in Iraq and for that matter Afganistan. We have a limmited time to get these things done and its time we get off the pot. We don't need conservative friends we need and elected Obama and the rest of the democrats for results.

You go Bill, thanks for telling like it is.

Converts and Activist

2009-07-14T07:14:00.002-05:00

With the health care reform debate at full steam and everyone weighing in, I am growing suspect of some of the recent converts. Recently the hospital association that represents the interest of many if not most of America’s hospitals stated they would contribute to the upcoming reform to help it get off the ground.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/health/july-dec09/hospitals_07-08.html

This gives me a very uneasy feeling, something like no interest loans with no income verification did. I wonder other than the obvious what their motivation is. I hope that they are sincere but I believe this is just their way of buying a better seat at the table in their hope to influence the reform in a way that lessons the impact on their profit margins. I hope that I am wrong but am doubtful that their motives are really in the best interest of patients and the communities they serve.

You have to be concerned when companies like HCA, WalMart and other mega marts of goods and services get into the social activism arena. They are true capitalist, I mean exploiters, and like Walmart sales cheap goods made on the backs of the poor in china with no regards to the quality of life of the worker and denies its employees in our nation a living wage, HCA makes its money on the cutting of corners in patient care to save and make another buck. They deny their employees the right to organize and have in the recent past been part of the largest ever Medicare and Medicaid fraud case.

Be suspicious Be very suspicious.

Congressman Cooper Support Public Option

2009-07-01T13:54:00.001-05:00

We need to hold him to this position. He has stated to me in person and in email that he supports health care access for all and a viable public option. He states this here and we need to make sure that it happens. Write your representative and demand that they support a public option and real health care reform.

Speaking the truth in DC

2009-06-28T17:10:00.000-05:00

This last Wednesday and Thursday I had the privilege of spending time with fellow activist of the SEIU, advocating for meaningful health care reform. I had worked all night the night before and caught the plane that morning at 0930 am. Arrived in DC around noon having not slept in nearly 30 hours at that point. If is wasn't for the fact that I so passionately believe in the need for health care reform I am sure I would have not been able to find the energy that I did.

I am a registered nurse of eleven years and have come to believe that the health care system as it currently exist is broken. I have been an activist on this issue for the better part of the last two years and feel that as a nurse it is my duty to fix the system. We must have a system that provides access for all, quality care for all and at a reasonable price for all and free to those that otherwise cannot afford it. It is time that a nation as rich as ours steps up and gives all its citizens the opportunity to achieve the American dream. Without your health it is not possible to pursue life, liberty and happiness.

While in DC I met with my representative Congressman Cooper, he stated that he is in full support of Obama and the plan for real health care reform to include the public option. I will hold him to his word!

I also spoke with chief of staff to Senator Alexander and and a staffer of Senator Corker and found them open to the discussion of health care reform. Their positions are different from that of my Congressman but their is room for some common ground.

I told the stories of patients and friends who have been crushed by the burden of health care cost. I also tried to show how vulnerable the middle class is to financial devastation when a health care crisis develops in their lives. I shared the stories of a friend of mine who had a traumatic brain injury and is now facing bills that are leading his family to financial ruins and how his health coverage and prescription cost are so expensive that he may loose everything he has worked for his entire life. His family will suffer all because our health care system is broken.

I was also a witness and participant in a very spirited rally that featured members of the senate and congress that gave their words we would see real reform on health care this year. We should hold them all to that!

We can't miss this opportunity as citizens to get involved in shaping the health care reform debate. I am optimistic that a plan that includes choice, access and coverage for all will come out of the house and am hopeful that the senate can achieve the same.

I hope as a registered nurse to see the future of health care improved so that patients are treated as people and not commodities. We as a nation have the opportunity to say that we value life not only in the womb but through out the span of ones life. We can do this and should do this now as it is long over due.

Michael Chapman, RN
Old Hickory, TN

Patients Before Profits: RNs Take on HCA

2009-05-30T16:29:00.001-05:00

The title says it all.

Tennessee's Healthcare Workers Speak Out!

2009-05-16T16:27:00.001-05:00

Sara Steffens of Contra Costa Times Speaks Up for Employee Free Choice Act

2009-03-30T17:12:00.001-05:00

How many testimonials does a person have to hear before they believe that there is a problem. The corporations have millions, they have high priced attorneys and PR firms to spin their lies and hide their intimidation tactics but the people like Sara Steffens have no reason to lie and they speak from their heart. We need to awaken and demand our rights in the work place and stop the abuse of our right to organize if we choose.

The vote for workers rights; Employee Free Choice Act

2009-03-13T08:56:00.002-05:00

The Employee Free Choice Act is now in Congress and being debated. I have been watching the news and reading the blogs to get a sense of what people are thinking, hearing and feeling as the debate unfolds. So far I have heard many truths but just as many lies and I feel I need to put my two cents worth out there.

Business would have you believe that they are the defenders of the democracy and the protector of the secret ballot. They are claiming first of all that EFCA would strip employees of their right to secret ballot which is false. The legislation states that the workers would have the right to decide on using signed cards alone or having a secret ballot election. The decision would no longer be in the hands of the employer.

They also are making the claim that due to the financial problems our nation is facing that this is just a bad idea and will hurt business and their ability to expand and provide new jobs. This is garbage they don't provide jobs because they are interested in the well being of a community or the American people. They provide jobs because there is money to be made. Employee and employer is a relationship that is not about friendship or family but about a mutual need for income. It is a business relationship and for to long it has been one sided with all the growth going to the business. As the economy rebounds the jobs will return and the profits will come back and I believe that it is time we as the producers of that income begin to get our fair and just share of prosperity.

EFCA is a step towards correcting the imbalance that exist in the relationship between worker and employer. I hope that you will read the legislation and keep in mind that if the employees at any given business do not want a union then they won't have one but if they do desire to organize then they should be able to due it without threats of firing or intimidation from their employer.

If they treat their employees well, pay a fair and just living wage and provide the benefits that they enjoy then they will have nothing to fear.

Visit http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:S.560: to view the Senate bill and http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c111:2:./temp/~c111IPg9ar:: to view the house bill.

AFL-CIO Employee Free Choice Act NOW

2009-02-26T15:47:00.001-06:00

This video says it all.

Safe limits on Nurses Overtime

2009-02-26T11:47:00.004-06:00

I am seeking legislation in the state of Tennessee to limit voluntary overtime and make mandatory overtime illegal except in circumstances of declared emergency. I appreciate an input you would like to offer.

The studies are conclusive that nurses who work greater than 12 hour shifts or do not have at least a 10-12 hour break for rest between shifts are three times more likely to commit an error that reaches a patient. The studies have also agreed that the hours a nurse works in a week should generaly be no more than 60 and that should be rare.

As a nurse I and every nurse I know want to avoid errors and provide safe care for our patients. Nurses are frequently pressured to work overtime through large monetary incentives, pressure from managment to be " a team player", the fact that you do or do not take overtime has even been part of some evaluations I have had in the past. With this said, nurses often agree to overtime when they otherwise might not. Most do not however see the potential risk to their license or the patient in their care that they are taking.

Just like the limits for truckers on how long they may drive and pilots on how long they may fly, we need legislation that puts some safe and sound limits on how long we as nurses may work.

Sen. Durbin at the Employee Free Choice Act Rally

2009-02-11T15:05:00.001-06:00

Listen to what is said. It is not unions that are or have destroyed America and its ability to compete. It is the corporate greed and bloated paychecks and bonuses of the CEO's that have and are currently damaging our system.

We must pass the Employee Free Choice Act and restore fairness to the work place and ensure that the right to organize is protected. The corporate abuse must stop and this legislation will go along way to achieve fairness in the work place. Don't believe the hype on fox news or the antiunion campaigns by corporate big wigs who stand to lose if the workers are able to get the contracts that ensure a fair and living wage.

Born Again American

2009-02-02T08:05:00.001-06:00

A great message to all Americans to get involved. I am not a religious in any way but agree with the moral message of this song and encourage all those moved by its message to get involved.

HCA: Profit and Greed on the backs of their workforce.

2009-01-13T16:48:00.003-06:00

This is a bulletin I recently received from the CNA showing how HCA is once again stiffing the worker while lining their own pockets and getting richer off the backs of their dedicated workforce. It is very enlightening but not surprising.

HCA Execs Getting Wealthier
Many HCA RNs are reeling from the loss of retirement security resulting from the company’s decision to eliminate their pension and transfer their earnings to a 401(k) which has seen losses of up to 40%. For some this means putting off their retirement – for others it spells financial doom. Some HCA hospitals are laying off ancillary workers, trimming the hours of part-timers and reducing use of more-expensive temporary nurses hired through agencies. Recently we told you that, in Tennessee, HCA is cutting 110 jobs and closing most functions at its Portland hospital, laying off roughly 100 headquarters staffers, and at Centennial Hospital eliminating RN raises, the night shift differential and decreasing RN holiday pay.
So what are the top administrators of HCA doing to shoulder their share of the burden? HCA tells us these cuts –and the ones to come – are absolutely necessary. But a simple review of HCA’s SEC filings reveals that a number of recent, large transactions have boosted the networth of a cadre of upper echelon HCA executives.
Leading off the movement to exercise stock options was:
Joseph N Steakley, Senior VP of Internal Audit Services who cashed in some stock options this week, walking away with $170,088 in cash. He still holds 17,027 more shares so expect to see him add a healthy chunck of change to his net worth soon.
Western Group President Samuel Hazen last month gave up 14,151 shares leaving him with a paper gain of $432,000.
Next up the line was Senior Vice President Vic Campbell who excercised 55,215 shares generating more than $800,000.
CFO Milton Johnson excercised his option to buy 87,180 shares. His net worth gain: $1.4 million.
And truly leading the pack was General Counsel Robert Waterman who acquired 1.78 million worth of shares for a paper profit of $2.2 million.
All told the group boosted its networth by roughly 4.9 million dollars.
Anyone still buying the line that we all need to sacrifice during these tough economic times? It’s very clear that those of us who are paying the price are doing so to the benefit of others.

Read the full story. This link will take you to the Nashville news paper article where the information above was sourced from.

Why union check cards are the answer.

2009-01-10T09:47:00.002-06:00

The article below is taken from the National Workrights Institute website at http://www.workrights.org/issue_organize.html. The article is the best arguement that I have read for changing the current election system to that of union check cards. Please read and post your comments and concerns.

REPRESENTATION ELECTIONS UNDER THE NLRACAN THE SYSTEM BE FIXED?
It has been well known for years that the union representation election process under the National Labor Relations Act is seriously flawed and fails to reflect the desires of a majority of workers. Many scholars and activists have made proposals for reforming the NLRA election system. Others believe that the system is inherently unworkable and cannot be fixed. These individuals believe that the solution is to eliminate elections and substitute the card check system.
The first step in resolving this crucial issue is recognizing that it cannot be answered in the abstract. The controlling principle is that the decision regarding whether or not a group of workers is represented by a union is that the decision should represent the will of the majority. Whether to hold elections or use card check is not a matter of principle, but a pragmatic issue. The method used to make this decision (card check or election) should be the method which best implements the wishes of the workers.
The most serious problem with the current election system is that one side has a near monopoly of access to the voters (workers). The employer can hold unlimited meetings to put forth its arguments against the union. The union is not allowed to speak at these meetings. Neither are workers who support the union. Nor are workers allowed to stay away. Under the Act, employers are permitted to make attending these anti-union meetings a condition of employment. The union, in contrast, is not even allowed into the facility to talk to the workers.
Clearly, this is unfair. The results of a political election would never be recognized as legitimate under these circumstances. If an election based system is to be maintained, the problem of unequal access must be solved.
The captive audience problem can be solved. The NLRA could be amended to require that the union be given equal time, either at the same meeting at which the employer makes its presentation, or at a separate meeting. The rules could be changed so that the conditions of attendance (voluntary or mandatory) were the same for both. Employers would vigorously oppose such a change in the law, and it would be difficult to accomplish politically, but there is no principled reason why this change cannot be made.
This alone, however, does not solve the equal access problem. Employers do not confine their communication to formal meetings. During an organizing campaign, management communicates its message constantly. Even the most casual conversation between management and workers frequently contains a statement or question regarding the upcoming election. For the election process to be fair, the union would have to be given the opportunity for the same type of communication. This would mean giving representatives of the union unrestricted and unsupervised access to the workplace. Such a system, however, is completely unworkable. Having outsiders wandering around the facility talking to anyone they want to whenever they want would completely disrupt production. It could even be a safety hazard. Imagine outsiders, who do not know the facility, walking around a steel mill or refinery without supervision.
This represents a fatal defect in the election model. The election is not fair unless both sides have comparable access to the voters. But giving the union such access is impossible.
The other critical problem with elections is employer coercion. Literally thousands of workers are fired every year for trying to organize. This not only denies the rights of these workers, but intimidates other workers as well. Firing a handful of workers is often enough to stop an organizing campaign in its tracks. A solution to this problem must be found if the election model is to be retained.
On paper, the problem can be solved. Any behavior which is motivated by a rational expectation of gain can be deterred if the penalty is sufficiently severe and the probability of being caught is high enough. In practice, however, it may be insoluble. The economic gains to an employer by keeping its workforce non-union are substantial. Unionized workers make at least 20% more than non-union workers in comparable jobs. A large employer can save literally millions of dollars by violating the NLRA. In addition, employers have deep personal resistance to sharing power with workers. The penalty required to overcome the combined resistance of these two factors would be huge, possibly large enough to threaten the financial health of the company (and the continued existence of the workers’ jobs). Criminal penalties against offending managers would have adequate deterrent effect, but it is questionable at best that our country is prepared to take this step.
The severity of both these problems would be greatly reduced under card check. Under card check, the decision-making period would no longer be approximately seven weeks. Instead, it would be months, or even years. With essentially unlimited time to get its message across, the union’s inferior access to the workers would be far less of a problem.
An unlimited decision making period would also diminish the impact of coercion. The time and effort required of management to keep the pressure on during an organizing drive is substantial. As a practical matter, an employer simply cannot keep holding frequent captive audience meetings forever, nor can it turn every discussion with a worker into an anti-union sales pitch forever. Over time, the focus must return to producing and selling the product.
It is often claimed that card check is a one sided process in which the union “sells” workers on organizing while the employer, unaware of the campaign, is silent. Nothing could be further from the truth. Nothing in the card check system prevents an employer from explaining its views about unions to workers as part of its regular employee communications program. Sophisticated employers do this already.
Moreover, an employer will still be able to amplify their message during an organizing campaign under card check. In virtually every company, there are some employees who are opposed to joining a union. When these employees become aware that a union is collecting cards, they will tell management. This will allow management to step up their communications during critical periods.
Even under card check, the employer continues to have the upper hand. It has easy access to the workers daily, while the union has to struggle to locate workers away from the facility. Even with a list of the workers’ home addresses (which the employer is required to provide under the Excelsior decision), communicating with workers away from the company is difficult and inefficient.
The employer also continues to have far more ability to coerce those it has not persuaded. In the absence of a union, workers are employees at will. They can be fired for any reason, fair or unfair, or for no reason at all. The employer also controls promotions, pay raises, vacation scheduling and many other decisions that seriously affect a worker and his or her family. Even if gross retaliation (such as firing the leaders of an organizing effort) can be effectively prevented, an employer retains the ability to do great harm to a worker whom it views as a negative influence. This power vastly surpasses any ability employees favoring the union may have to arm twist a few “voters” in a closely divided company.
Overall, card check is a better method to determine whether workers will be represented by a union. The employer has unfair advantages under the election model that cannot be eliminated. Under card check, however, the effect of these advantages is greatly reduced so that the ultimate decision more often reflects the desire of the workers.

Hope for the future of our healthcare system.

2008-12-19T18:29:00.001-06:00

Hope and Reform

There is finally real potential for health care reform. With the election of Barack Obama and now his appointment of former Senator Tom Daschle to head Health and Human Services and today’s announcement of Hilda Solis to head the Labor Dept, real reform may be on the way. I say may because I have been let down by politicians before but these three have all expressed a need for change for a long time and I have real hope for the first time that positive reform will happen.

Tom Daschle wrote a book a couple of years ago titled “Critical- what we can do about healthcare”, this book offers real solutions to many of the problems that make our current healthcare system inefficient and unfair to those under and uninsured in our country. The following link will take you to a description of the book and reviews by other prominent politicians and public officials. http://zedc3test.techprogress.org/issues/2008/02/critical.html

Hilda Solis named today as the nominee to head the US Labor Dept is a victory for workers, labor and the healthcare system. She is a strong advocate for organized labor and will be very effective in giving strength to the right to organize and pursue a voice for change and justice in the work place.
See her bio at the following links : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilda_Solis , http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/1208/121808cdpm1.htm?rss=getoday .

I believe that strong healthcare workers and specifically nurses that have protection of unions will be able to advocate for their patients safety. The current system and the weakness of the NLRB (National Labor relations board), allows for hospital corporations both private, public, for profit and not for profit to silence their nurses and providers from speaking out about unsafe staffing, unsafe practices and policies or lack of concern for issues related to safety. In today’s system if you blow the whistle or demand that safety issues are addressed you are labeled a troublemaker and terminated or forced out. A strong, pro employee labor dept and a health secretary interested in reform will strengthen the protections afforded healthcare workers and in my opinion make the system safer for us all.

Unions are not all about the wages and benefits. Like in California and Massachusetts, unions have pushed for real legislative reform and have succeeded in making their systems better. I am not implying that they are without flaw in those states but they through the pressures of the unions and their nurse members have achieved real legislative reforms, like staffing ratios, limits on work hours and mandatory overtime. These issues have been proven to have a real influence on outcomes and the safety of patients in the acute care system.

We have a long way to go but I am very optimistic that the team that will assume power on January 20th will serve the American people well and finally put our healthcare and labor system back on the right track to fairness, justice and safety.

Obama supports the Employee Free Choice Act

2008-11-10T15:55:00.001-06:00

Lets hold him to his statements. Support the Employee Free Choice Act.

Employee Free Choice Act

2008-11-10T15:53:00.001-06:00

This video says it all. It gives a good over view of why the employee free choice act is needed. I hope you will watch and comment. Please support the act by signing petitions at the SEIU, AFL-CIO or the CNA website.

2008-11-07T04:47:00.003-06:00

Now that the election is over and we have a President who supports labor and the working men and women of this country we need to move forward and pass the Employee Free Choice Act.

For those not familiar with the act or its intentions, you may want to read an over view from Wikipedia that does a good job of explaining the act and opinions both for and against the act by our congress and our new President elect Barack Obama. This link will take you to the Wikipedia link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Employee_Free_Choice_Act

I support the act and believe it is needed in order to give employees a chance to freely associate and organize without the intimidation from the employer. I feel that the current system of secret ballots at the place of employment allows for the employer to target the people they see as supporters of organizing and harass them and threaten their jobs if the pursue a campaign for unionization. Union check cards are the only way I see that allows for employees to freely look at the advantages and disadvantages of organizing without the threats and intimidation of the empoyer.

Please take some time and evaluate the issue closely. Ask a union friend about unionizing and what the advantages are. Ask that person what the relationship is between the employer and employee at their place of work. Take the propaganda that most employers use and check with the union employees you know or call a local union and ask them about the process. You will find that the anti union crowd have much to loose if their employees gain a voice. This is about justice and fairness in the work place. Don't act upon emotion but use the skills of rational observation and critical thinking to make your conclusions. Then show your support by contacting your congressperson and senator to let them know how you feel. You can use the link at the bottom of this blog to find you represenatives.

Also join the AFL-CIO in their campaign to pass the Employee Free Choice Act at the following website. http://www.aflcio.org/joinaunion/voiceatwork/efca/whatis.cfm

Naomi Wolf:

2008-10-30T15:24:00.001-05:00

An opinion on the path that our country is on. I believe that this is at very least a video that will get you to think about the supression that we have faced in the last eight years. The destruction of lablr and the surrendering of our rights for the sake of a feelinf of false security. Please get the book get the video and make your vote this year count. Tell your legislator that we want more our democracy back.

Nursing shortage presentation on NOW from PBS

2008-10-30T11:32:00.003-05:00

PBS and their program NOW recently aired a story about the nursing shortage that I thought was very well made and a must see for all nurses interested in the future of our profession and quality of patient care. I wish the presentation would have focused more on the impact that the shortage is having on patient safety and our ability or inability to meet the needs of our patients due to our decreasing numbers. However with that said the presentation is one of the best I have seen in a while and would like all interested to see.

You can view the video at http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/442/index.html

Employee free choice act and the Presidential election.

2008-10-23T07:37:00.002-05:00

We have twelve days left until the Presidential election and possibly a new path for America. One issue that is sure to pass or fail depending on the results of the election is the Employee Free Choice act that just recently passed in the Congress but will be blocked in the Senate and get the veto by President Bush.

Barrack Obama will support our right to organize and has pledged to support the act if elected. view the video link below entitled "Obama support the employee free choice act".

The employee free choice act will give fairness and balance to the right of employees to join an union so that they may collectively bargain with their employer for the rights that they feel they are entitled. I would encourage all who read this to examine the issue of employee rights and remember that all the rights that we currently take for granted like the 40 hour work week, overtime, lunch breaks and vacation time are all a direct or indirect result of the labor movement.

The employee free choice act would level the playing field and allow for employees to get to the point where they can meet and bargain with their employer. Currently the environment is scewed to favor the employer and allows for them to intimidate and suppress our right to associate with a union.

Their are great discussions taking place on the subject at Allnurses.com and can be read at this link. http://allnurses.com/forums/f100/employee-free-choice-act-passes-house-210327.html

I would encourage you to get involved. You can get information on what the employee free choice act says on this site in the right hand margin of the blog and you can find your senator and congressman link at the bottom of this site to assist you in contacting them to show your support.

ANA position statement on staffing assignments.

2008-10-10T16:34:00.002-05:00

The ANA is asking for opinions related to proposed changes to the current position on nurses rights to refuse an unsafe assignment. The language is in my opinion more vague than the existing statement. I support changing the position only if it is stronger and should contain language that condemns hospitals and administrators that intimidate nurses into accepting unsafe assignments or floats. I have written the ANA and stated this and am writing this post to ask you to do the same. the email to the ANA contact is listed below. I have also provided a link to the original position of the ANA related to the nurses right to refuse an unsafe assignment, so that you may compare.

Public Comment: Patient Safety: Rights of Registered Nurses When Considering
a Patient Assignment
10/01/08The ANA Congress on Nursing Practice and
Economics (CNPE) is seeking comments on the ANA position statement, Patient
Safety: Rights of Registered Nurses When Considering a Patient Assignment.
which states: "The American Nurses Association (ANA) upholds that registered
nurses – based on their professional and ethical responsibilities – have the
professional right to accept, reject or object in writing to any patient
assignment that puts patients or themselves at serious and immediate risk for
harm. Registered nurses have the professional obligation to raise concerns
regarding any patient assignment that puts patients or themselves at risk for
harm. The professional obligations of the registered nurse to safeguard patients
are grounded in the Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements (ANA,
2001b), Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice (ANA, 2004), and state laws,
and rules and regulations governing nursing practice."
Download the position
statment below and send comments to Cheryl.Peterson@ANA.org.
If you are interested in participating in this review, please provide your
comments to the ANA staff member listed above by 5:00pm EST on November 30,
2008.
CNPE appreciates your assistance with reviewing this Position
Statement.

Original position of ANA on right of nurse to refuse unsafe assignment is available at this link: ANA right to reject assignment 1995.pdf

Please let the ANA know that they represent us and not the corporate interest of the hospital and that it is time to let the administrators know that we demand safe assignments and floating practices and demand the right to refuse unsafe assignments without retribution.

P.O.V. | Critical Condition | Joe's Story | PBS

2008-10-03T06:54:00.001-05:00

This is an sample of the documentary critical condition that was presented on PBS on 9/30/08. I hope that you will take the time to watch the entire presentation and see that we are all one major illness or injury away from being at the mercy of a system that is failing us all. Please visit http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2008/criticalcondition/fullfilm.html to view the presentation. Vote Obama and lets fix the system.

NNOC testimony to TBON

2008-10-02T11:07:00.017-05:00

Can I get a witness?

The text below is only one small part of the testimony that six RNs with the NNOC presented before the TN Board of Nursing on the morning of September 25, 2008. Issue topics were unsafe floating, short staffing, nurses fired for refusing to sign anti-organizing agreements, and institutional pressures on employees to not join pro-union associations. We received a cordial reception which later turned lukewarm. We were told that the proper way to do it was to file for an "Advisory Ruling". Perhaps we'll do that next...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TESTIMONY
BOARD OF NURSING OPEN FORUM
SEPTEMBER 25, 2008

Hello,

My name is Mark. I work as a staff RN at Tennessee hospital. I'm concerned that patient safety is being put at risk because of inadequate staffing levels. Nurses are being put in the position of either refusing a patient assignment and risk losing their jobs, or accepting more patients than they can safely handle. When a nurse has six, seven, or more patients on a medical-surgical floor, it's quite likely that some aspect of patient care will be missed. Charge nurses are frequently assigned a full patient load, rendering them unavailable to be a resource to the nurses under them. A patient has fallen on the floor after a bed alarm was not answered fast enough, another aspirated some food because no one was assisting with feeding, decubitus ulcers got worse when an incontinent patient was not cleaned up often enough, MRSA isolation procedures were incompletely followed in an attempt to save time, and a PCA continuous morphine dose was not turned off before the patient was stuporous. These are only few specific examples. While they may have turned out to be less than sentinel events, they are still very serious.

In addition to direct adverse events to patients, under-staffing has other consequences affecting delivery of safe care. Many experienced nurses have gotten fed up with the workload, and left hospital nursing. New nurses come in to fill vacancies, but many of these don't stay long because of the stressful conditions. We end up with a high percentage of relatively inexperienced nurses doing their best to care for too many patients. It's a recurring situation, one that management is aware of and has said they will address, but so far, nothing much has changed. It's not unique to my hospital; according to reports I've heard, under-staffing may be even worse at other facilities. As a possible solution to the problem, in the interest of patient safety, the retention of experienced professional nurses, and the recruitment of future nurses, would the Board of Nursing be willing support legislation as proposed by the CNA/NNOC for safe nurse to patient ratios?

Thank you for your time and consideration.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following was not part of the testimony to TBON:

Below is an excerpt from a discussion board posting, written by the nursing instructor of an RN-BSN course I'm taking, Professional Role Development. It may reflect a typical managerial point of view.

"3) Unions-I am not a union fan in hospitals (note my husband is a union member outside of healthcare). As a CNO, I work every day to provide the best ratios, pay, benefits and work environment for my staff that our facility can afford. I don't see how a union would do any thing in our organization other than complicate things. I have to agree with Jennifer [last name withheld] posting that ultimately if you are not happy with your environment and feel that it is not safe than perhaps it is time to look elsewhere."

So, if conditions aren't safe for patients where I work, I should get a job somewhere else, right? Where should the patients go?

Diagnosis: NOW!

2008-09-15T17:07:00.001-05:00

Please take a few minute and watch this important video and support the cause of bringing equality and fairness to healthcare for all Americans. You can get involved by visiting http://healthcareforamericanow.org

Your Money or Your Life

2008-09-09T05:34:00.003-05:00

Linked below are two must see videos that put a human story to the injustice of the American medical system. I hope that you will watch these videos and reflect on how all of us are at risk. I believe in personal accountability but I also believe in compassion of my fellow man and that without your health you are without options. I hope that these stories lead you to see that people are often without the needed resources to even provide for the basics of life and that we as a society should and can do better.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/video/flv/generic.html?s=amdo1fp3d8

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/video/flv/generic.html?s=amdo1fp3d9

Interesting article on education

2008-09-05T15:02:00.002-05:00

Please take a few minutes and read this article from a fellow health care blogger related to education and nurse professionalism. The link to the full article is listed below. I will post only the first paragraph here, just to get you started.

Nurse Perspective

Life Needs Nurses

Published July 31, 2008 9:11 AM by Guest Blogger Roxana Gonzalez, RN, CCRN, is critical care educator at Saint Michael's Medical Center in Newark, NJ.
A nurse advocate's strength is dependent on their drive for knowledge development; very few nurses are taking time to learn. The increased demands on nurses has resulted in a practice that's focused on resolving crisis events at the workplace with minimal time spent on maintaining professional well-being. Nursing has faced many critical situations, but probably none more critical than the situation is now in which there are possibilities for serious loss and substantial advance.1 New knowledge not only allows a nurse to practice according to the latest evidence but it builds careers and innovates professionals to take part in shaping the discipline. Being a patient advocate goes far beyond bedside care, it goes deeper into the reasons behind why a patient is entrusted to the care of a nurse.2 Whether we speak up for patients at the bedside or in a public forum, knowledge is an advocacy empowerment tool that nurses need to impact life.

To read the rest of article click here: http://community.advanceweb.com/blogs/nurses7/archive/2008/07/31/life-needs-nurses.aspx

Hope you enjoy. Please take the time to leave a comment.

Broken Levees, Broken Lives: A Post-Katrina Focus on Health

2008-08-28T18:08:00.001-05:00

Broken lives is another testimony to the fact that we need healthcare reform now. Please support single payer healthcare. We need toput compassion and empathy back into health care and put the honor and integrity back in our profession that we have lost due to the lust for profit that now controls our healthcare system.

Obama supports the Employee Free Choice Act

2008-08-20T18:57:00.001-05:00

Vote Obama for President and support the employee free choice act.

Myths in Healthcare

2008-08-20T11:32:00.005-05:00

Myth 1: The US Healthcare System Is the Best in the World
This idea has been called the alpha myth because it is fundamentally the root of all other myths.[1] It is the straightforward belief that Americans have access to the highest quality healthcare available in the world. A different way to present this myth is to state that citizens in other countries experience long waits for healthcare, that they must rely on generalists, and that they suffer worse outcomes as a result.
This belief is widespread and well-entrenched in the American mindset. So it is perhaps surprising that in a 10-nation 1990 survey on the level of satisfaction with the national healthcare system, the United States ranked 10th.[2] These results were then reproduced a decade later.[3] Although Americans believe the US system is the best, clearly they are not as satisfied with the healthcare they receive as are citizens of other countries.

For the full article visit the links below. There are also links to other sections of the article that are interestingand informative. You will be required to register at the site to view the entire story, it is free on the medscape site.

Abstract and Introduction
Myth 1: The US Healthcare System Is the Best in the World
Myth 2: There Will Always Be a Certain Segment of the Population That Remains Uninsured
Myth 3: The Uninsured Have Equal Access to Medical Care Through the Emergency Room
Myth 4: A Free Market Is the Best Way to Get the Highest Quality Health Insurance for the Lowest Cost
Myth 5: We Just Cannot Afford to Cover Everyone
Conclusion

Support the Employee Free Choice Act

2008-08-20T09:01:00.002-05:00

The paragraph below is copied from the California Nurses Association campaign for the employee free choice act. I believe and support this campiagn and ask that all who visit this blog will review the issue and support bringing fairness and choice to the American worker. At the site linked below you will find testimonials of real nurses struggle to unionize and advocate for their patients and profession.

EFCA - Employee Free Choice Act
60 million American workers have expressed interest in belonging to a union. 79 percent of them agree they are likely to be fired for trying to form one. It’s time put the era of union-busting behind us.
Union membership has been declining over the past several decades.Employers are waging increasingly vicious campaigns against workers and union officials who attempt to organize for better working conditions. The lag between gathering enough cards to file for an election and the election itself creates weeks in which professional "union busters" can infiltrate a workplace, intimidating, misleading, and harassing workers into voting against unionization. If you think your employer wouldn’t do that to you, think again: 92 percent of employers force employees to attend compulsory anti-union meetings.
It’s time for a change.New legislation can end union-busting. The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) would make it possible to elect a union by collecting signed union cards from the majority of workers on a job. EFCA will provide a democratic process to workers seeking union representation, without giving management the lead time necessary to coordinate an attack on workers’ rights to freely associate and organize.
TAKE ACTION TODAY:
Sign the Online Card to Support Employee Free Choice here!
Download the complete EFCA brochure in PDF

Your RX for health care reform

2008-08-19T16:32:00.001-05:00

I was recently sent this email from Healthcare united asking for my perscription for changing our health care system. I sent in my opinion, at least the short version anyway and would like to ask you to do the same.

These emails are to be delivered to our senators and congressman at the Democratic convention. I see it as another opportunity to get your voice heard.

In full disclosure united healthcare is a campaign run by the SEIU. I do not support all their efforts but we can and should work with each other on those campiagns that we do agree and we agree that health care is in need of real reform.

The link below will take you to the form for you to submit your ideas. http://www.healthcareunited.org/RxforChange

Single Payer Now

2008-08-12T05:59:00.002-05:00

Fast Facts about Single Payer

by Suzanne Cowan — last modified 2008-06-17 10:24 PM
The June 19 rally is in support of Single Payer health insurance, as opposed to a system run for profit by private insurance companies. But what is Single Payer?
Did you know?
The US spends more that twice as much per person for healthcare as any other nation, yet
One sixth of Americans have no health insurance.
One half of all bankruptcies are caused by healthcare bills.
Three quarters of those people had health insurance.
Despite this spending, the World Health Organization ranks the US 37th in overall health, the worst among industrial countries.
The US is the only industrial country that does not have a plan that provides health care for everybody.
In the US, there are currently more than 1200 separate for-profit insurance plans. The result is that, instead of paying for health care, about 30 cents of every health care dollar pay for:
Administrative costs such as billing
Marketing and advertising
Lobbying
Risk evaluation (allows insurance companies to provide insurance to the healthy and refuse coverage to those with "pre-existing conditions")
Denial management (the search for excuses to delay, deny or renege on payment for health care)
The June 19th rally supports California Senate Bill 840 (SB 840) and federal House Resolution 676 (HR 676). Both bills would establish a single-payer system of universal health care that eliminates insurance companies as middlemen.
Under a single-payer system in California or nationally, we would spend less on healthcare than we do now, and with far better results. Specifically, a single-payer system would:
Eliminate all current premiums, deductibles and co-payments. Instead, employers, employees and individuals would pay an annual tax that would be combined in one fund with monies from existing government programs. This fund would be the sole payer of all medical claims.
Immediately save billions of dollars by eliminating the excessive costs that insurance companies now spend for administration, lobbying, marketing, risk management, denial management, CEO salaries and profits.
Use the bulk purchasing power to reduce the cost of pharmaceuticals and durable medical equipment.
Increase efficiency and stabilize the growth in health care spending by linking spending increases to state/national GDP and relevant demographic indicators.
Allow the vast majority of people to pay less than they do now for medical care, while receiving far more comprehensive coverage.
Both SB 840 and HR 676 specifically permit free choice of health care providers, both public and private. Current for-profit insurance plans restrict choice to "in-plan" providers,
Many federal and state studies since l990 have concluded that a single-payer system is the only model that is truly efficient, equitable and sustainable. It spreads risk, pools funds, and provides all residents access to medical care.

Support single payer bill HR 676 by writing your representative and letting them know that you want justice in health care and a single payer system. You will find links at the bottom of this blog to find your Representatives e-mail and physical address. To get more information on the model for this bill visit http://singlepayernow.net/.

National Single Payer Bill
HR 676, the United States National Health Insurance Act, was introduced by Representative John Conyers, Jr. The bill has 90 cosponsors. HR 676 closely mirrors California’s SB 840.

THIS FRIDAY re California's proposed SB840-SHOW UP!

2008-08-10T23:20:00.002-05:00

In case you don't already know, in Oakland, California - this coming Friday evening, a couple of the co-authors of California's universal healthcare bill SB840 will be having a townhall. Included on the bill is Senator Sheila Kuehl's Healthcare Consultant (who I think did most of the detail on writing the bill), Sarah Rogers and likely more key people.

THIS NEEDS YOUR ATTENTION - it is CRITICAL that people show up and let the powers that be right now know that it is NOT ok to sweep this under the rug yet again and that we are not going to settle for another lame a excuse of a healthcare proposal (regardless of whether it comes from the Obama camp or the governator).

7pm

Humanist Hall

27th near Broadway

Oakland, California

For details: visit Singlepayernow.net

Here are highlights from the last hearing on the bill: YouTube - California Considers Healthcare for ALL-The $ issue

Americans Mad and Angry

2008-08-10T08:14:00.001-05:00

I recently read a post on allnurses that led me to a site called Americans mad and angry. The site is a non profit that reports on medical errors and the real life stories of the patients affected by them. The organization does not present an opinion as to how nurse ratios or unions play into the rate of medical errors but wanted to take the opportunity to give my two cents on the subject.

I have posted many videos and written post on the issue of patient safety and medical errors as they relate to understaffing. I have also posted or previously discussed how studies have shown that unionized hospitals have been shown to have better outcomes than their non union counter parts.

I would ask that you reflect on the errors that you are aware of and ask yourself if better ratios, better staff development and true whistleblower protections for safety issues may have helped prevent them. Also review the site that I will link below and ask your self if these were preventable and would better trained and prepared staff have done a better job. http://www.americansmadandangry.org

I am not suggesting that personal responsibility be removed but that the hospitals have a responsibility to ensure that their staff is educated and adequate in number to provide safe care. Rushing is often the reason that errors occur and that rushing is often caused by understaffing. They as the employer are responsible for staffing and they need to be mandated to set ratios as they have proven to be not up to the task.

Support mandatory staffing ratios and the unions to allow nurses to voice their concerns as they relate to safety. Support unions, support ratios, support whistleblower protection and reject the notion that your administration is doing all they can do. They have let us all down for to long and they need to be held accountable to someone.

Also review the links on the right of this blog to worthy petitions to support the issues discussed above.

Money-money-money; we need more money!

2008-08-09T19:34:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone has read the story out of LA detailing the lengths that hospital CEO's will go to turn a profit. This story details the lack of integrity and compassion that our hospital leadership shows the public and the patients they are trusted to provide care for. I know that some will say well that's only one example but I will tell you to review your history. Take for another example the Columbia/HCA medicare fraud case that resulted in millions of dollars of fines levied against HCA. I would contend that these are only the ones we are aware of and suggest that these examples supports the need to remove profit from health care so that our fine leaders are kept honest. Join me in supporting a universal single payer health care plan. You can find links to several great plans on this site to support.

Please review the article at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/10/us/10homeless.html?ref=us for more details. Oh, by the way all these hospitals are managed and owned by private for profit groups.

Critical Condition

2008-08-02T17:22:00.003-05:00

Visit the link below to preview the upcomming film by Roger Weisberg titled Critical Condition.
http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2008/criticalcondition/preview.html The film will be debuted on PBS on Septemebr 30th at 9pm. I hope all persons interested in equality and fairness in health care will watch this video and post their comments on this site. Thanks Nurse Advocate.

Critical Condition
by Roger Weisberg Broadcast Date: September 30, 2008, Special Broadcast at 9 PM (90 minutes) Check local listings
What happens if you fall sick and are one of 47 million people in America without health insurance? "Critical Condition" by Roger Weisberg ("Waging a Living," P.O.V. 2006) puts a human face on the nation's growing health care crisis by capturing the harrowing struggles of four critically ill Americans who discover that being uninsured can cost them their jobs, health, home, savings, even their lives. Filmed in vérité style, "Critical Condition" offers a moving and invaluable expose at a time when the nation is debating how to extend health insurance to all Americans. A production of Public Policy Productions in association with Thirteen/WNET New York and American Documentary P.O.V.

Petitions worth you attention!!

2008-07-22T15:58:00.004-05:00

Below are several links to web site petitions to help ensure safer staffing and government oversight of health care. Please visit these sites and if you agree show your support by signing the petitions. They share many of the same goals and are similar in language. Please sign them all. The more our congressman and senators hear from us the more they know we are serious.

http://medicintegrity-team.blogspot.com/2007/07/cut-control-understaffing-today.html

http://www.petitiononline.com/nurse/petition-sign.html

http://www.leapforpatientsafety.org/

VA- A model for reform.

2008-07-14T07:42:00.002-05:00

Check out this article by Time on the VA. The article was written in 2006 about the reforms and stats of the VA. I believe, although not perfect, the VA system can act as a guide for universal health care. They are not free of issues but have impressive stats on reforming many of the issues that plague the private health care system. The article sites VA representatives who state they are not looking to be the model for universal health care but I feel they may be one anyway. Their numbers are impressive and the private industry can learn much by taking the VA model as best practice.

View the article at http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1376238-1,00.html

Manhattan Institute's Herzlinger on Who Killed Health Care

2008-07-08T12:14:00.001-05:00

Another well educated advocate for health care reform.

Health Care for America Now Ad - Magic Eight Ball

2008-07-08T12:07:00.001-05:00

watch this video and check the link atthe top of the page to give your support to this cause. The home page to Helath Care for America Now is http://healthcareforamericanow.org/
I hope you will visit and show your support.

Health Care Crisis U.S.A. -- Part 1

2008-07-07T08:54:00.001-05:00

These are real people with real problems in America. We should have some compassion for the plight of the poor. Not all people as the corporate machine and capitalist free market supporters would have you believe are lazy and deginerates. We can and should do better.

Go Ahead And Die! (Pirates Of The Health Care-ibean)

2008-07-07T08:44:00.001-05:00

a funny spofe on the corporate health care sysytem. The problem is that it's not so far from the truth.

AFSCME Council 5

2008-07-07T07:47:00.001-05:00

A great campaign taking place in Minnesota offered by the AFSCME.

Health Care Burden

2008-07-07T07:39:00.001-05:00

This video supports our need for universal health care. The company provided health care system is crushing not only the employee but the employeer. We need a change and we need it now.

My Healthcare reform proposal

2008-06-27T10:09:00.001-05:00

My Healthcare Reform
Proposal

I have been a registered nurse for ten years and a person with outspoken opinions for longer than that, so here are my health care reform ideas.

I believe that the infrastructure is one of the only things really worth keeping. I believe the health system in America is in need of total reform for it to serve all in need.

I will use one scenario of a patient type to show how my reforms would work. The ideas I will present will be based on this scenario but will apply to all in one way or another.

My mock patient is a 35 year old man with no health coverage offered at his place of employment, a small 6 person heating and Air Conditioning Company. His yearly income is 30,000 a year. He is married has one child and his wife is a clerk at a local convenience store making 18k a year. He is slightly over weight, eats a diet high in fat and low in fiber, the traditional American diet. He sees a physician only when he is ill and usually at the emergency room when he thinks he just can’t take it anymore. His blood pressure is slightly elevated; he has a family history of diabetes and heart disease.

1. Universal Health Care/ Affordable Insurance: Health insurance for all is where the process starts. It could be a single payer system or a hybrid of our current system. As long as all are covered and that coverage includes all aspects of care to include prescriptions. I believe the employer based health insurance system should be entirely scrapped and the premiums paid for by the states or the federal government. The personal financial responsibility would be based on a persons personal income and those below a certain income would be subsidized or receive free insurance. The premiums normally paid by business would have to be paid into the national health care pool that would provide the base asset pool for the program. Your individual premiums would continue to be removed from your check in the same manner that all other income based taxes are removed. We would all have the same insurance and there would be no difference in the programs for the rich or the poor. This would have to be federal law.
The insurance companies would still be able to make a profit but not what they have become accustom to. They would be required to compete for a given market and would be forced to promote prevention and healthy life style over denial of services to increase their profit margins.

2. Disease prevention: If disease prevention were the focus our healthcare system instead of the treatment of disease and symptom we could prevent many diseases from progressing and contributing to other costly conditions.
Diseases like diabetes and hypertension are chronic conditions that untreated lead to a variety of other costly and often deadly conditions like heart disease, stroke, peripheral vascular diseases, blindness, amputations, renal failure and many more.
We must first begin to promote this with a change in the way we pay our physicians. We should reward our physicians when they keep their patients healthy and for finding problems early when they are less costly to treat. This would require legislation to remove insurance barriers to physicians ordering test for their patients. I am not suggesting a return to fee for service but to a system that values health over short term profits. Our current system does not allow doctors the freedom to treat their patients as they see necessary. After all they are licensed physicians and are supposed to be qualified to make those decisions. I am not advocating for the removal of oversight but do not believe the best person to provide that over sight should be the insurance industry.

Looking at our patient he would have his hypertension treated and that treatment may help prevent his progression to costly treatment of heart, renal and other vascular diseases. The physician would have the tools available to monitor and treat the hypertension with the latest treatments available. The physician also understanding the effects of diabetes and his patients risk factors and could monitor and treat his patient if the disease is present or is found on regular check ups.

If his patient continues to be healthy and meets certain benchmarks then that physician would see and increase in his reimbursement and as a result of his practice would grow.
Many would ask then what will keep practices from refusing patients who are less than healthy and my solution to that issue is to tailor the benchmarks according to the patient’s baseline and accepted theory on disease progression when it is being effectively treated.

Some patients will be non compliant and will continue to work against the goals and measures needed to promote health and those issues would be taken into consideration. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink. I do not believe in utopia but I do believe that many people are willing to learn a better way and would take advantage of health care if it were available.

3. Inpatient Care: I have been a nurse at the bedside in acute care for ten years now with a brief period of my career as a nurse manager. I believe the greatest reform needs to take place in this arena. There are many issues that the current for profit system cannot solve on its own.

Nurse to patient ratios should be mandated federally and apply to both acute and long term care facilities. There are many ways that this can be done and what ever method is chosen it will require that we deal with increasing the number of nurses willing to work in the inpatient environment.

The studies have been performed and have all come to the conclusion that patients suffer and are more likely to die or end up with costly and debilitating complications due to high nurse to patient ratios. If the ratio of nurse to patients match the reality of the care needed by the patient then we can decrease the days a patient is in the hospital, maximize the patients possibility of return to their baselines and decrease the potential for long and costly treatments as a result of injury due to lack of care. We have failed to keep up with the survival rate of our patient population. Years ago the patient that is now on the medical/surgical floor was in the ICU and those that are now in the ICU were dead. With that said our current for profit system has failed to acknowledge that these patients now require more than they used to and that requires more nurses and fewer patients assigned to each nurse to maximize outcome.

The next issue is the freedom for nurses and other health care providers to report abuse and problems in our system without the threat of termination or reprisal from their employer. Nurses are not allowed to speak freely about the issues that face health care and I have experience the repercussions of speaking out for reform, first hand. Employee’s rights to organize should be strengthened by the formation of a national union for health care workers that promotes fairness in the work place that works for all.

Technology: The use of computerized records should be mandatory. Paper should almost be a thing of the past in a modern health care setting. We spend 40-50% of our time charting and documenting in redundant ways. Technology if used properly could in my opinion reduce that time in half. Physicians placing their orders directly into the patients plan of care instead of having it processed by two or three people would reduce errors in transcription that result in delayed treatment and medication errors that kill thousands of patients every year. Programs have the ability to check the medication against know allergies and to even assist nurses in their recognition of unwanted symptoms and interactions with other medications. We are not taking advantage of what’s available and people are suffering for that. These technologies are expensive but will pay for them selves over time and will decrease the likelihood of costly and potentially deadly errors.

The old timers and the alarmist who are resistant to technology should be helped to get over their fear or be left behind. My health information privacy is important to me and all measures should be taken to protect it. The ability for someone to hack into my information should not keep us from moving forward. I value my life more than I value the information about my life and it is my opinion that the health care system moving into this century out weighs the possible risk to my health information.

If just these reforms were made, I believe we would all be better off. I love my profession and my country and wish for the day that I can say as an American and a nurse that we value human life and that when it comes to the health of our citizens we believe all should be treated equally.

Good Advice

2008-06-27T07:16:00.002-05:00

This article gives the new grads a great piece of advice. I agree and see the theme of this advice as respect your self, demand respect from others and be proud of what you do.

May 18, 2008
Advice to future nurses: ask questions, be proud
By Kim McAllister
It's that time of year when nursing and medical students shed their label (and protection) of student and head out to the workforce with their new licenses. Over at Emergiblog, veteran emergency room nurse Kim McAllister shared advice with new nursing graduates.
Here are her words of wisdom.
To the new nursing classes of 2008:
Your first year will be the most difficult as you acclimate to your new role as a professional nurse. Hang in there! Keep your focus on why you went into nursing to begin with.
Keep your eyes and ears open. Watch the nurses around you. You will be surrounded by role models. Take the best of what you see and incorporate it into your own practice. It may be hard to believe, but by the time the next class enters the profession YOU will be the role model they look up to.
Ask questions. Ask a lot of them. Keep asking “why?” This will keep you learning every day. I still do it after 30 years. Don’t take symptoms or lab values or behavior at face value. Find out why.
Don’t let yourself get cynical or burnt out. Don’t work so much that you are exhausted on your days off. Work what you need to work to get by - keep overtime to a minimum. Yes, the money is nice but so is your mental health. Nursing is hard, demanding work. You need your downtime to recharge.
Speaking of cynical or burnt out, you will work with nurses who suffer from both. Don’t let their attitude bring you down. (And I hereby apologize to all those nurses who had to work with me when I was suffering from both those maladies). You will feel the same on occasion, but keep in mind that “this, too, shall pass”. It does.
You are professional nurses! Don’t let anyone treat you like a housemaid, a slave, an underling, or anything other than the educated, professional people that you are. Don’t accept the status quo. Don’t accept that things “have always been done this way.” Don’t accept stupid water bottles with hospital logos on them.
Please, please remember that you practice nursing and not medicine. The professions are complimentary, not identical. Should a patient refer to you as “Doctor”, let them know you are a registered nurse. Act like the consummate professional, and you will find that the doctors will treat you accordingly. Those who don’t have a problem. You do not.
Tell everyone what you do! Promote the profession! Encourage young people to consider nursing. Explain the difference between nursing and medicine to those who are confused.
And finally, there will be days when you leave work exhausted, emotionally drained and aching from head to toe, wondering “What the hell was I thinking?”
On those days remember that you made a difference in someone’s life.
Because you are a nurse.
Congratulations to the Nursing Class of 2008! I’m proud to call you colleague.
May 18, 2008 in Nursing

2008-06-27T06:43:00.002-05:00

Benign Neglect and the Nursing Shortage - Brian Klepper

I sit on the Dean's Advisory Councils of the Colleges of Health at two public universities in Florida. Both Colleges are led by extremely capable PhD nurses, and have a variety of programs that train students to be health professionals, including nurses.
A few months ago, I was startled when one of the Deans mentioned that her Nursing program had 500 qualified applicants for 132 student slots. In other words, at a time when the market wants her to gear up, she turns away 3 qualified applicants for each one she accepts. As it turns out, it's a national problem. In 2006, Colleges of Nursing turned away 43,000 qualified applicants.
It's not news that health care institutions face a critical nursing shortage. An April 2006 AHA report estimated that American hospitals currently need 118,000 RNs to fill vacancies. That number is expected to triple by 2020, to 340,000 vacancies.
What is less clear to most of us is exactly why the shortage exists. Most of the facts in this piece were drawn from an excellent presentation by Geraldine Polly Bednash, PhD RN. Dr. Bednash is the Executive Director of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). AACN's site has a wealth of data on the problem, and the distinguished members of that association draw a VERY compelling picture of benign neglect of the training process by the sector it serves.

To read the full article click on this link. http://www.thehealthcareblog.com/the_health_care_blog/2007/08/why-do-we-have-.html

The comment below is posted by Nurse Advocate

Pay attention to the comments made at the bottom of the article. There are many good ideas posted there.

I believe that if all hospitals in a state or a group of states would work towards subsidizing the pay differential for nursing professors with the idea that a partnership would be formed between the universities and colleges the shortage could be solved or at very least improved. This however will require a commitment of money and it is my opinion that most hospitals are not interested in redesigning their staffing matrix to fit the higher acuity of our current patient type because it will decrease the all mighty profit margin associated with each patient or unit of service.

Think about it; If you increase the number of nurses you employ and reduce the ratios because you now have an adequate pool of nurses for the higher acuity patients, your profits fall!!
This is not in the best interest of the current for profit system of health care in America. We must mandate ratios according to acuity or a flat nurse to patient ratio plan. I believe that most bedside nurses and the unit level nurse managers want and do give the best care they can but they are not in control of the purse strings and those at the top owe their loyalty to the stockholders and the profit GOD. Don't be fooled into believing that greed and general business practices are not the dominating force of health care as it is in any other for profit industry.

National Nurse Campaign

2008-06-22T10:34:00.001-05:00

This is a valuable idea worth consideration.

Lets Talk About Your Right To Talk.

2008-06-22T09:06:00.001-05:00

This post is a plea to all who read it to consider the state of health care and our society at this time in our history and ask how we got here. Even if you believe that all is good and there is no need for reform, you should never stop exploring new ideas.

It is my opinion that the climate in our corporate culture has been very harsh to those that voice opposition to their position on a subject. Even if we disagree on the solutions to staffing issues, how continuing education for nurses should be handled, unions and the right to organize, floating, pay and benefits, overtime, and the way out of the nursing shortage aren't we better off by communicating on these issues than by creating an environment that fosters silence. When as Americans did we give up our rights to free speech and allow our employer to dictate what we think, who we speak to and ultimately what we believe.

This culture of suppression is an epidemic in health care across the nation and if things are to be improved it needs to be changed. We can never get to reform and solutions if nurses as the frontline providers of acute care services are denied their rights to advocate for needed reform. We are in the trenches every day and see first hand the failings of our current system and approach to the problems I identified in the first paragraph. What are the administrators afraid of? Give the public the respect to figure out the truth of the situation based on a free exchange of ideas and assessments from both sides of the issues.I believe that when you support a free exchange of ideas, even those that are different to your own, you promote positive change and empower people to work towards the betterment of our profession and we all win.

When you suppress information and discussion that is not in agreement with your own you create a breeding ground for discontent, frustration and ultimately we all lose. This method is not democratic is not fair and denies Americans of the basics of civil liberties as established by our Constitution. I believe our founding fathers recognized that if one side is able to dominate the discussion and the voice of dissent is silenced then we all suffer and that true progress is the victim.Please stand up and voice your concerns and opinions to your administrators, congressman, senators and the public as they have a right to know there is a problem. I am not alone in recognizing that there are many areas of health care that are broken. You have a responsibility to voice your concerns. Those that attempt to keep you silent will only be stopped when enough of us say enough.

2008-06-20T08:18:00.001-05:00

SUPERVISORS IN NAME ONLY
The Oakwood Decision and Labor Rights
Lewis Maltby
Linda Bennett never realized she was a manager. As a nurse in Oakwood Heritage Hospital in Taylor, Michigan, she had no ability to hire, fire, promote, or discipline other nurses. But because she was a “charge nurse”, who divided up the work that needed to be done on her shift, the National Labor Relations Board recently held that she was a “supervisor” and did not have the right to join the nurses’ union at her facility. She cannot negotiate collectively with other nurses over her pay and benefits, but must accept whatever management offers or quit. She won’t be protected from arbitrary termination; management can fire her at any time on a whim.
Bennett isn’t alone. Millions of other rank and file workers lost the right to join unions on October 3 when the National Labor Relations Board issued three decisions that classified them as supervisors. These decisions hold that any employee who is responsible for the work of another employee is a supervisor, and not protected by the National Relations Act, unless the work is completely routine. By this definition, every teacher with an aide, carpenter or welder with an apprentice, and executive secretary with an assistant in America is a supervisor. The Economic Policy Institute estimates that up to eight million Americans will lose the right to join a union under these decisions.
The Oakwood decision comes on the heels of other Board rulings that are divorced from reality. In a case involving Brown University, the Board held that graduate students who are paid for teaching college courses are not employees of the university. In other cases, it held that disabled workers who receive counseling as part of their compensation and models at art schools are not employees.
This isn’t fair and is not what Congress intended when it passed the National Labor Relations Act. As the Supreme Count stated in the Bell Aerospace case, Congress intended to distinguish between “real supervisors who have genuine management prerogatives” who are considered part of management and “minor supervisors” who are still workers themselves and are to be covered by the Act. The current National Relations Board, led by a majority of Bush Administration appointees, has forgotten this important mandate.
These rulings couldn’t have come at a worse time. Americans have watched their take home pay (adjusted for inflation) shrink for over a decade, despite soaring productivity and record corporate profits. Employers are also cutting back on medical benefits and eliminating pension plans. Employees with unions, while not immune to these problems, do far better. The average union member makes 20% more than employees with comparable jobs that don’t belong to a union. Union members are also far more likely to have employer-paid medical care and retirement plans. Taking away the right to organize denies workers their best opportunity to maintain a decent standard of living.
The Board needs to rethink its rulings in light of the Act’s fundamental objectives. If it can’t, or won’t, Congress needs to amend the National Labor Relations Act to correct these mistakes. At a time when real wages are declining and job security is becoming a thing of the past, the last thing the country needs are misguided rulings that deny employees the right to join a union.

Depressed

2008-06-13T21:50:00.004-05:00

There was a great presentation on the Bill Moyer Journal tonight that examined the demise of the middle class and the obscene growth of the wealthy. I have posted the link to his blog that in a day or two will feature the entire video as presented tonight. http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/index-flash.html

I titled the post depressed because the subject matter is down right depressing. When you think that so many hard working Americans will never reach the American dream and so many others will have it snatched out from under them due to the rising cost and inequalities of health care and the economy in general and the stagnation of wages.

Our government, our corporations and our leaders are letting us all down. We need to take control back. Please vote your conscious this election year. Get involved!!!

The Health Care Crisis, Part I

2008-06-03T10:37:00.001-05:00

This video presentation by The Pinky Show does an excellant job of presenting the facts about our managed care system and the need for reform. Please view this video and forward it on to your friends and fellow nurses. I will post the second part when it becomes available. I will also post a link to the pinky show web site on our links to the right of this post.

MSN Story on how to fix health care.

2008-06-02T07:38:00.003-05:00

Take a look at this story and videos by MSN on health care. The proposals made are moderate and would go a long way to improving our current health care system. Here is the link http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/HomeMortgageSavings/HowToFixHealthCare.aspx