National Nurses United

NewsBriefs_Sept 10/5/10 7:02 PM Page 9 Also, the hospital last year eliminated the HCA retirement plan, replacing it with a 401(k). Wiseman was upset about the change, but without a union, there was no good way to protest. "We didn't have a voice to say, 'Hey, I don't like that,'" said Wiseman, who had belonged to the United Auto Workers union at a previous job. "I knew that with a union, things like that have to be discussed and negotiated before they become fact." NNOC/NNU will represent about 600 RNs at Research Medical Center and about RNs at Kansas City Hospital Unionize MISSOURI egistered nurses at Research Medical Center voted 258-148 on Sept. 14 to unionize with NNOC/NNU, making the Kansas City hospital the largest unionized facility in Missouri and adding to NNU's streak of election victories at facilities owned by HCA, the biggest hospital corporation in the world. "I'm excited about the momentum and the movement we're building," said Sarah Mitch, an RN at Research Medical who works in IV therapy. "If we can do this in the conservative Midwest, it just shows that nurses everywhere want [union representation] too." Research Medical RNs had many reasons for unionizing, but they cited safe staffing ratios and improving their retirement and wages as among their top priorities. When Mitch travels around the hospital putting in PICC and other lines, she says two RNs should be present: one to calm and keep sometimes confused patients still, and herself to put in the line. But staffing is stretched so thin on the floors that she usually does her work alone. "Well, here I am trying to put in a line by myself with a 500-pound trach patient," said Mitch. "I'm really a believer in appropriate nurse-topatient ratios. I absolutely love what I do, but I would like to do it better." Carl Wiseman, an ortho-neuro RN at Research Medical, also would like to improve staffing, particularly during breaks and mealtimes. Currently, he said R SEPTEMBER 2010 that managers tell them to use "the buddy system" during breaks, which in essence means one RN covers another RN's patients. "Well, that means I could have eight patients, my own four plus another RN's four, and I'm also charge," said Wiseman. "Forget it. No thanks." Two years ago, said Wiseman, Research Medical also cut almost all of the nursing assistant positions. Nurses also want to be better able to take care of themselves. RMC currently caps nurses' salaries, so the most senior and experienced nurses have less incentive to stay. 1,000 in the Kansas City area. The unionizing victory is the seventh win at HCAowned hospitals this year, making the total number of HCA RNs organized about 3,500. "Congratulations to the RNs at Research," said Malinda Markowitz, an HCA RN from California and national vice president of NNU. "We are thrilled to welcome you into the growing, national movement of HCA nurses. This victory will inspire other Missouri nurses and HCA nurses coast to coast to organize for highquality care for our patients, and improved standards for nurses." —Staff report CDC Weakens H1N1 Mask Standards NATIONAL n a move that puts the health of registered nurses and their patients at risk, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued new recommendations that substantially weaken current respiratory protection standards for RNs and other healthcare workers who care for patients infected with H1N1 influenza.  Last year, the CDC recommended that healthcare personnel wear fit-tested N-95 respirators when caring for patients suspected or confirmed to have the H1N1 influenza virus. N-95 respirators are specifically I W W W. N A T I O N A L N U R S E S U N I T E D . O R G designed to effectively filter out airborne diseases, such as H1N1. However, this September, the CDC rescinded its recommendations for N-95 respiratory protection, and instead approved the use of surgical masks which provide healthcare workers little to no protection from airborne diseases.  At the onset of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, rather than providing N-95s to their employees, many hospitals pushed usage of surgical masks, which are a cheaper alternative. However, knowing that surgical masks would not protect healthcare workers from airborne H1N1, the CDC recommended the use of N-95 respirators. RNs (Continued on page 10) N AT I O N A L N U R S E 9

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