[Julia RN]

Glad to see this thread is still active- agree with the advice that we must keep the pressure on our reps to do what must be done.
Safe staffing will save lives and healthcare $$ as well by improving quality and delivery of effective care.
However, I advocate for different legislation than that proposed by ANA. I choose to support HR 2123- for REAL safe staffing.
You can read about it on the American Association of Critical Care Nurses legislative action center and send a letter of support from here:
http://www.aacn.org/WD/Practice/Cont...ce#LEGISLATIVE

I feel ANA does not go far enough (actually, not very far at all) to provide real strategies that staff nurses can use to face the challenges of their practice as it is today. As I read the experiences of nurses in this thread, their need for support is overwhelming.

For what it's worth, ANA is asking for public comment on a position paper:
Patient Safety: The Rights of Registered Nurses When Considering a Patient Assignment. This will replace a previous position paper which was called: The Right to Accept or Reject an Assignment. (the title change is notable in and of itself IMO)
Let them know they need to do better by us as well- maybe someone over there will see the light!
http://www.nursingworld.org/Homepage...entSafety.aspx

I'm attaching the document that they are revising so you can compare them

[BrokenRNheart]

Originally Posted by forrester

Once again the ANA is leading a charge....unarmed.
Safe staffing is an illusion. Set ratios are the way to go.

The problem is that there are too many organizations fighting for their own cause. Each of them have the same goal - safe staffing or set ratios. One of the reasons that we can't get any where is because there are too many "little" groups trying to do something and each of them has something different that others don't agree with.

Now, if we could get all the "little" groups together as one big group just to address how unsafe it is, we might be heard.

When I posted this, it was just to fire up the topic. Many of you do not agree with ANA. Many of you have posted your own links. We all want the same thing. I hope that everyone fired up about this topic will consider signing all the petitions to just get ourselves heard. We can actually create a bunch of much larger groups fighting for this cause if we would all consider taking a few minutes a week to sign each and every petition that has anything to do with it. All these little separated groups are just not being heard.

Just a thought. I take this very seriously.

[BrokenRNheart]

Originally Posted by advocateforsafety

You are correct. We can no longer ask and expect for the administrations of our hospitals to do what is right. That is where the ANA falls short they leave the oversight and managment of the "safe staffing" plan to be administered by the hospital. When something says nurse run you and I both know who will pick those nurses and who will really have the decision making authority. Managment will always be the puppet master unless the law says otherwise and sets stiff penalties and oversight. They will as they always do, manipulate and break the rules to fit their agenda, PROFIT. We need to remove that from their control and legislate mandatory ratios.

I am sorry if they will be forced to send patients accross town so that they can recieve the care they need and deserve. This is the only way you will ever get them to address the nursing shortage and the conditions that are running nurses away from acute care. It is time that they and for that matter nurses realize that we can't keep plugging the holes and that if we don't fix the problem the ship will sink!

I believe that the only real solution is fixed legislated ratios like those in California or those in Victoria, Australia. Do some research of your own and you will find that hospitals in these areas are still making profit and have not closed their doors. It can and should be done.

Sometimes "nurse run" doesn't get it either. Get the wrong nurses to "run" and you are just as screwed. I happen to know of a place with a nurse retention committe that has only two nurses on it. They are limited as to what they can even ask for. Anything that would actually allow nurse retention is not allowed. It is a big joke!

Has anyone actually seen any difference with nurse retention committees?

[BrokenRNheart]

I don't have time to go through and read or thank any of the posts right now. I will get back to this.

For now, I thought you all might find this interesting. I will look for the link and add it later.

Recently, JCAHO has finally decided to address lateral violence in the workplace. All nurses here know one of their most recent games involving pain assessments. Now think.....if they can step in and enforce steps to control the lateral violence (which we all know is a joke) and how often we chart to pain, why can't they enforce safe staffing ratios. The truth is that JCAHO can and won't. I think they should be our target for addressing this problem. We should all consider contacting them over and over again and demand to know why they won't and refuse to take any of their silly excuses. They can and they should. Forget the politicians. Our government and economy is so screwed up right now that safe patient ratios are the least of our countries concern. JCAHO is on such an ego trip with accreditting hospitals, make them work for their money. If nurses and people start attacking them for not stepping in, maybe.......just maybe they will. They are the ones that should be addressing this issue. What good are they? They stand over hospitals putting administrators in fear but they don't do the most important thing necessary - address WHAT WILL REALLY PROVIDE GOOD PATIENT CARE! We don't need to be given more work by them. We need more nurses and less patients. If part of being accredited included safe patient ratios, hospitals would have no choice! Doesn't safe ratios mean more appropriate pain control and less stress and less lateral violence?

[BrokenRNheart]

About lateral violence

http://www.jointcommission.org/NewsR...r_07_09_08.htm

However, I don't see this making any changes. As with anything else, what will happen to the employee that tries to enforce this........unemployment?

[advocateforsafety]

Originally Posted by BrokenRNheart

About lateral violence

http://www.jointcommission.org/NewsR...r_07_09_08.htm

However, I don't see this making any changes. As with anything else, what will happen to the employee that tries to enforce this........unemployment?

Thanks BrokenRNheart for the link to this failed position that JC has made. I have taken your advice and have emailed them to let them know my opinion on the matter and have attached it to this post. I hope that others will follow your advice and read the entire JC statement and write them with their opinion on the matter. Its time they begin working for the patients and their rights to a safe hospital stay.


Below is a paragraph of the statement made by JC related to disruptive behavior in the work place. Their full statement can be read at the link you have provided above.
"Health care leaders and caregivers have known for years that intimidating and disruptive behaviors are a serious problem. Verbal outbursts, condescending attitudes, refusing to take part in assigned duties and physical threats all create breakdowns in the teamwork, communication and collaboration necessary to deliver patient care. The Institute for Safe Medication Practices found that 40 percent of clinicians have kept quiet or remained passive during patient care events rather than question a known intimidator. To help put an end to once-accepted behaviors that put patients at risk, The Joint Commission Sentinel Event Alert urges health care organizations to take action".

This is my response:

I am a registered nurse and take my responsibility to advocate for my patient and their safety very seriously. I am a professional at all times but I take offense to your statements that somehow refusing an assigned duty is disruptive to patient care. You need to qualify this statement. You also need to be very careful how you phrase your statements as the administrations of many if not most hospitals would use these statements to further label the employees who are valiantly fighting for their patients right to safe care as trouble makers. I have refused duties that I knew would take away time from my patients, I have refused assignments that I considered to be unsafe and I believe that your responsibility should be to form regulations and opinions that help reduce the stress that is leading to these violent outburst instead of strengthening the hospitals ability to get rid of any nurse who stands in the way to increased profits.

We are at a breaking point in the profession of nursing and need relief not blame. The stress level is higher now than at any time in my career. Nurses are physically and mentally exhausted and many of these outburst are just a symptom of that disease. I do not deny the fact that like all industries and professions there are some people who just can't get along but in this case you are ignoring the disease and treating only the symptom and if that is the course that you and our government chooses then this patient will die.

I hope you will reconsider your statements and create rules that strengthen the nurses right to advocate for their patients without intimidation from hospital administrations. You are supposed to be working for the patient and the staff to create a safe environment not just a quite one

[irienurse]

thanks, for starting this post. none of the nurses on the unit knew about this-they do now:yeah