[forrester]

Originally Posted by Julia RN

The UAN has been caring about staffing ratios (and more) since its inception.

At its first National Labor Assembly meeting in 2000, UAN delegates launched a year-long public awareness campaign on the nurse staffing crisis and expanded the campaign in 2001.
http://www.uannurse.org/who/resolution/2000/20.html
http://www.uannurse.org/who/resolution/2001/11.html

The legislative platform adopted at the first (2000) meeting included:
-Revision of Health Care Financing Agency (HCFA) Conditions of Participation to Include Safe Staffing Requirements
-Initiatives to Ensure Universal Health Care Coverage
-Education and Mobilization of Nurses Regarding Single Payer

In 2002, the UAN delivered testimony to the IOM on patient safety and the work environment of RNs which included staffing ratios.
http://www.uannurse.org/media/press....d=70&year=2002

From UAN president, Cheryl Johnson's 2003 press release concerning the IOM Report:
Johnson specifically highlighted the report's emphasis on safe staffing: "We know from our own polling and research at UAN that staff nurses place a top priority on having a safe, minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratio in delivering quality care...Johnson added that a federally mandated nurse-to-patient ratio will serve to set a nationwide, minimum staffing standard to ensure patients receive adequate care.

The latest survey coincided with the re-introduction of national nurse staffing ratio legislation which is supported by the UAN (as well as other national unions and nursing organizations). The bill is H.R. 2123, Nurse Staffing Standards for Patient Safety and Quality Care Act of 2007. It currently has 48 co-sponsors. http://www.uannurse.org/legislative/bill.html

I've posted information about this legislation, and the UAN's support of it, in various threads on this forum and have also asked why CNA is not supporting this legislation, but have not received any response. Isn't CNA supposed to part of the AFL's "RNs Working Together" Industrial Coordinating Committee? Its members should know about this legislation if they are a part of that.

Elsewhere on this board, CNA has claimed to be the only organizaton, other than Massachusetts, to be working on state staffing ratio legislation. This is not true but seems to be a useful organizing tool for CNA. I'm all for organizing more nurses into unions, and applaud CNA as a leader in the staffing ratio arena. But it seems if it's not CNA's baby, it's not worth their attention here. If CNA could put aside it's own need to be number one for a legislative session or two, maybe we could see some real progress for staff nurses.

How about it?? Can we use this board to really get 'RNs working together' on national nursing issues like staffing ratios, mandatory overtime, the RESPECT act, as well as single payer??

I am not an active member of the CNA/NNOC, though I paid the money to support them. At 85,000, they already have passed the UAN with their 50,000 members in 20 states.

The terminology used by the UAN is the same terminology used by the ANA. It is TOO VAGUE and allows nurse executives and their masters to do what they want and call it safe staffing.

Geez, how many years of nursing surveys do they need before they get it??? I know I've done at least 20

We need to get specific with these laws and stop giving them the wriggle room to continue this abuse.

[Julia RN]

H.R. 2123 is nothing like the ANA bill. The only "wiggle room" is to provide more nurses than specified in the minimum ratios.

The UAN supported bill would require hospitals to implement staffing plans that meet specified ratios for direct care registered nurse-to-patient staffing levels for each unit and other requirements, including for receiving input from nurses.

Minimum direct care registered nurse-to-patient ratios: A hospital would be required during each shift, except during a declared emergency, to assign a direct care registered nurse to no more than the following number of patients in designated units:

• 1 patient in an operating room and trauma emergency operating room and trauma emergency unit
• 2 patients in all critical care units, intensive care, labor and delivery and postanesthesia units
• 3 patients in antepartum, emergency, pediatrics, step-down and telemetry units
• 4 patients in intermediate care nursery, medical/surgical and acute care psychiatric care units
• 5 patients in rehabilitation units
• 6 patients in postpartum (3 couplets) and well baby nursery units

Two years after passage-and four years for rural hospitals-hospitals would be expected to develop and implement nurse staffing plans that meet newly-established minimum direct care registered nurse-to-patient ratios, adjust staffing levels based on acuity of patients and other factors, and ensure quality care and patient safety.

In addition the bill provides for:
- PROTECTION OF NURSES AND OTHER INDIVIDUALS.
(a) Refusal of Assignment- A nurse may refuse to accept an assignment as a nurse in a hospital if--
(1) the assignment would violate section 3001 or 3003; or
(2) the nurse is not prepared by education, training, or experience to fulfill the assignment without compromising the safety of any patient or jeopardizing the license of the nurse.

Retaliation for refusal of assignment or reporting institutions for non-compliance is barred.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill...bill=h110-2123

BTW- CNA includes members it does not actually represent for collective bargaining in its numbers- the UAN does not. CNA has only surpassed UAN in membership as a result of the very recent disaffiliation of several state nurses associations. All but one of the states that disaffiliated did not support minimum staffing ratio legislation and went for the hospital asscociation sponsored type of bill.

[forrester]

BTW- CNA includes members it does not actually represent for collective bargaining in its numbers- the UAN does not."

I am not opposed to the UAN. I support ANY effort on the part of nurses to coordinate political pressure and make sure their work environments are safe..for patients and for nurses.

I do believe that unionization, per se, is a slug fest and requires way too much energy and effort.
Why fight 3000 battles when you can fight one war???

We need this legislation on the Federal level, and if we can't do that, we need to be implementing it on the state level.

The UAN is doing great things for the nurses it represents, I'm sure. But it has not captured the imagination of nursing.

And for the record, the attitudes of unionized nurses in general, and particularly those from the UAN who attended the ANA convention in 2000, turns a lot of people off.

I understand the appeal of unions. But the "leftest" lingo and socialist "attitudes" of some is disconcerting to many.

Seems to me an intellectual discussion is preferable.

We need some independent research by neutral parties to assess the attitudes and working conditions of nurses (unionized and non-unionized). Unfortunately, most academic institutions are just as afraid of discussing unions as the working nurses are. AONE has tremendous influence, as warped as it is, on both academics and administrators.

Where have all the free thinking nurses gone?

Where is nursing's "critical reflection"?????