Wisconsin has gutted Medicaid, no mandated ratios!

Nurses Activism

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  • by EponaRN
    Specializes in Psychiatric.

You are reading page 3 of Wisconsin has gutted Medicaid, no mandated ratios!

tewdles, RN

3,156 Posts

Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.

I love it when we balance budgets on the health and backs of the low and middle class tax payors...being very careful not to over burden our wealthy residents or businesses.

EponaRN

32 Posts

Specializes in Psychiatric.
Read this article for a reasoned argument and a viable approach to the problems under discussion here. Unfortunately, the suggestions in this article make far too much sense to be seriously considered. Liberals won't like this approach because it's not single payer and it makes individuals largely responsible for much of their health care. Conservatives won't like it because there is a government component and it will dramatically reduce insurance company profits.

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2009/09/how-american-health-care-killed-my-father/7617/

This is not an idea I've heard of yet and if you could ensure that hospitals and pharmaceutical companies were honest in their pricing, then I'd be for it. I am a small business Capitalist, as it may be a surprise to those that have probably pegged me a flaming Liberal. I believe in competition and it's effect to drive down price and increase quality. The only thing more effective than your vote at the ballot is your wallet.

EponaRN

32 Posts

Specializes in Psychiatric.
As for corps not paying enough taxes... You could do something in the nature of Texas where there is no state income tax. There is only a sales tax. As for mandated staffing ratios, as one poster stated, only one state has those ratios. I have worked at alot of different facilities, and my current facility asks us to do care on 6-8 patients a nurse. In exchange they offer RRTs for ekgs and breathing treatments, CNAs for VS and help with patient care, Lab techs to draw blood, and other ancillary services. I like that. Some hospitals in california to save costs cut out all of those and had RNs do primary care on 6 patients. According to economics it will all work out. For example if you ask nurses to practice unsafely at too high ratios, nurses will quit, and you will have to hire agency and try to keep them. Eventually the cost of nursing help will be too high for you to afford it and you will either close or get better staffing.:coollook:

I'm for a national and higher sales taxes, or consumption taxes, as it would be since those who are in the top 1% don't receive an income they don't pay taxes on their wealth (which is why Dems want estate tax), they are called a leisure class for a reason, they don't work. They may pay taxes on investments but usually are able to easily offset this with loopholes. But that aside, if we farm out nursing to ancillary staff what will be left of nursing in 15-20 years? Not saying it's a bad idea just wondering what you feel the role of a nurse will be at that juncture.

EponaRN

32 Posts

Specializes in Psychiatric.
FYI, your topic came up under general discussion, which is where I saw it. Again, I feel if you are worried about ratios, fight for state legislation

Really because my url even says nursing-patient-issues?

Obviously that is a fight I will gladly take on, however I am wanting to discuss the potential harm that can happen to nurses and patients alike if reduced funding, which will reduce nursing staff (biggest cost to hospital systems it is an obvious move), and the same amount of patients will be in the hospitals with the same needs or worse because they only come to ER during catastrophe instead of when things are easily treatable. This is a new problem that will most assuredly spread across the United States as debts are reduced, as they should be I'm not questioning that. But if you do too much too soon, you will completely turn over the apple cart.

Specializes in Hospice.

As a Wi nurse im confused where are you getting 12:1 ratios. My facility jumps into EVERY political fight when it effects them and i have yet to see and email with their position, although i also don't think they want to put the idea of a union in our head ;) Just like my acute care facility is making hard changes to remain financially viable so is our state. its makes for some hard days (and were not getting raises this year) but were well on our way to being sustainable. Our state needs to get there to. I am personally effected by this bill because i have a significantly disabled loved one that will most likely loose services and I have lots of teachers in my family. I get the anger and the hurt and i really don't like the manner in which this has been done but im open to giving it a chance.

79Tango

689 Posts

So what is the perfect "Safe" patient ratio?? Doesnt that answer change in every department? 1:1 in ICU & OB...6:1 in MedSurg..100:1 in the clinic or LTC. It would also depend on the skill sets of the RNs working. Some can do 10:1 standing on there head. Others cannot chew gum and walk at the same time.

EponaRN

32 Posts

Specializes in Psychiatric.

My reason for concern is the mismanagement of the Milwaukee County Mental Health Complex under Scott Walker that went seriously understaffed, CNAs were cut leaving RNs to have to pick up extra shifts and overtime. This got so bad one patient in particular repeatedly sexually assaulted other patients and even impregnated one of them. It wasn't until after this, despite repeated requests for better conditions and a locked ward that Scott Walker seemed to comply, but his ambitions were already set on Governor so the mess is still being handled and not settled. My 12:1 ratio was pure speculation I will give you that, however a cut to the budgets of hospitals, especially in rural and the Milwaukee area that do not have private insurance as a fallback since most of their patients have Medicaid, are going to have an extremely hard time adjusting. As I said, I understand the need for cutting budgets and slimming things down but a whole host of problems can occur if you cut the wrong things by too much. Cut family planning, you have more unwanted children and a greater burden on society. Cut mental health services and you have the mentally ill in prisons. Use a scalpel not a hacksaw.

http://milwaukeecountyfirst.com/?p=854

http://www.ahrq.gov/research/nursestaffing/nursestaff.htm

Let me just set the record and say I hope it doesn't become a disaster, for the patients' sake. But there is a very real possibility that it will.

Specializes in Hospice.

Well im still open to the idea of recall .....so im going to sit back, and see what happens. We can't do ANYTHING until November (and then its just collect signatures) so i think the only thing we can do right now is remain calm and give it a chance and DOCUMENT everything. we have noticed an increase in falls and worker injuries since our staffing has changed. Something is in the works to change our staffing again but it looks like for the better so i think that sometimes things have to get a little rougher and then they readjust, I just try to give everything a real chance. they will never go back to our dreamy 1:3 , 1:4 ratios but with extra anxillary support staff it can definately workable, at least on the unit i work on .

zbb13

286 Posts

"my reason for concern is the mismanagement of the milwaukee county mental health complex under scott walker that went seriously understaffed, cnas were cut leaving rns to have to pick up extra shifts and overtime."

asking for clarification only--what does this statement have to do with walker? he was recently elected, wasn't he? why is he being blamed for a host of things when he was not in charge until recently?

Specializes in Hospice.
"my reason for concern is the mismanagement of the milwaukee county mental health complex under scott walker that went seriously understaffed, cnas were cut leaving rns to have to pick up extra shifts and overtime."

asking for clarification only--what does this statement have to do with walker? he was recently elected, wasn't he? why is he being blamed for a host of things when he was not in charge until recently?

i believe that was as his role as county executive in milwaukee.

If you tax corporations they will either leave or simply raise the price of their products and pass on the increase to the consumers, even the poor consumers. If sales drop, they cut positions to compensate. It saddens me when I hear people get angry because they are having to increasingly take financial responsibility for themselves and then see them react to that by wanting to take MORE money that THEY haven't earned from those that HAVE worked and sacrificed to earn it to subsidize a higher standard of living then they themselves produce.

This is especially true since the lower 50%ish don't even pay taxes, meaning every service they get, be it roads, healthcare, national defense, etc. is all ready completely subsidised by "the evil rich".

Now, I'm not against charity, so long as it is voluntary. I don't think all poor people have brought it on themselves. But this idea that you can pass a law and take money from a group that has more money than you just because you want something you can't or won't afford is sad. Lets face it, for the most part we are where we are in life because of the sum total of the choices we have made. Some of those choices to do things or not to do things have life long consequences and lead to a life of financial struggle. I know this because I'm one of them. I'm trying to compensate for that now by trying to educate myself and improve my situation (by becoming a nurse of all things:) but I, as a responsible individual, could and would never "legally steal" from those around me and place upon them, without their consent, the repercussions of my life choices and/or choices of in-action.

While he hasn't done it perfectly, I am completely behind Walker and his efforts to do what no one else was willing to do, reign in the out of control spending and return personal responsibility to its appropriate owners.

This being said, I do believe in VOLUNTARY charity and know that there are many that truly have legitimate need due to cirmcumstances outside of their control. I'm not heartless. Well, not mostly. I'll do all I can to help my brothers and sisters, but I'll never use the law to steal from them and I will never obligate them to do anything. We are all going to feel the tightening of the belt and we are all going to have take care of each other and help do what we should have all ready been doing, taking care of each other and ourselves rather than delegating that task to those with more money than us.

Correction: That would be about 40% that pay no federal income taxes.

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