National Nurses United

A P R I L | M AY 2 0 1 4 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 N A T I O N A L N U R S E 13 " U h, oh, time to split dude." With those words of, uh, wisdom, Steve, "our highly cost-effective computer technician," Ted the hospital billing director, and the computer they're hauling around try to skedad- dle out of the hospital room when our nurse hero, Bonnie Castillo, RN, tells them to "Move! Now!" In our brand-new "Computer Care" video, which you can see on our special website, www.InsistOnAnRN.org, "Steve" is assisting "Frank"—his name stands for "Formatted Recognition Analysis, Non- Human Konclusion"—the latest in medical technology at the bedside. "Frank" is going to look way too familiar to RNs whose professional judgment and voice these hospital executives are trying to replace. And he—it—is just as effective as some of those other machines you are forced to interact with. After "Steve" types in some of the symptoms expressed by our patient in distress, "Frank" concludes the patient, a man, is pregnant. When the real RN, Bonnie, gets into the room in this understaffed hospital, she immediately can see the patient may be having a heart attack and begins human intervention. It's a spoof. But is it really? That's one of the questions we hope to get people talking and thinking about with this new public advocacy campaign which is intended to shine a spotlight on the risks of the unproven medical technology hospitals are spending billions on, as well as other drastic changes in our healthcare delivery system that are eroding care standards. Please help us get the word out by going to our new website, www.InsistOnAnRN.org, and sharing the video and ad series with your coworkers, family, and friends. Every day, RNs across the country see the proliferation of mini-Franks brought to the bedside to provide "clini- cal decision support" and provide a computerized diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment protocol. And the computer's prescription is usual- ly based on the phenomenon known as "population health." Or as Ted from billing in one of our new radio ads, titled "Personal- ized Care," explains, "we have something better than nurses—algorithms. They tell us what disease you should have, based on what other patients have had." "That makes no sense," says this patient. "I'm not other patients. I'm me." "Look, it's not about you," Ted responds, which pretty much sums up what's wrong with so many of the priorities in the corpo- rate healthcare world today. As noted by one of our RN leaders in an ad titled "Continuum of Care" that depicts the irreplaceable role of the RN at every stage of the life cycle, "many hospitals in our communities are big businesses whose first priority is their bottom line, not your care." Woven together, the radio ads and videos tell a story: hospitals putting profits above care, and putting patients in jeopardy by extensive use of experimental technology and restricting hospital care. They conclude with a reminder to the public, "When it matters most, insist on an RN." In "Medical Alert," the announcer warns that "area hospitals are spending millions of your healthcare dollars on everything but patient care: unproven technology, Wall Street investments, even buying up other hospitals. "Insurance companies and hospitals increase their profits at your expense by send- ing patients home too soon. Or pushing them into clinics with fewer staff and poor safety conditions. Hospitals then cut their staffs of bedside registered nurses, the health profes- sionals most critical to your care and safety." In a lighter vein, there's this exchange be - tween Ted and a patient in "Billing Services." Ted: "Good morning, Ms. Johnson, How are you feeling?" Patient: "Awful" Ted: "Terrific! I think we can discharge you today!" Patient: "You mean send me home?" Ted: "We need this bed. Here's your keys." (keys bang on table) Patient: "Where's my nurse?" Ted: "Gosh, we let most of our registered nurses go. 'Bottom lines are more important than IV lines' we always say. I'm sure your family can provide you with the very best care—at home!" There's a deadly serious side as well, of course: the enormous clout of the wealthy healthcare industry and their insatiable drive for more revenue and higher profits at the expense of RNs, patients, and communities. "Make sure help is there for you when you really need it," the announcer says in "RoboCare." We know it will take a broad effort that includes not just ads and Internet videos, of course, but also workplace unity and action, legislative proposals (which we have in most states), and an unshakeable bond with patients and the public. Starting with a simple message, "Your nurse is your first line of protection and your last line of defense. Insist on a registered nurse." Unity with patients and the public has long been at the core of who our organization and members are—it's the message of our public advocacy campaign. We have no time to lose. RoseAnn DeMoro is executive director of National Nurses United. RoseAnn DeMoro Executive Director, National Nurses United Insist on an RN Our new campaign reminds everyone that nurses must be at the bedside when it matters most RNs Bonnie Castillo and Fong Chuu in our new video

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