Issue link: https://nnumagazine.uberflip.com/i/322740
12 N A T I O N A L N U R S E 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 A P R I L | M AY 2 0 1 4 Maine the maine state Nurses Association/ National Nurses United held a candlelight vigil May 7 to demand that the administra- tion of Calais Regional Hospital restore recently cut services and staff hours so that patients in the community can continue to receive safe and accessible care. The hospital serves a very rural area near the Canadian border. Administration has recently eliminat- ed the Special Care Unit as well as reduced service hours in cardiac, pediatrics, and infu- sions. The hospital has also made reductions in the inpatient unit, causing additional patient transfers due to a shortage of nurses on particular shifts, and cut the hours of dozens of frontline and ancillary staff. These eliminations and reductions are a hardship for patients and families who will be forced to seek costlier care up to two hours away. MSNA/NNU is asking the hospital to rescind the cuts to staff and services and reprioritize its spending, including ending its $412,000 per year contract with out-of- state consulting firm Quorum. Noting that the hospital's financial health has continued to deteriorate under Quorum's manage- ment, nurses are calling for a review of the hospital's billing practices. "These reduc- tions are unacceptable," said Rebecca LaCasse, an RN at CRH. "Patient care dollars should not be spent on consulting firms. We are afraid that some patients will not get the care they need." Veterans Affairs registered nurses on May 6 applauded the introduction of a bill that would improve patient care, ensure equity among federal healthcare workers, and enable the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to recruit and retain a strong healthcare work force to serve the nation's veterans. At the heart of the bill by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) is the goal of improving the democratic union rights of VA employees. The Improving Clin- ical Care Workforce for Our Vets Act would reform Section 7422 of title 38 of the U.S. code, which limits the rights of VA profes- sionals in collective bargaining. Exemptions to collective bargaining rights have been repeatedly extended by unfair U.S. government interpretations that limit nurses' ability to speak out about working conditions that impact the quality and safety of patient care. Currently, management can leave VA RNs without a resolution to disputes that hurt patient care, such as excessive mandato- ry overtime or assignment of a nurse to a new hospital unit without adequate training. "Nurses need full collective bargaining rights in order to fulfill our critical role as advocates for patient needs and care," said Irma Westmoreland, RN, chair of Veterans Affairs for National Nurses United. "As nurs- es within the VA healthcare system, our duty is to provide high quality care and advocate for the heroic men and women who put themselves and their health at risk defending our nation. Collective bargaining gives us the tools to speak up for our veteran patients." The bill would ensure that VA nurses can negotiate, file grievances, and arbitrate over issues relating to direct patient care, and would also provide them the same rights as other VA clinicians, such as LPNs, nursing assistants, and nursing unit clerks, as well as registered nurses at other agencies like the Department of Defense. "The recent tragedies at Ft. Hood and the Naval Yard in Washington, D.C. and the epidemic in suicides and rapes in the mili- tary underscore the urgency for expanding the voice of patient advocates in all levels of care," said Westmoreland. "VA nurses are the frontline providers whose voice the bill will expand." —Staff report Calais Regional Hospital RNs in Maine fight staff and service cuts WRAP-UP REPORT