Time to take Action

Nurses Activism

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Specializes in Adult Tele.

I had posted a previous thread regarding "Why does nursing allow itself to be short staffed". I heard alot of wonderful ideas on the root cause of the problem. Someone posted online the new bill introduced into the Senate regarding staffing levels. It is S. 73 and you can find the whole bill under http://www.senate.gov go to The Library fo Congress THOMAS home and type in the bill number there. The main theme from previous replys was to become more unified as a whole. Now is the time to act, if you really mean it. This bill requires any facility that received medicare payments to have enough RN on staff and takes into account the pt care level. Hospitals must keep 3 years of records recording the decline in pt mortality related to increased nursing care. www.ANA.ORG is another location to get information. Please contact your Senators and Reps, this bill has already been sent to a committee and that could mean death to it. Take action and let's put out complaints where they count. Thanks!!!

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Specializes in Critical Care.

PLEASE REALIZE, I AM A NURSE AND AM MERELY ASKING FROM A DEVIL'S ADVOCATE POSITION!!!!!!!!!

I lived in Massachusetts when this was started there. I attended the local congressperson's meeting on this and I asked a question at that meeting. It's funny to see how this has palyed out in the 4-5 years since then.

I can certainly see the need for minimum staffing levels, but if there isn't the number of nurses available, how is a hospital to staff correctly under this bill?

When I asked this in reference to the California law and how it would work with Mass laws, I was told that there ARE enough nurses, they just don't work at he bedside. If the levels are enforced they would all come back.

I find this to be a placating response. Experience has shown that isn't the case in California. Those nurses that don't work at the bedside have NOT come back. They like the positions that they have now and aren't leaving them just because some law says the staffing level in the hospital is much better now.

I would love to be able to have those levels madatory AND have the nurses to fill the positions. That would make being a nurse the joy that i envisioned it to be when I decided to be a nurse. But, for that to happen, you have to entice more people into the schools and keep them there until they graduate and start working.

I feel this is a round and round issue that no one knows the solution to.

tvccrn

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Specializes in Adult Tele.

Great thoughts and thank you for the other viewpoint that is the only way to truly solve a problem, as nurses know!

I think that it will take time to get nurses at the bedside, it is not an overnight solution, but a step in the right direction. If nurses ban together, not as a union, but as a professional group and make the situation better, than it will draw others into the profession. One problem with getting others into the profession is, in my opinon, is the lack of unity. I do dream big of having a profession that stands tall and gets demands met for not only pts but for ourselves. Yes, it will take time, as you have already seen, but we need to make the most of every moment given to us to make a difference. We don't have to wait for change, but be the cause of change. Thank you again for opposing viewpoint. It helps me claify what I am wanting to let people know about.

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

Link to complete text of S. 73: To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for patient protection by establishing minimum nurse staffing ratios at certain Medicare providers, and for other purposes.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=s110-73

Some interesting language contained there.

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Specializes in Critical Care.
Great thoughts and thank you for the other viewpoint that is the only way to truly solve a problem, as nurses know!

I think that it will take time to get nurses at the bedside, it is not an overnight solution, but a step in the right direction. If nurses ban together, not as a union, but as a professional group and make the situation better, than it will draw others into the profession. One problem with getting others into the profession is, in my opinon, is the lack of unity. I do dream big of having a profession that stands tall and gets demands met for not only pts but for ourselves. Yes, it will take time, as you have already seen, but we need to make the most of every moment given to us to make a difference. We don't have to wait for change, but be the cause of change. Thank you again for opposing viewpoint. It helps me claify what I am wanting to let people know about.

I think that would go a long way in making things better for nurses. We definitely need to band together and make changes. It would be a good thing for ALL involved, nurses and patients alike if we could make nursing a profession that people see as a positive thing and where they would want to work.

I know that I have seen so many nurses that are here just for the money and could care less about patient care. I don't understand that. I have been a nurse for over 11 years and (barring the occassional bed day) I love coming to work. nursing is the only job I have had where I could say that.

tvccrn

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Specializes in Med Surg/Tele/ER.

Why don't we start a poll to see how many have taken action?

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Specializes in Med Surg/Tele/ER.

bump!

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I hope it is appropriate to post the bill I am working for.

H.R.676

United States National Health Insurance Act (or the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act) (Introduced in House) - http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/C?c109:./temp/~c109M9R23d

The quality controls include staffing -

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c109:1:./temp/~c1096HUfHK:e26888:

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Here is S 73, I hope:

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/thomas

And some facts to help make your case when writing or e-mailing members of congress.

Hospital Nurse Staffing and Quality of Care

… Hospitals with low nurse staffing levels tend to have higher rates of poor patient outcomes such as pneumonia, shock, cardiac arrest, and urinary tract infections….

… Higher levels of nurse staffing could have a positive impact on both quality of care and nurse satisfaction, and research shows that hiring more RNs does not decrease profits….

http://www.ahrq.gov/research/apr04/0404RA24.htm#head2

Higher RN staffing is associated with fewer deaths among elderly Medicare patients hospitalized for heart attack

http://www.ahrq.gov/research/mar04/0304RA23.htm

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ya know...it would be great if it does pass the senate etc and be mandated into federal law to regulate staffing...bc as we all know....if nurses are spread too thin then yes ...m&m rates dramatically rise......but also playing devils advocate here.....did i read right that we are expecting the hospitals to actually gather this data and present it to the senate????bc...that means more $$$$ out of their pockets and that folks ...just isnt going to realistically happen. so please clarify for me....i must have overlooked it...who again is gathering the data ?

the information needs to be studied just like a clinical trial for a new medicine.....to show an unbiased true acct of what happens when shortages occur....and that...is m/m rates skyrocket. nursing needs to be a billable service just like rt , pt and st.but who is in charge of gathering the data? please tell me it is not the hospitals!!!!

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