Be Counted! Make safe RN:PT Ratios NOW!

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Please forword to anyone you think will listen. Like a chain letter sort of. Somebody has to help the nurses before you all come to an American hospital to die. Cant make it any clearer.

I am writing this because I watched my co-worker cry yesterday, and it broke not just my heart but my soul! If there are not enough RN's to work in hospitals, why are hospitals not hiring more nurse assistants? They could be trained and certified to take blood sugars, blood pressures, and dressing changes. At one time only doctors could take blood pressures and start IV's. Ask a RN how many doctors do that now! Go on ask. There must be a change. Nurses can't be expected to care for ICU patients for 16 hours straight for multiple days in a row. We should have federal ratios based on patient acuity. In an ICU setting 1RN to 2PT MAX! If the hospital doesn't have the staff, then they must send the patient elsewhere or close there ER. In my area there are three major hospitals within 30 - 40 minutes. less if LifeFlight is activated. The bottom line is that hospitals are using the excuse of a nursing shortage as a reason not to hire any staff at all. In my ICU unit we work without a secretary and without a nurse assistant with a ratio of 1RN:3PT on a regular basis. Even the 'charge nurse' has an assignment. How many people must be hurt...nurses and patients combined before anyone notices or even cares? Is it 2million, 3million, maybe it's just 1? Is that 1 person going to be your loved 1? Instead of demanding a pretty room with fluffy pilllows and big screen TV to have a baby in, why not demand better staffing ratios. I can pretty much say that the TV won't notice a dropping blood pressure.

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Unfortunately, this bill has been "hanging around the house" & probably will for another couple of years before something is passed. Time to get on your legislatures, senators & congressmen.

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(4h0lqw45t1q2zi55tej1k52o))/mileg.aspx?page=GetObject&objectname=2007-HB-4340&queryid=21172390

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