Comments by rtrn - Las Vegas Sun

Comments by user: rtrn

Posted on: If a hospital is unionized, might care be better?

Nursing professional standards are consistently compromised in SEIU contracted hospitals due to the "high level partnerships" with management refered to in the above article. Nurses are regularly given over ratio assignments that are unsafe and inconsistent with quality patient care with no corrective action ever taken by SEIU. As a former steward, I personally forwarded numerous Occurence Report Forms to SEIU officials and NOT ONCE did I see action, let alone some sort of response from SEIU saying that it was being addressed. These reports are intended to initiate appropriate corrective action to ensure this situation does not happen again. CNA contracts factually contain ratio language giving the RN true leverage when dealing with assignments that are historically known to put our patients at higher risk for substandard care. This is not about money for nurses, it is about providing quality care for our friends and neighbors in one of the fastest growing communities in the country. The first time I was ever approached by an SEIU official was only after CNA was invited to local CHW hospitals. This invite occurred because other caring RNs sick of SEIU's lack of commitment to patient issues, invited CNA to inform CHW RNs about it's achievments elsewhere. SEIU then sent local and national reps to CHW in herds, pronto. It was a real wake up call for most RNs to see SEIU's true focus, retaining membership. CNA has a proven track record in getting real results for patients locally and nationally and resently demonstrated their effectiveness and patient advocacy in the contract completed in a Reno hospital also run by CHW. Ratios are part of the contract. "High level partnerships" need not apply. CHW is striving to be the first magnet status hospital in Nevada so it would only make sense for them to welcome a union voted by over 50% of their nursing employees to represent them. CNA represents well over 10,000 nurses employed by CHW in California and Nevada. Numbers like this help the effort in bringing patient/nurse ratios to the Nevada legislature as CNA advocates.

(Suggest removal) 10/13/08 at 1:17 p.m.