Illinois Nurses Mobilize to Win
RN to Patient Ratios

 
RN panelists answer questions about RN-to-Patient Ratios

On Friday, February 19th, a forum of nurses from Illinois gathered to discuss and strategize Nurse-to-Patient Ratios.  The Nursing Care and Quality Improvement Act (SB224, HB5033) mandates a standard of safe staffing in acute care hospitals by limiting the number of patients assigned to an RN.  The bill was introduced on January 25th by Representative Mary Flowers, District 31, who joined the forum on Friday pledging her support and admiring the importance and integrity of the nursing profession.
 
The forum educated registered nurses on how ratios work in hospitals, what other legislation exists on staffing, and how to help move The Nursing Care and Quality Improvement Act to pass.   The panel of registered nurses that lead the forum included Zenei Trifuno-Cortez, Brenda Langford, Dorothy Ahmad, Regena Ellis, Linda Riccio and Dennis Kosuth.
  
President of the CNA/NNOC and a vice-president for National Nurses United, Zenei Trifuno-Cortez, shared the history of wining ratios in California, and how ratios have improved the working conditions of nurses and quality of care for patients in California hospitals.  Brenda Langford, President of NNOC Region 13 and Vice President for the National Nurses United, analyzed the critical difference between current staffing laws in the state and the proposed ratio bill.   Dorothy Ahmad RN, Linda Riccio RN, Regena Ellis RN, and Dennis Kosuth RN all passionately discussed their personal experiences with unsafe staffing, the dire necessity for ratios in the state and how the nurses present could take action to make ratios a reality in Illinois.  The nurses left the forum excited about the ratio campaign ahead.

Nurse involvement to pass ratio legislation is needed at every level.  Here are some of the ways that you can take action for ratios:  

• Educate your legislator (visits, letters, phone calls). 
• Mobilize your fellow RNs (circulate ratio support cards/petitions, collect RN to patient Ratio Surveys-link to survey below)
• Participate in Chicago Metro Committee
• Host a Ratios House Party
• Develop an independent Patients’ Advocacy Committee in your hospital
• Write letters/editorials to your local news sources
• Share our vision of safe staffing in our hospitals with Family, Friends, Churches and other organizations
• Tell us about your personal experience with staffing in your facility by taking our Ratio Survey

NNOC leadership with Illinois Representative Mary Flowers at Forum

RN-To-Patient Resources

Find Your Elected Officials
Enter Your ZIP Code:
—

• Tell us about staffing in your hospital.
  Follow link to download survey >> RN to Patient Ratio Survey
• Read a Full Copy of The Nursing Care and Quality Improvement Act
  Follow link to read full House version HB 5033 
  Follow link to read full Senate Version SB 224
• CNA/NNOC RN-to-Patient Resource webpage
  Follow link to download fact sheets and learn about federal legislation

For more information on participating in the RN movement for safe staffing, please contact us at (312) 491-4900 

Update! Already a Nurse on the Move!

Linda Riccio, RN with her Illinois Representative Kevin Joyce

Just four days after the forum, Linda Riccio, a dedicated metro committee RN activist went to Springfield to talk to her legislator.  She told her legislator, Representative Kevin Joyce, of the 35th district that, “passing ratios is imperative to making our hospitals safer for patients and nurses.”  She shared how staffing in hospitals has changed over her nursing career and how the nurses that work in his district suffer from not being able to give the safest care possible due to their high patient loads. The Representative agreed that something needs to be done to protect nurses and pledged his support. Way to Go Linda!

Do you want to talk to your legislator about passing ratios? Call us and we can help you arrange a meeting. Regular office hours (312) 491-4902.

University of Chicago RNs Speak Out - Hospital Cuts Endanger Patient Care and Retention of Experienced RNs

On Monday, Feb 8th, University of Chicago RNs held a press conference to reveal to the hospital administration and the community that unjust demands for sweeping reductions in RN and patient care standards erode safety conditions at the hospital and threaten the retention and recruitment of RNs.  Just several days before, 85% of the nurses at University of Chicago Medical Center overwhelmingly voted no for the second time to reject a contract proposed by management.  The nurses continue to fight for a contract to uphold the standards of patient care that they believe in. 

• Click for coverage on the press conference > 

Local Nurse Helps Earthquake Ravaged Victims through the RNRN Network

Chicago RN Pat Taylor (2nd fromright) waiting for flight depature to Port-Au-Prince

On January 12th, when hearing of the tragic earthquake that struck Haiti, Patricia Taylor knew that as an Operating Nurse at Cook County’s Stroger Hospital she had invaluable medical skills that were needed by the Haitian people.  Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere which does not help the survivors of the earthquake who face great loss including debilitating injuries and vast displacement with little to no shelter.  To aid victims of the Haitian earthquake, the disaster volunteer organization Registered Nurse Response Network (RNRN) called for volunteers who were willing to go to Haiti and provide nursing care. Patricia took action and signed up to be a volunteer.

With the RNRN Patricia Taylor and two other NNU Operating Room RNs flew on February 22nd, to Port Au Prince, Haiti and boarded the US Naval Ship Comfort. On the Comfort, Patricia joined the exhausted operating team who were extremely relieved to see them.  The arrival of the volunteer nurses allowed the overworked team time to rest and provided them with fresh hands to help heal the people of Haiti.  The majority of the cases were ortho/neuro operations and some eye surgeries as well.  An overwhelming number of the surgeries were amputations. 

“The experience was both rewarding and humbling,” Patricia said. “I was honored to be chosen by RNRN to go to Haiti.”  The trip opened up her eyes to things she previously took for granted.  Many times patients would arrive wearing the only piece of clothing they owned.  Often it was nothing more than a small thin slip. The nurses had to be extremely careful not to tear the clothing and sometimes would not remove it for fear of separating the precious belonging from its owner. 

Patricia reported that the Haitians were so thankful for help and felt blessed, despite their adversity.  She described a mother who had a child with a severe facial injury who had been crushed literally on top of his sibling. The sibling under him sadly did not survive and another sibling was killed when another part of their house collapsed.  Even though the mother had lost two children in the earthquake, Patricia learned through the translator that the mother remained gracious because she had one child who was alive.  Another one of her patients, an 89 year old man with a traumatic hand injury, said to her in broken English, “I am very thankful! I am alive!”

According to Pat, the most challenging aspect of the trip was assimilating to naval life.  Her days in OR started at 6:30 am and she slept in the naval barracks on a bunk, for Pat, the trip was about sacrifice.  She left knowing that she was able to provide the Haitian people with critical medical care.  As she continues her work here in Chicago she will think and pray for the people of Haiti.  Patricia said she is still hopeful for them.  In closing Patricia state, “you would think they lost hope, but there is still hope”.

RNRN is a national network of direct-care RNs, founded and operated by the California Nurses Association and the National Nurses Organizing Committee that coordinates sending volunteer RNs to disaster stricken areas.
   
For more information on RNRN and Haiti relief please click here 

Current News:
Nurses of the Cook County Health and Hospital System

Visit our dedicated CCHHS website >>

Important News for Nurses at Catholic Hospitals: Bishops Announce an Agreement on the Rights of Healthcare Workers

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the AFL-CIO announced a historic agreement on a set of principles respecting the rights of nurses and other employees who want to unionize at Catholic health care facilities.

In a new report, Respecting the Just Rights of Workers: Guidance and Options for Healthcare and Unions, Bishops call on Catholic health care employers to assure that employees have a free and fair choice when organizing a union. An excerpt from the report states:

“We share a commitment to a core principle of Catholic Social Teaching that workers have the right to decide through a fair process – free of coercion and based on accurate and truthful information – whether and by whom to be represented in the workplace.”

The Bishops also recommend principles for appropriate conduct for both the employer and the union to ensure employees are able to make an informed decision without pressure from either side.

These seven principles are guidelines to be used during an organizing campaign.

1. Respect – no negative campaigning
2. Equal access to Information
3. Truthful and Balanced Communications
4. No harassment, threats or intimidation
5. A fair and quick process
6. An enforceable ‘local agreement’ to be set between the employer and union at the beginning of an organizing campaign
7. Honoring the employee’s decision

If you have any questions or would like a copy of the report, please contact Chicago office at 312-491-4900 or email