National Nurses United

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 J U LY | A U G U S T 2 0 1 4 Maine registered nurses at Mount Desert Island Hospital (MDIH) in Bar Harbor, Maine held an informational picket on June 26 over ongoing concerns about the safe and proper use of healthcare technology. The RNs, represented by the Maine State Nurses Association/ National Nurses United, who are in bargaining for a new collective bargaining agreement, say they remain far apart with hospital administration over the implementation and use of new health- care technology. A federal mediator was brought in for the last two sessions, which ended June 16. RNs have proposed contract language that would give direct-care nurses meaningful input before technology is used in patient care settings. Management representatives rejected the nurses' proposals and have been unwilling to extend the contract, which expired on May 12. "Nurses at MDIH have been struggling with administration over the issue of safe and appropriate healthcare technology for years, and while some improvements have been made, our concerns and cautions go largely unheard," said Vanessa Dalton, an MDIH RN who works on a medical surgical floor. "It is critical to patient safety to ensure that the computers don't freeze up and malfunction which leads to an increase in errors and delays in care. We urge hospital management to stop wasting time and precious resources on legal tactics designed to delay and intimidate nurs- es, and instead work hand in hand with RNs in the best interests of our patients." Minnesota nearly 100 employees at Lakewood Health Center in Baudette, Minn. now have a voice in their work and the ability to be stronger advocates for their patients and themselves, following an overwhelming vote on June 26 in favor of representation by the Minnesota Nurses Association. The new bargaining unit, which will represent most non-management employees, will begin planning the next steps in securing a voice in the workplace by obtaining a first contract. "We are not only employees, we are members of the community," said Jamie Johnson, a registered nurse at Lakewood. "We care about our patients, the Baudette community, and the future of Lakewood Health Center." Washington, D.C. medstar washington Hospital Center registered nurses held a bake sale on June 16 to raise funds to help the hospital purchase working wheelchairs and other basic supplies. The public shaming worked. Just four days later, the hospital announced it had bought 60 new wheelchairs. Nurses working at the region's largest medical center have reported a critical shortage of basic equipment and supplies that are needed to adequately care for patients. In the last year that figures are available (FY 2011), the hospital grossed more than $1.1 billion in revenue. Addi- tionally, MedStar Health, the hospital's parent corporation, paid CEO Kenneth Samet more than $6.1 million in FY 2011 while MedStar's largest hospital went with- out enough working wheelchairs, equip- ment that can be purchased for around $250 each. "Nurses routinely transport patients in broken wheelchairs, if we can find a wheel- chair at all," said Stephen Frum, RN and the NNU nurse representative. "We feel that this reflects poorly on the hospital and impedes the care that nurses are attempting to deliver. We have attempted to address this issue with management several times to no avail so we are taking extraordinary measures." While nurses and patients go without basic supplies, MedStar Health is spending tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees to appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals a ruling of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The NLRB recently ordered the hospital to turn over staffing and patient safety data to registered nurses who are attempting to improve conditions for patients at the hospital. Rather than provide the data and work with nurses to improve patient safety, management has appealed the ruling, to the detriment of patient care. "MedStar's decision to spend tens of thousands of dollars to appeal the NLRB's decision to order the company to provide us with basic patient safety data is one more indicator of its misplaced priorities," said Frum. "It is our job to advocate for our patients and maintain the dignity of each patient under our care. While management may not be focusing on basic patient needs, nurses certainly are." —Staff report WRAP-UP REPORT Registered nurses from the Chicago area turned out for the city's annual Bud Billiken parade, an opportunity to celebrate local youth and to share their message for healthcare justice. Above from top: Maine nurses in Bar Harbor picket for a say in how technology is used at their hospital; District of Columbia RNs successfully pressured their hospital to buy basic equipment, such as wheelchairs.

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