Nurses of the Minnesota Nurses Association are pleased to see reductions in adverse events as reported in the 2013 Adverse Event Report by the Minnesota Department of Health but caution patients that the annual report of preventable errors in hospitals doesn’t tell the whole story of patient safety. They say no patient should suffer a fatal fall if they receive the proper nursing care.  Read More of MNA’s Statement

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On Monday, Dec. 23, nearly 100 nurses and community supporters gathered in sub-zero  weather determined to send  a message of solidarity to Allina corporation.  ”We give first-rate care to our patients, and we don’t deserve to be treated like second-class citizens,” said nurse Linda Held.
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   A management tactic to intimidate the MNA bargaining team at Owatonna Hospital backfired during recent contract negotiations. Instead of backing down after all four members simultaneously received disciplinary coaching on the solicitation policy for distributing materials, the bargaining team grew more determined to win a fair contract.
Their attitude was fortified by enthusiastic support from their 150 colleagues. A crowd of nurses turned out at a Nov. 18 action prior to a bargaining session to demonstrate the confidence in their team. The group also conveyed its resolve to hold hospital management accountable for a promise it made seven years ago that wages and benefits for Owatonna nurses would match metro compensation.
On Wed., Dec. 18 that resolve produced results as nurses ratified an agreement with a 5.5 percent wage increase over three years; a significant increase in on-call pay; tuition reimbursement enhancements and implementation of preceptor pay. The nurse turnout for the vote was the largest in years.

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Petition is here:  http://www.thepetitionsite.com/949/229/314/support-nursing-student-in-the-pursuit-of-leadership-and-evolution-of-the-nursing-profession/

According to the landmark report by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health Report; nurses, nursing education programs, and nursing associations should prepare the nursing workforce to assume leadership positions across all levels.

Through nurses’ involvement in professional organizations, nurses also can have an impact on maintaining momentum as well as on creating innovative ways of implementing the IOM recommendations. Just as nursing students have an impact through involvement with NSNA, as evidenced by the article entitled “Nursing students make the world a better place through policy development,” new nurses who have experienced shared governance through their participation in the NSNA are vested in decision making and understand how policy influences systems and impacts quality nursing care.

When student leaders learn and practice the role of cooperative leadership, the skills they develop are assimilated into their leadership roles in caring for patients and leading teams in the workplace.

By signing this petition you are asking that Nursing Faculty, Staff, and Deans amend their student hand book to help, promote, and encourage nursing students who aspire to be actively involved in the National Student Nursing Association at the national, state and school levels by:

-Announcing student nurse association (SNA) activities in class

-Scheduling exams and assignments so students can attend SNA events and conventions to the best of their abilities

-Providing an opportunity for members to share their experiences

-Blending certain course requirements with SNA involvement

-Demonstrate support to students by implementing a total school membership plan

-Attending SNA events with students to convey the value of leadership development to students

-Implementing policy or a shared philosophy to directly support students’ leadership opportunities and to attend NSNA conferences without being academically penalized

“Each institution has a duty to develop policies and procedures which provide and safeguard the students’ freedom to learn!”

Petition is here:  http://www.thepetitionsite.com/949/229/314/support-nursing-student-in-the-pursuit-of-leadership-and-evolution-of-the-nursing-profession/

Duluth RN Anna Rathbun and her team of nurses in the Philippines with RNRN

By Anna Rathbun, RN

We all made it safe and sound to Roxas city.  The airport missing part of its roof. We went to a more rural setting from there.  So far, we have seen over 1,200 patients.  We are paired with a team from Singapore with two doctors and four nurses.  Nurses with the National Nurses United RNRN program have been doing triage and procedures like wound debridgement and incision and drainage.   We have one nurse practitioner and I am one of five RNs.  People here have lots of respiratory problems because so many people here burn their trash every night.   There are constant fires, and most houses are built only a few meters from the roads.  The air quality is so poor that we all had sore throats and stuffy noses almost immediately.   There are also lots of cases of diabetes and high blood pressure.  All the kids show signs of tooth decay because pop and candy are what they eat constantly.

Anna Rathbun, RN in the Philippines with

I got a sinus infection and upper respiratory infection and had to go on the antibiotic Augmentin, and it cost me 650 pesos which is equal to about 15 dollars.   It’s no wonder people can’t afford to get medical help.   Anyway, everyone here has been wonderful and the people are so warm and welcoming.  We have been traveling to remote locations and setting up clinics.  It’s been a fantastic experience.

Violence against nurses

It can range from swearing, spitting, or groping all the way to assault and even murder. It can happen in any setting: emergency department, mental health, labor and delivery, or day surgery. Nurses and other health care workers are at increased risk for violence in the workplace.  Nurses can’t choose their patients or their patients’ families.  Still, they often must interact with angry, frustrated, violent, or just agitated people.  We know nurses miss work four times more often due to injury caused by others.  Too often employers don’t provide adequate training and resources to help front line staff identify warning signs of violence and how to de-escalate those situations.

What can nurses do? What should employers do?
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Tough contract negotiations were no match for the 64 gutsy nurses at First Light Health Services in Mora. A 25-bed critical access facility, the hospital is owned and operated by Kanabec County, and nurses routinely care for their neighbors, friends and families. The fight to keep good nurses at the bedside was very personal for the bargaining team.

A proposal by hospital administration to reduce health insurance benefits flew in the face of reason for the whole bargaining team, especially in regard to patient satisfaction. “If nurses aren’t happy, patients won’t be happy,” said Bargaining Unit Chair Margie Odendahl, RN.

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