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6 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 A N U A R Y | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 5 NEWS BRIEFS MICHIGAN R egistered nurses who work for Sparrow Home Health in Lansing voted in November to join the Michigan Nurses Association in order to gain rights and protections that will give them a voice in patient care and their work conditions. "We approached the Michigan Nurses Association for help because we wanted a voice for ourselves as professionals and a voice for our patients," said Erin Herrera, RN. "Nurses need a way to push back against the constant pressure to shortchange patients by doing 'more with less.' It's great to see Sparrow [Health System] expanding so much, but we don't want that to happen at the expense of patient care. Forming a union gives us the power to put our patients first." The vote to form a union was decisive, with 77 percent of participating nurses voting 33-10 in favor. The home health nurses serve 10 counties throughout mid-Michigan. They now join nearly 11,000 fellow MNA members across the state, including more than 2,000 nurses and other healthcare professionals at Sparrow Hospital. One of the nurses' priorities in forming the union is to promote a single standard of care for all Sparrow patients, whether they are in the hospital or receiving care at home. Giving nurses enough time to effectively treat and educate patients in the home is critical to preventing rehospitalizations. "By forming a union, we are uniting as nurses to create change that will literally save lives," said Michelle Pimental, RN. "A huge part of a nurse's job is to advocate for our patients. Nursing unions give us a voice and help us advocate in ways that are effec- tive, powerful, and provide for the highest level of care for all of our patients. Nursing is a career that requires you to go the extra mile; cutting corners is unacceptable. We take pride in what we do and our goal is to provide the best." Lisa Malone, RN, said, "I'm really proud of my coworkers for standing up for ourselves so we have a seat at the table when decisions are made about patient care. We're excited about negotiating a contract with Sparrow that gives us enough time to really provide the care that our patients need." John Karebian, RN and MNA executive director, said the Sparrow Home Health nurses are to be commended for taking this huge step for themselves and their patients. "With the healthcare industry's relentless push for profits, the role of nurses as patient advocates has never been more important," Karebian said. "Collective bargaining is the tool that enables nurses to advocate for pa tients safe- ly and effectively. We look for ward to a day when every Sparrow nurse is represented by Michigan Nurses Association and can use the power of their union to influence their work conditions and protect patient care." —Dawn Kettinger Sparrow Home Health RNs unionize