[BrokenRNheart]

What is RN Staffing Like
Where You Work?

As part of the newly launched safe staffing campaign, UAN is collecting feedback from staff nurses on what staffing levels are like in their facilities. We’ll share the responses with the public, elected leaders, the media and you.

Please take a minute to complete the short survey below and return it to UAN.

http://www.uannurse.org/survey/

[BrokenRNheart]

"While other public service industries—airlines, for example—are regulated by the government to ensure that there is adequate staffing for safe operations, most hospitals aren’t subject to any minimum nurse staffing laws or regulatory standards.
But nurses are making their voices heard in the halls of Congress and in statehouses across the country to make minimum nurse-patient ratios the law of the land—and conditions are slowly changing as awareness grows."

[bollweevil]

You will probably get more responses if people can reply anonymously.

[BrokenRNheart]

Originally Posted by bollweevil

You will probably get more responses if people can reply anonymously.

This is not mine. I will come up with one that is anonymous. Give me time. That's how they shut us up. Make us afraid to speak up.

I found this and decided to post it for anyone interested. I'm afraid that there will be too little action because too many of us feel hopeless. So, I will continue to try to find the easy steps.

[oramar]

I can't respond. I am no longer employed at bedside. Wish you would have asked me a year ago.

[ranaazha]

Originally Posted by BrokenRNheart

"While other public service industries—airlines, for example—are regulated by the government to ensure that there is adequate staffing for safe operations, most hospitals aren’t subject to any minimum nurse staffing laws or regulatory standards.
But nurses are making their voices heard in the halls of Congress and in statehouses across the country to make minimum nurse-patient ratios the law of the land—and conditions are slowly changing as awareness grows."

My dad's a commercial airline pilot and reminds me of this frequently when we discuss our respective careers. They also have a MAXIMUM number of hours they can fly per month! This even includes time they spend waiting in the aircraft, doing nothing!

It's great that there are regulations to prevent the loss of 100-200+ lives once in a blue moon, but sad that very little is done when the loss of lives is scattered - as in healthcare.

[grace90]

When will administrators stop worshipping the almighty dollar and when will nurse managers stop reveling in the ability to throw their own around?

[forrester]

Curious that the UAN is just now getting around to caring about staffing ratios. Or is this a yearly survey?

Wonder what prompted this global concern?

[Julia RN]

Originally Posted by bollweevil

You will probably get more responses if people can reply anonymously.

You can reply annonymously by using the pdf link on the survey page. Just print it and mail or fax it to the UAN. Your zipcode is the only personal information that is requested on the form.

[Julia RN]

Originally Posted by forrester

Curious that the UAN is just now getting around to caring about staffing ratios. Or is this a yearly survey?

Wonder what prompted this global concern?

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??