Ohio nurses, hospitals at odds over patient-ratio proposal

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Specializes in LTCF/vents/skilled.

The National Nurses Organizational Commitee (NNOC) has organized a petition here in Ohio. The goal is to lower the nurse patient ratio in several areas. If you feel you may be interested in helping this cause, please go to www.NNOC.net, there you will find a printable version of this petition. Please also feel free to take this and obtain signatures. The only requirement is that the person signing be a registered voter in the state of Ohio. If the required amount of signatures is received, this petition will be sent to Columbus to Governor Strickland. Also it is very helpful to write your local representatives in Columbus. To find out who your local State representative is in your District go to www.google.com and type in "Ohio House of Representatives", click on the link that says (something like) find your representative, then simply type in your zip code. If you already know who your representative is, you may write them at: 77 S. High St, Columbus, OH 43215.

I've read hundreds of blogs already about staffing, we've all been there. Now it's time to make a change. When I became a nurse, I took a vow to be an advocate, to speak for those who could not speak for themselves, to take care of those who could not do it alone. By 2010, 78 million baby boomers will be in some form of nursing establishment. If you live in Ohio, or know someone who does, please forward this message! My name is Darlene.

Peace out

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Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.

Petition:

http://www.calnurses.org/nnoc/ohio/ohio_ratios_signup.pdf

Ohio page:

http://www.calnurses.org/nnoc/ohio/

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Tele, Hem/Onc, BMT.

Sign! Sign! Sign! We have hundreds of signatures already. Let's make it thousands!! Keep your ear out for news about the introduction of the bill....coming very soon!!

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What about the LPN's? I will graduate in June with my PN, and plan to get licensed shortly there after?

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Tele, Hem/Onc, BMT.

LPN's are not included in the ratio. However, they do benefit. More staff is better for everyone. There are specific provisions in the law that prevent the hospital from getting rid of other staff to abide by the ratio.

Hospitals in California tried to do this after ratio's were implemented and the California Department of Health said "NO WAY!" It is against the law in California to eliminate other staff.

Many hospital managers are putting out misinformation about ratio's.

BE PREPARED:

Spin: "Our hospital will have to close because of the cost of meeting ratio's"

Fact: Not one hospital in the state of California closed because of ratio's

SPIN: "We will have to fire all support staff to afford ratio's"

Fact: This would be against the law

SPIN: There are not enough nurses to staff ratio's

FACT: In Ohio there are nearly 60,000 more nurses available than would be required to staff ratio's- just not enough nurses willing to work in hospitals. Many nurses are working less than full time because of working condiditons.

SPIN: Ratio's will eliminate your independent judgement

FACT: Ratio's will empower you to demand more help for your patients when they need it. The ratio is a floor not a ceiling. IT IS A MINIMUM MANDATE. In addition, language is in the law that gives you the right to act in the exclusive interest of the patient NOT the business which is often a conflict of interest for nurses. And there is whistle blower protection to give you freedom to advocate without fear of retribution.

SPIN: "The hospital needs flexibility to move nurses where they need them what happens if there is a car pile-up or a disaster"

FACT: We all know that the rules are different in an emergency. So this doesn't hold water. ED's have disaster plans to deal with this. All nurses are not qualified to float anywhere in the hospital.

Oh and there are rules about safe floating too!!!

Any hospital or individual that violates the whistleblower clause will have a monetary fine.

There is a monetary fine for violating the ratio as well.

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

please realise by signing any petition including your workplace, email address, home address, phone etc one is giving that organization permission to put you into their data base for other marketing opportunities, including union organization.

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Tele, Hem/Onc, BMT.

Yes for the purpose of passing a ratio law! We will eventually need to rally hundreds of nurses at the state house, have them attend hearings if they can, write letters to representatives and be kept up to date on status of legislation.

NNOC believes that nurses need to be very vocal for this bill to have any success. In addition, we need to bring the support of patients and the community.

Passing a ratio bill requires MUCH more than getting a bill number. Look at the bill that ONA has introduced years ago and several times to eliminate mandatory overtime- it sits there with NO action- and as a result it has not been given attention.

Watch this video of the Massachusetts nurses during their testimony. See how many nurses are present?

http://www.massnurses.org/News/2007/11/statehouse_h2059.htm

without contacts this cannot be done.

Also remember it is legal to circulate a petition at work in non-patient care areas on your own time.

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another reason to sign petition...

the healthcare industry spent more $$$ lobbying our elected officials than any other industry. the ohio hospital association is a mighty powerful force politically. we must show our elected officials that the nnoc ohio hospital patient protection act has the support of direct care nurses.

look up your legislators here http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/

call or email your represenative and state senator to let them know you support nnoc ohio patient protection act. currently, in ohio, there is no limit to the number of patients a nurse can be assigned and hospitals have taken full advantage.

1 rn to 3 icu patients has become the "norm" and m/s nurses have been assigned up to 14. remember, when you accept an assignment you are responsible for every patient in your charge including the lpns. if something goes amiss, "busy" is no excuse. you will be held accountable for accepting an unsafe assignment.

we have the duty to be patient advocates and we honor that duty, but we must have the right to do what is required of us. this is spelled out in nnoc ohppa.

please download petition and get other nurses to sign, ask them to take a copy of the petition to collect signatures as well.

http://www.calnurses.org/nnoc/ohio/o...ios_signup.pdf

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Specializes in LTCF/vents/skilled.

This petition is a sign of good things to come...if it makes it to Congress. And if it does it's truly only going to affect hospitals, maybe step down facilities. I know it pays no mention to LTCF, I don't know why. I've tried to contact the NNOC about this, and havn't heard back yet.

Honestly, I think there's a larger problem in the LTCF. Ohio has no statute placed on the 1:50 ratio of the acuity of care of the patients. Meaning level of skill.....is everyone really OK w/ this??? SERIOUSLY?

Scenerio: in Ohio, a nurse could legally have 20 vent pt, 20 psych pt, 5 assisted living and 5 geri pt. and the corporation you work for tells you 'if you don't like it, quit'. they won't offer any solution b/c you work at an 'at will' basis. They will let you work w/ an RN b/c they get more $$$ reimbursment from Medicare at the end of the month from having RNs on the floor. But also, they'll keep craming pt to the rafters b/c they don't see the skill level they get an equal amt. of $$$ no matter what...well as long as they're not medicaid.

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Tele, Hem/Onc, BMT.

This petition will be presented to the Governor of the State of Ohio.

Agree completely that LTC has big problems too but everyone has to start somewhere.

Who regulates LTC in Ohio? Does the Department of Health have any oversight? I would call the LTC Ombudsmen for your facility describe the types of neglect and harm you see the residents experiencing because of unsafe staffing. Encourage your co-workers to do this too.

Do you have Medicaid patients? If so you can report conditions to the government. Take a look at this document http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d03576.pdf

National Campaign for Nursing Home Quality

http://www.nhqualitycampaign.org/

Probably not all that aggressive as it is supported by the industry but a start...

Here are some contacts in the Ohio Department of Aging- Ohio LTC Ombudsman: http://www.ltcombudsman.org/static_pages/memex/Ohio.cfm

Hope that helps. Write a letter and have everyone at work sign it to send to Ohio Ombudsman.

Just some ideas...

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

Thank you for the video links. Power in Action!!!:yeah::yeah:

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How can I get this started in Florida? Thanks!

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