Reply to Barton

Nurses General Nursing

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Reading through the various replies sounds like we are at my hospital in Ohio. We are also experiencing a nursing shortage that is greatly impacting patient care. I agree with you that we need to let ANA & our legislators know of this situation.

I have tried for over an hour to get on the ANA web site, but I am getting an 'overloaded' message. Hopefully, it is all the nurses out there writing to tell them of their situations. I'll try again in the AM. We do need to stick together- we could be a very powerful group with the ability to accomplish many great things.

I have to agree with barton that canrckid's news is very exciting! woo-hoo!! Yet another avenue of the media to pursue. Thank you canrckid for your vigilence and for posting that info.

So far I have just received an automated response that my messages were received and I will be receiving a written response in the near future. I hope so, but will continue to remail my messages until I do hear something. If I don't, I'll head out on a different front..perhaps television, huh? What local newscast wouldn't jump at the chance to show overworked nurses and endangered patients while administrators are rolling in the dough and not losing an ounce of sleep over the matter??? hmmmm...

barton, I've tried to access the MI Nurses Association website but haven't been able to get anything to load to up. I tried to email them also but got it back through the mail daemon as an unknown user. I'll have to look up the addy and send a letter conventionally.

Hey you guys...have you noticed the registered users on this board are growing rapidly? I'm hoping it's our legal beagles on here sniffing out the territory!! redface.gif

Thanks barton for the words of encouragment to stick this out. For me, an unanswered letter is nothing in comparison to understaffed facilities and patients not receiving the care they deserve!

Carry on my friends....

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Recently the hospital I work in has recently experienced record census for many days - weeks - months. Of course staffing has not been the best due to this high volume.

An incident happened that I think woke up administrators and supposedly now we have more positions created! I guess I'll have to believe it when I see the new nurses working, but for now it has our hopes up that someone has finally listened that more staff is needed in our unit!

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Hello BethanyJ!!!

GREAT news that you received responses, even if they're automated, they DID say they'd be followed by written replies, which is a BIG step in the right direction, huh?

I agree with you also that TV would REALLY shake things up!

Thanks for your continued efforts and posts and words of encouragement! We musn't give up!

When I e-mailed the ANA today (AGAIN), I told them that I had sent a letter to Rep. Young (FL) and I also asked them (paraphrasing here): What is the point of their association's "lofty" goals for nurses if we can't provide the most basic of care---plenty of LICENSED nurses to provide bedside care?

Yes, I have noticed the number of registered users increasing and I HOPE the right people ARE sniffing around here!

And THANK YOU for YOUR continued support, frequent posts and updates. It really helps keep me (and I bet others) going!!

jmccrn,

Thanks for the input! Keep posting and HANG in there with us, OK?

Talk to you all soon!

barton

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Barton...........

Yea! Here it is! Sending you her response. Make the best of it!

Go ahead and post my name, email, and phone. I am interested in staffing

issues involving nurses and techs, and am willing to hear from anyone who

has a specific concern. I am most interested in hearing about situations

that are ongoing, where patient care is being affected. Anyone may leave

their number and a description of their concern and I will call them back as

soon as I can.

Sylvia Johnson

ABC News 20/20

212-456-1421

[email protected]

I will email her my thanks, and let her know about this bulletin board where she can read some of the issues for herself......in case there are those of us who are too "shy" to respond. And by all means, all of you pass this info out at your places of employment (discreetly of course!), so we can give input from places other than this BB.

Canrckid

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Hi everyone,

I'm glad to see this BB expanding. Just read Canrckid's post, made a copy, and taking it to work! Just to let you know--I emailed the ANA today.

jmccrn--it almost sounds like we work for the same hospital--but we don't!

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Specializes in CCU, Geriatrics, Critical Care, Tele.

Hello All! I have been busy lately, and havent had time to participate much on my own BB wink.gif

I'm glad to see the BB really getting some good discussion rolling :-) I will highlight these discussions in the next issue of "Nurse-zine" wwnurse.com/Nurse-zine/ (19,000 subscribers). Hopefully will get more nurses involved! The more voices that speak out on these issues, the more likely that voice will be heard. I am glad to see the professionalism by all your post! Keep it positive!

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Brian Short

WORLDWIDE NURSE: The Internet's Nursing Directory

wwnurse.com/

[This message has been edited by bshort (edited March 09, 1999).]

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Barton et al............

I was perusing another Nursing BB, and came across an individual who says she works for a major TV news magazine requesting some info

on the use of assistive personnel to replace RN's at the bedside. I've emailed her explaining what our BB was trying to do and to ask if she might be interested in what we have to say about this and other issues and to ask for her permission to post her email address. I'm not sure if this is legitimate or not, so if this person does exist, I don't want to "alienate" her with unsolicited email. As soon as I have her relpy, I will post........

Waiting on "Pins and Needles".....

Canrckid

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Brian............

Good for you! "Nurse-zine", is the perfect vehicle for getting out the word to all those "stressed out" nurses that they now have another route to express their concerns over patient care/safety issues. Please post Sylvia Johnson's verbatim reply to my email, so that those who wish to respond to her, know what she is looking for.....

Canrckid

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OK! OK! OK! I'm almost too excited to type!!!

Canrckid,

ABC??!!??-------20/20??!!?? This is MAGNIFICENT!! I will e-mail her TODAY!!

As you said, SPREADING BEYOND THIS BB!!

PLEASE FOLKS--WE CAN'T STOP NOW, CAN WE?

Joellen,

If you were standing here right now, I'd KISS you! LOL!! Thanks for bringing the ABC 20/20 info to WORK!! And thank you for e-mailing the ANA.

Brian,

I think you were reading my mind today! I had planned on posting to you TODAY, to ask what you thought of our ideas and efforts.

NURSE-ZINE!!!!---------19 THOUSAND SUBSCRIBERS??!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!

With our posts on this BB, your including us in NURSE-ZINE, 20/20's interest, all of our e-mails/letters to legislators, the ANA, the AARP, the state nursing associations, and with people here spreading "the word", I believe that our optimism and chances of SUCCESS are greater than I'VE EVER SEEN!!!

And, Brian, (b.short), I hope that you will do as Canrckid asked and post Sylvia Johnson's info in the Nurse-zine! Will You?

Thank you Brian, for taking our efforts one BIG STEP FORWARD!

TO ALL OF YOU,

I CONTINUE MY PLEA--DON'T GIVE UP ON CORRESPONDENCE TO THE ANA, LEGISLATORS, ETC.

PLEASE--- DON'T let them think that we are making a BRIEF and WEAK cry for help and that eventually we will "shut up"! I believe that ONLY with CONTINUED efforts will we be taken seriously and get LOTS of LICENSED nurses back to the PATIENT'S BEDSIDE!

THANK YOU ALL!!

barton

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Hi BethanyJ!!

Great to hear from you! I'm SO glad that you continue to post. I think that updating each other frequently like this is a GREAT way to keep us ALL actively involved. We don't want ANYONE to give up, do we?

I LOVE your idea re: a new topic list re: nursing issues/concerns and how they affect patient care-------and I REALLY like your idea to forward this topic list to legislators, ANA , etc..

I'd like people to continue to write it on THIS topic list though, and here is my reason: I'm concerned that if we move any of our communications to another topic list, the people that have been invited to join/read this BB (legislators, other BB users on this site, media, etc.) might "get lost", so to speak, trying to find us.

WHAT DO YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE THINK?

I also suggest that we ALL brainstorm and form a "Mission Statement".

Perhaps something like this:

We nurses, acting in our roles as patient advocates, and finding no ONE definitive power to represent us, are prepared to perform the following acts to ensure the safe care of our patients and ourselves:

1) We will communicate with any and all parties who are charged with the responsibility of legislating and/or mandating the practices of nurses.

2) Since we believe that nursing administrators and other nurses not currently involved in direct patient care do not have first-hand knowledge of the rapid and dramatic changes in bedside nursing, we will ask our legislators to form a body of nurses, comprised ONLY of currently practicing BEDSIDE nurses.

3) We will charge this body of nurses with the solemn responsibility of formulating a patient acuity system that reflects the true nature of today's more seriously ill hospital patient. Based on this and the additional time that nurses require in using Universal Precautions, they will formulate a safer and more realistic nurse/patient ratio.

4) We will ask our legislators to support these findings as law and to impose a fine on hospitals that do not comply. We will ask them also to withdraw federal dollars, if applicable, from hospitals that repeatedly ignore this law.

Just a start..........and a thought.....my brain is tired! (Ha!)

AS I SAID EARLIER, LET'S ALL BRAINSTORM!!

PLEASE ADD TO, DELETE FROM, REWRITE---(WHATEVER) TO WHAT I'VE JUST WRITTEN, OK?

Hugs to ALL!!!

barton

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I'd have to say barton is taking her Ginkoba--her brain cells are working overtime! LOL!! In all seriousness barton, you've really outdone yourself here. I am impressed by your organization and excellent wording skills.

I think that you have a great start on the mission statement... Right now, I can't think of anything to add because my brain cells are on strike. teehee. I'll give it some thought and post again if I can think of anything to add.

I do know that I stand behind what you have written thus far. I'd love to see crucial decisions made by those who know what is going on at the bedside rather than those hidden behind closed doors.

I also have to admit that you have a good point about leaving all posts in here so they can be found easily, and I agree with that.

Talk to ya's later!

Beth

PS-- Word must be traveling....the number of registered users continues to climb daily. Woo-hoo!!! More supporters coming our way!!!!!

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Specializes in CCU, Geriatrics, Critical Care, Tele.

Hello everyone! After reading your recent post.... I have decided to create a new forum just for this topic of "nursing issues/concerns and how they affect patient care".

I have created hot links to this and other discussions in the announcement section at the top of the new forum, so new comers can follow the discussion from the beginning.

BTW, I am always open for feedback and suggestions wink.gif

Also, I have e-mailed Sylvia Johnson ABC News 20/20, and see what she thinks about posting her contact info in Nurse-zine. Only with her permission will I mention her in Nurse-zine.

PLEASE POSR ALL YOUR REPLYS TO THAT YOU HAVE ON THID THREAD TO THE FOLLOWING NEW FORUM:

http://wwnurse.com/bb/cgi/forumdisplay.cgi?action=topics&forum=Nursing+Issues/Concerns+and+how+they+affect+patient+safety+and+care.&num ber=79&DaysPrune=60&LastLogin=

I will close this thread so no new post can be posted here.

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Brian Short

WORLDWIDE NURSE: The Internet's Nursing Directory

wwnurse.com/

[This message has been edited by bshort (edited March 10, 1999).]

[This message has been edited by bshort (edited March 10, 1999).]

[This message has been edited by bshort (edited March 10, 1999).]

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