Nurses Activism
Published Mar 20, 2008
Just a reminder that you can submit the following letter on safe staffing to the ANA, who will then send it to your Congress people. It's really easy - you can even modify the letter if you like.
http://www.safestaffingsaveslives.org/default.aspx
This is an important issue, and affects all of us.
Although many nurses know that understaffing is fueling the nursing shortage and causing nurses to leave the field, our legislators also need to know.
BrokenRNheart
367 Posts
bump....going to make a stickey of this thread for future reference. :)
Thanks Tweety
Hokie
8 Posts
Thanks for the link. Completed the survey and sent the letter.
RN Power Ohio
285 Posts
Many of us also believe this bill if enacted would be dangerous for nurses. Staffing plan legislation has been enacted in several states and proposed in many others.
There is too little accountability. No guaranteed voice for nurses, no democratic process for electing nurses to committee.
I believe this bill is harmfully misleading as do many, many RN's across the country.
We need to stand up against false reform and DEMAND true reforms. It may take a little longer but will be worth it!
marie-francoise
286 Posts
Many of us also believe this bill if enacted would be dangerous for nurses. Staffing plan legislation has been enacted in several states and proposed in many others. There is too little accountability. No guaranteed voice for nurses, no democratic process for electing nurses to committee. I believe this bill is harmfully misleading as do many, many RN's across the country. We need to stand up against false reform and DEMAND true reforms. It may take a little longer but will be worth it!
As I stated in a previous post:
This represents an important first step because:
1) It's the ANA
2) It's going to Congress
3) It acknowledges one of the greatest problems facing nurses today
4) If unit-determined ratios don't work, then we can point to this as a precedent and move on to more federally-mandated ratios across settings.
It's a "lesser of the evils" approach.
More importantly, at least it will increase awareness of the problem of nursing understaffing among Congress members.
The ANA is supposed to be the nation's leading nursing organization, so shouldn't we at least try to use such a pre-existing, well-known, well-resourced body to advocate for nurses?
P.S. If nurses don't agree with this approach, they can lobby Congress about federally mandated ratios (my preference).
I suppose I see your point. I don't like putting time money and energy into half-measures.
There may be national legislation for ratio's soon- I hope. Maybe rather than use the pre-printed letter nurses could craft one that states there is REALLY a need for mandated ratio's and encourage them to support that when they are approached.
ANA actually only has 165,000 members though they claim to represent 2.9 million nurses. I do not think that nurses should continue to allow them to claim that they represent the interest of all nurses let alone direct care nurses.
The largest organization of direct care nurses is the CNA/NNOC.
Perhaps that will count for something when writing the letters asking congress to support mandated minimum ratios!
NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN
10 Articles; 18,358 Posts
For past 25 years I've contacted my legislators on various forms of healthcare legislation to help get laws passed or stopped at both state and federal level along with periodic trips to Harrisburg (state capital) and twice to Washington. My House Rep called me yesterday at the office to update me on Pa's MCAT legislation...so my emails, personal office visits working!
What I've learned over the years is initial legislation needs to appeal to the broadest constituency possible in order for Senators and Representatives to even consider passage. The hospital healthcare lobby sees this as a cost move. We see it as PATIENT ADVOCACY: ensuring adequate staffing to prevent patient death from being stretched too thin...after all the "eyes in the back of our head" aka sixth sense only goes so far around doorways.
Points marie-francoise made will get the legislation on the books. If/when proven ineffective, can then proceed to introduce ratios.
I suppose I see your point. I don't like putting time money and energy into half-measures. There may be national legislation for ratio's soon- I hope. Maybe rather than use the pre-printed letter nurses could craft one that states there is REALLY a need for mandated ratio's and encourage them to support that when they are approached. ANA actually only has 165,000 members though they claim to represent 2.9 million nurses. I do not think that nurses should continue to allow them to claim that they represent the interest of all nurses let alone direct care nurses. The largest organization of direct care nurses is the CNA/NNOC. Perhaps that will count for something when writing the letters asking congress to support mandated minimum ratios!
I understand what you are saying here and agree.
At this point, they are the only ones even addressing the topic nationally.
I have a link for a national petition that is more specific for nursing as well but you will have to PM me for the link. I don't know if it will pass here on the forum.
My concern is this...to try to get local response here wouldn't have produced the support that this already did. Also, by not doing anything we aren't going to "get" anything.
I have too much on my plate personally to try to start any kind of campaign right now to just see 20 or so nurses respond (like here). I have to get my "job" situation straightened out. I would LOVE to find the time to do something that everyone would trust and act on. But it is very disappointing to see so many nurses ignore this or refuse to try anything when we all know we need a change.
I have to take care of myself right now. I am not going to ignore this and do nothing. There are a couple of really knowledgable people responding to this and I am hoping to work with them this year for "nurses." Then, I hope there will be more response here and the word passed on. For now, ANA is all we have. Addressing the ratio is important - period. Just having it presented to the politicians is a start especially now considering what California did.
As nurses we need to follow this and speak up.
take a look at robert wood johnson foundation: "facts and controversies about nurse staffing policy"
thank you. i also wonder if some hospitals advertise nursing jobs with no real intention to fill them.
such practice would make them seem as though they were "trying" to staff adequately, but save them the financial "inconvenience" of actually having to hire and pay people...
i don't know if this is a reality; but i've heard mention of it, and the possibility is disturbing enough.
UM Review RN, ASN, RN
1 Article; 5,163 Posts
Thank you. I also wonder if some hospitals advertise nursing jobs with no real intention to fill them. Such practice would make them seem as though they were "trying" to staff adequately, but save them the financial "inconvenience" of actually having to hire and pay people...I don't know if this is a reality; but I've heard mention of it, and the possibility is disturbing enough.
Such practice would make them seem as though they were "trying" to staff adequately, but save them the financial "inconvenience" of actually having to hire and pay people...
I don't know if this is a reality; but I've heard mention of it, and the possibility is disturbing enough.
I believe it is a reality, since wage-fixing has also been noted.
You might have to register to get in here, but it's free:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/21/us/21nurses.html?ex=1308542400&en=2d7c44189f240872&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
And an excerpt:
Mr. Small said his firm had conducted an investigation in which human resources officials, recruiters and others provided evidence of a wage-fixing conspiracy. He said human resources officials at hospitals in different cities had talked with each other by phone or at industry meetings to share salary information and to agree not to raise salaries to steal nurses from each other.
Nurseslight
15 Posts
beware of half-measures and phony proposals
having[color=#333333] no minimum numerical ratios allows management “supreme flexibility”.
[color=#333333]this bill is weak
[color=#333333]the offensive practice of averaging the number of patients is not prohibited. (example: the icu ratio is 1:2; when a patient is classified as a 1:1 a second direct care rn can be assigned 3 icu patient because 1+3=4. four patients divided by two rns is two; therefore the hospital is in compliance.
[color=#333333]* nurse administrators and other management personnel are included in the ratios.
[color=#333333]*nurse administrators and other management personnel are allowed to relieve for breaks.
[color=#333333]* there are no definitions of hospital units
[color=#333333]* no national uniform standards
[color=#333333]* total silence on the direct care rn duty and right to advocate in the exclusive interest of her/his patient and rn use of independent professional judgment without fear of retaliation.
[color=#333333]* silent on addressing the nlrb kentucky river decision making direct care rns supervisors.
[color=#333333]* silent on the rn professional duty and right to act as patient advocate and that collective advocacy and free speech are protected activities.
[color=#333333]* no prohibition on the use of technology that overrides rn judgment.
[color=#333333]* no requirement of current demonstrated competency.
[color=#333333]hold on to your stethescopes, nnoc will soon introduce a national bill that speaks to direct care nurses and protects patients. coming soon...
the united states nursing shortage reform and patient advocacy act
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE ONE THING CLEAR,
ANA does not represent direct care RNs, never has and never will. They sold us out a long time ago. They are beholden to the hospital industry, always have been. They need to stop claiming they represent >2 million RNs, they represent the nurse executives, administraors, etc.
This is why I joined with the CNA/NNOC. A Real national professional organization that truely represents the interest of direct care nurses.
