Download File - University of Michigan Professional Nurse Council

UMPNC News
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN PROFESSIONAL NURSE COUNCIL
SUMMER/FALL 2014
UMPNC/MNA RNs took action on unsafe
parking conditions and WON!
UMPNC/MNA RNs are “thumbs up” about the University’s response to
their delivery of over 300 e-mails regarding parking and patient safety.
UMPNC/MNA RNs gained an
impressive victory by standing together
and finding a solution to a serious
problem – unsafe parking at the Wall
Street structure. In a decision with no
explanation, the University decreed that
yellow AVI parking permit holders could
no longer park adjacent to the hospital,
raising serious concerns about safety and
the issue of getting to work on time.
Over 300 RNs e-mailed UMPNC/
MNA leadership about their concerns
regarding the parking situation.
UMPNC/MNA Mott nurses Deb
O’Neal and Amber Sharrow spoke
passionately to the University in meetings
regarding the safety and patient safety
concerns; yet the University continued
to drag its feet. Finally, UMPNC/MNA
nurses said, “Enough is enough!” and
on Wednesday, September 17, dozens
of RNs marched to the office of Interim
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Doug Strong to deliver the e-mails. Labor
and Delivery nurse Joi Eller spoke for
the delegation and strongly delivered the
message containing the nurses’ concerns.
Deanna Barrett, another Labor and
Delivery nurse, gained media attention
for the nurses by speaking with Channel 7.
By Friday, September 19, the
strength of the nurses caused the
University to reverse their decision. Talks
will continue between UMPNC/MNA
and the University to make sure that
parking is safe for all nurses
This victory is the result of
UMPNC/MNA nurses coming together
to address a problem and not backing
down until results are gained. When
many nurses speak together, change
happens. CONGRATULATIONS,
UMPNC/MNA NURSES! A strong
union gets results!
INSIDE:
• Another UMPNC Victory!
• MNA Convention News
Labor and Delivery nurse Joi Eller
and the delegation deliver a stack
of e-mails to the office of Interim
Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer Doug Strong.
www.minurses.org • www.umpnc.org
• Advocating for Our
Patients at the Capitol
and in Our Community
Strong nurse leadership on 7A brings
positive changes to security problem
I
n a show of collective leadership, the
7A nurses earlier this year addressed
serious concerns about patient and
family violence on their unit by
reaching out to UMPNC leadership.
The biggest concern of the 7A nurses:
the lack of security officers to respond
to problems or potential problems.
Frustration was at an all-time high
when Security was requested to calm or
control a patient and no one was able to
immediately respond.
UMPNC and 7A nurses met with
management to discuss the problem,
and this communication led to several
improvements:
• Two security officers were assigned
to regularly surveillance 7A.
• Funding was approved to bring
back a Nurse Practitioner whose
specialty would be to help manage
medical patients with psychiatric
issues.
• Voluntary CPI trainings were
offered. Management is now
considering making CPI trainings
mandatory for all employees.
For the whole hospital:
• An increase in funding for 2 FTE
security officers hospital wide.
• In addition, a special subcommittee
on the Prevention and Management
of Behavioral Aggression in the
Workplace was created. The
committee’s goal is to respond
to increased violence by patients
and families and to give units the
resources they need to help with
issues.
Susan Giovati, RN, explains how
violence affects U-M patients during
the Workplace Violence forum, held
May 2, 2014. The forum brought the
problem of workplace violence to the
forefront and helped secure the new
changes in the hospital.
www.minurses.org • www.umpnc.org
The new Subcommittee on
the Prevention and Management
of Behavioral Aggression in the
Workplace, a subcommittee of the
Nursing Health and Safety Council,
will:
• Respond to increased violence
by patients and family.
• Look and compare what units
have done to try to prevent
violence to come up with
solutions.
• Review clinic issues to identify
patterns in patient behavior to
prepare for an occurrence.
• Make sure that all units have
available resources to help
them with issues.
The subcommittee is made
up of representatives from
security, union leadership, unit
representatives, submission,
the office of clinical affairs,
safety engagement, and CNO
Marge Calarco.
2014 MNA Convention
“WE CAN DO IT:
MNA Nurses Moving Toward Change”
Kellogg Center • East Lansing • Thursday, October 9
On-line registration is now open at minurses.org.
A full list of speakers and breakouts is available on-line.
Plan to attend A Taste of Michigan: MNA PAC Event that night!
MNA PAC is working hard to elect pro-patient, pro-nurse legislators.
Find out how you can help at minursespac.org!
PLENARY SPEAKER
Kathleen Bartholomew, RN, MN
will be addressing how
appropriate nurse staffing affects
quality and safety for patients, plus
four breakouts will be available.
6.5 contact hours will be provided.
Michigan Nurses Association is accredited as a provider of continuing
nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s
Commission on Accreditation.
Nurses and politics – creating a strong voice
to advocate for our patients
It’s Election season! Do you know
which of the candidates running for
office in your district support nursing
issues? Go to www.minursespac.org!
At www.minursespac.org, you can:
• Donate to MNA PAC! Member
dues don’t go towards supporting
candidates who support our issues,
so your donations are important!
Your donation goes toward making
sure that pro-nurse, pro-worker
leaders are elected into office. The
Michigan Health and Hospital
Association spent more than
$500,000 in 2013 to influence
legislators, and they oppose
the Safe Patient Care Act! Your
donations are key to helping us
support the leaders who support
our issues.
• Register to vote! Monday, October
6 is the last day to register in order
to vote in the General Election on
Tuesday, November 4. You can
register to vote at your county,
city, or township clerk’s office; or
by visiting any Secretary of State
branch office.
UMPNC leadership Katie Oppenheim, John
Armelagos and Steven Strahle (above) and
Deb Dombrowski (right) help support Mark
Schauer’s campaign for Governor
by making phone calls to educate
Michigan citizens.
• Request an absentee ballot. You
can also go to miabsentee.org on
your smartphone or use the form
in Michigan Nurse.
You can also:
• Make phone calls, knock on doors
and distribute literature. Legislators
who have won in the past and are
currently running for office praise the
MNA nurses in red scrub tops who
have showed up to help them with
their campaigns. You can support
Mark Schauer every Thursday and
Saturday by phone-banking and
door-knocking in Ann Arbor. To
help, contact Labor Organizer Kelly
Anthony at 517.853.5521 or kelly.
[email protected].
Support the candidates who support
our issues!
Nurses: Let’s support leaders who support us!
“As the father of an RN, my dad [Tom
Redmond] is well aware of the challenges
that nurses face. He wants to help by passing
a law to set RN-to-patient ratios so nurses can
deliver quality, safe care to all our patients.
I appreciate your support of my dad, and
I know he will work hard to support you
when he is elected in November.” – Amber
Redmond, RN, BSN
Let’s help Tom get elected to the State House,
where he will be a leader we can count on to fight for the Safe Patient Care Act (nurseto-patient ratios).
www.minurses.org • www.umpnc.org
Nurses’ walk for
Tom Redmond
Saturday, Oct. 18
Meet at 10 a.m.
1319 N. Telegraph, Monroe
For more information or to sign
up, contact Kelly Anthony at
517.853.5521 or kelly.anthony@
minurses.org

Download Report