Nnoc

RN1989 · Aug 31, 2007

Reading these posts reminds me why nursing has never made large strides towards in ensuring quality patient care, safe staffing, and decent wages - we argue amongst ourselves until the real issue gets lost.

I was able to attend the first Nurses March on Washington. I've been to the state capitol for rallies. I've spoken with politicians. I've spoken with the public. Yet no one seems to know the real issues because all they see is a bunch of women (mostly, sorry for you guys out there that are still a minority in nursing) bickering about what is going on, but not making cohesive arguments and demonstrating that there are true issues in healthcare. So many love to complain but few want to come up with ideas for problem solving.

I've never belonged to a union. I have friends that are union and say that they wouldn't have it any other way. I've had friends say they would never be union again. I've been warned by a manager that anyone being seen entering a meeting hall to talk about unions would be fired on the grounds that it was not compatible with the philosophy of a Catholic hospital. There are good and bad about unions. What I do see is that unions can unite nurses in ways that no one else can. Most recently the three nurses in Mesquite showed solidarity that is so rarely seen in the South. Just prior to those nurses being fired, the hospital called a special directors meeting to discuss strategies on keeping unions out of their hospital without breaking the law because they were afraid of what would happen if those nurses succeeded in their quest for patient safety. Would those nurses have had the courage to do it without the support of the NNOC? I don't know. But is it a bad thing that they broke the silence, even with the support of the NNOC? I've seen a lot of bashing of those nurses because they left the unit understaffed and that is dangerous to patients. Yet no one had a good answer about how to work with that joke of a policy called Safe Harbor and still provide safe care for too many patients. There aren't any hard and fast answers. If a union gets some nurses to unite and make some positive changes - why don't we all let them do that? Until we are in an individuals situation, it is really hard to truly know what you would do. When are we going to stop fighting about who is better-BSN/ADN/Diploma? When are we going to stop fighting about whether it is better to be union or not? When are we going to stop fighting about money? Money does not make a pleasant working environment and safe patient care environment. Perhaps if we acted, on a whole, as if we were real professionals, our wages might reflect it at some point. Perhaps if we would quit eating our young, we might actually have quality care, fantastic working environments, better wages, and actually be happy. Don't get me wrong, I'm sick of being a nurse and right now I am definitely not pro-nursing. I'm tired of being told that I have been a nurse too long and they can get someone cheaper who will not complain so much. I'm tired of being told I am not meeting the standard for good time management because I have 10 minutes of overtime because I actually educated a patient on his disease instead of just shoving pills at him and telling him to call if he needs anything. I've gone from staff to management and overall - it all sucks no matter what role you are in. I am tired of nurses who aren't willing to fight for quality anymore - they are burned out and treat others badly and do the bare minimum to get by but stay in nursing for the money. People, we are on the wrong road. We will never make any headway until we stand together, each and every one of us. We have to stop the violence against each other. I am truly wondering if that is even possible?

boztc · Aug 31, 2007

Right on Sister! (Am I dating myself?) I agree.

Union or not, I've been waiting 30 years for the profession to wake up and realize that there is power in numbers. Our "Professional Organizations" are obviously not capable/willing to advocate for us and our patients. We need to stand up for ourselves.

My daughter expressed an interest in Nursing. I talked her out of it.

pickledpepperRN · Aug 31, 2007

I think nursing is a wonderful profession. We do so much good even when we didn't want to go to work.

My daughter is not a nurse but I'm always encouraging and helping a student financially. So far there are an LVN, 2 RNs and one student I am encouraging.

Here is an article:

Nurses union to advocate for patients
A delegation of registered nurses from the University Health System announced Tuesday they have formed a patient care advocacy committee as part of a new nurses union.
The nurses say they want mandatory minimum staffing ratios and whistleblower protections so they can better guard against unsafe patient care.
"Our first obligation as registered nurses is to advocate in the exclusive interests of our patients," said Judy Lerma, a nurse at University Hospital. "The most effective method of advocacy is collectively, as organized registered nurses." ...
...The NNOC wants legislation that would require Texas hospitals and other providers to increase nurse staffing levels and give nurses whistleblower protection.
But the Texas Nurses Association, the state's largest nursing organization, and the Texas Hospital Association say workplace standards, state laws and federal regulations already provide those things and let health care workers and organizations maintain a necessary level of flexibility.
NNOC leaders say they intend to meet with University Health System administrators "very soon" to present a case for mandatory ratios and improved standards. They cited research from the Journal of the American Health Association that said a staffing ratio of one nurse to every four patients can save as many as 72,000 lives annually. ...
http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/stories/MYSA082907.04D.Nurses.297eb44.html

RN1989 · Aug 31, 2007

Boztc - you sound like my kind of nurse!

boztc · Mar 26, 2008

I'm in...a card-carrying member. I love these guys (and I'm not in a union.)

The NNOC is the best place I've found for Patient Advocacy.

Ludlow · Mar 30, 2008

I'm in Texas (very anti-union state) and have also never heard of it... would be VERY interested in learning more about it, as, I believe, would some of my colleagues.

A Tenet Hospital in Houston just voted to join NNOC. Check out this thread:

https://allnurses.com/forums/f323/incredible-cna-nnoc-victory-houston-291972-new-post.html

Chico David, BSN, RN · Mar 31, 2008

I'm coming way late to this old thread, but I thought I'd throw my two cents worth in. Reading through this thread, I see some nurses with some wonderful passion for nursing, some good nurses grown tired, a few nurses who try to make themselves important by tearing down others.

So: (warning - long)

Introduction: I work at a hospital in rural Northern California, where I have worked for 27 years, mostly as a cardiac rehab nurse. For 13 of those years I was in management, stepping down from that in 1997. Not long before that our very long-time CEO retired and we got new management that took our hospital in a direction I was not happy with. Much more bottom line focused, much less concern for patient quality. Our COO famously said that we were used to too high a quality care and would need to get used to a lower quality, since that high a quality was too expensive. Management had one recurring mantra: Things are changing, if you don't like it go somewhere else. Despite all that, I was happy enough in my job, liked my manager but was sad to watch other nurses lives and the quality of care deteriorate. One day in early 2000, I walked into the ICU, where my friend Paula said "hey, there's a CNA organizer coming to talk to us tonight, why don't you come." so I went, and heard a RN/organizer give a presentation to about 25 or so nurses - at one of three meetings. Early in the meeting, she went around the room and asked nurses why they were interested in organizing. Nurses talked of going home in tears every night their workload was so heavy. They talked of the fear of a mistake that would kill a patient or end their career. Not one mentioned money.

Being a careful sort, I went home and did some research on CNA. The more I learned the more I liked. The campaign began. I would have likely remained a mid-level supporter in that campaign except that management's first letter to the nurses about the union was so full of lies and distortions that it ****** me off and radicalized me all in one fell swoop, as the saying goes. I became a leader in the campaign. Long story, but we won that election. I then became part of the bargaining team for our first contract, then was selected to be what's called Chief Nurse Rep (what most unions would call shop steward). In 2003 the board seat for our area became vacant and I decided to run. Was elected. Been on the board ever since. I was a participant in the decision to go national in 2004. I haven't read all of the thread, so not sure if this is repetitive, but a little about our governance:

The board is about 30 members, plus the 6 titled officers. Every one is a working nurse.

We have an unusual presidency in that we have a "council of presidents".

- 4 people who hold the title of president and share the duties. We decided to try this because the job had grown too big for any one person to do, and it had become impossible for the president to still work as a nurse and hold the office. So the presidents each work half time at their nursing job and the organization makes up the salary they miss for the other half.

Historically, the board were elected from 12 regions in California, with elections every two years and no term limits for the board. We have now added board seats for our Illinois nurses, our Maine Nurses and for PASNAP, the Pennsylvania nurses who recently joined us.

The Reno and Texas victories are still so new, we haven't figured out how the structure will change to fit them in, but that will get worked out soon enough.

We are committed to democracy within our union, to organizing nurses nationally and to making registered nurses into the powerful political force we should and can be. We hope and expect to change healthcare in America for the better and make it a system that serves the needs of patients and those who care for them, rather than serving the corporate bottom line.

boztc · Mar 31, 2008

I'm so jealous. I wish we could get that kind of representation going for us here. I'll keep trying.

We're going to Springfield next week to demonstrate for nurse-patient ratios. Last year our "professional organization" (INA) was intrumental in getting this measure defeated.

Ludlow · Mar 31, 2008

I'm so jealous. I wish we could get that kind of representation going for us here. I'll keep trying.
We're going to Springfield next week to demonstrate for nurse-patient ratios. Last year our "professional organization" (INA) was intrumental in getting this measure defeated.

You'll probably run into some Cook County nurses that are NNOC members. Pump them for information. And check out the NNOC website: http://www.calnurses.org/nnoc/. Scroll down and you'll see the link for NNOC Illinois.

RN4MERCY · Apr 1, 2008

I'm in...a card-carrying member. I love these guys (and I'm not in a union.)
The NNOC is the best place I've found for Patient Advocacy.

I'm a member too, and I couldn't agree more. Thanks for your solidarity and for demonstrating selfless concern for the well-being of others. :saint:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCPUCzjlMlU

The bosses aren't afraid of "an army of one." And, "you can be all you can be," but the politicians won't hear our individual voices. We've got to collectively hold their feet to the fire, for all the right reasons. Like, say, 47 million of 'em, real people without access to health care. And the right of people to receive care based on need, not based on the ability to pay for it.

"I think one's feelings waste themselves in words; they ought all to be distilled into actions which bring results." Florence Nightingale

"Solidarity is not a matter of sentiment but a fact, cold and impassive as the granite foundations of a skyscraper. If the basic elements, identity of interest, clarity of vision, honesty of intent, and oneness of purpose, or any of these is lacking, all sentimental pleas for solidarity, and all other efforts to achieve it will be barren of results."

Eugene Debs

"What does labor want? We want more schoolhouses and less jails; more books and less orificenals; more learning and less vice; more leisure and less greed; more justice and less revenge; in fact, more of the opportunities to cultivate our better natures, to make manhood more noble, womanhood more beautiful, and childhood more happy and bright." Samuel Gompers

Clarity of vision, oneness of purpose, justice, and actions that bring results. Starting here, starting now, starting with us..."A Voice for Nurses, A Vision for Healthcare."

http://www.guaranteedhealthcare.org/

Simplepleasures · Apr 2, 2008

I'm so jealous. I wish we could get that kind of representation going for us here. I'll keep trying.
We're going to Springfield next week to demonstrate for nurse-patient ratios. Last year our "professional organization" (INA) was intrumental in getting this measure defeated.

Im so jealous, I wish the NNOC would also represent LPNs, we need so much help.Why are we forgotten?

RN Power Ohio · Apr 4, 2008

im so jealous, i wish the nnoc would also represent lpns, we need so much help.why are we forgotten?

inglein,

lpn's are not forgotten but rather have not had an organization that had the courage to fight for what is right as rn's did - the california nurses association. these nurses took a brave and bold step in the 1990's and it is because of their courageous fight that we have the nnoc. :redbeathe

nnoc is a new national union- maybe someday we will grow and have an organization that include s lpn's!

we are really building a social movement for change and that is something everyone can be a part of! demanding clean money elections, single payer guaranteed healthcare for all, educating the public about the insurance industry corruption, promoting safe standards of care in our workplaces, demanding hospital accountability empowering people to utilize their civil rights - freedom of speech and association & eliminating involuntary servitude!

there are many ways to be involved and the first is reading, reading, reading... the second is telling, telling, telling!

i am very proud to be an nnoc member. in fact, my involvement with this organization has been life altering. through this group i have met some of the finest people i have ever met. people who have the courage to demand social justice. principled people with the integrity and courage.

before nnoc i was a "troublemaker" and a sqeaky wheel- i felt that something must be wrong with me- because i couldn't manage my time- or had a problem caring for 13 med/surg patients. i felt i was out of place because i am a patient advocate. when i found so many others who were like myself i was astounded! for years i was made to believe that i was expecting to give too much care! i needed to lower my standards.

now, i can comfortably say- i am right, we are right and it is time for people to listen!

reform can be accomplished only when attitudes are changed.....we commit ourselves to any wrong or degradation or injury whenever we do not protest against it.

lilian wald, rn, activist, reformer 1867-1940