Controversial nurse staffing bill moves forward in MN House

A controversial bill that would set up committees at every Minnesota hospital to review nurse staffing and workload is moving forward in the Minnesota House after clearing a key committee today on a vote of 9-to-7.  Diana Smith, E-R nurse in Red Wing, says a patient hit her in the neck because he was upset that he couldn’t go on a walk when he wanted:

“If we had been staffed appropriately for this patient, I probably would not have been punched.  However, when our units are constantly understaffed, we struggle to navigate complex care needs that sometimes result in violent behavior.”

Kelly Hagen, chief nursing officer at Rainy Lake Medical Center in International Falls, told lawmakers 57 percent of R-Ns statewide are not working a full-time schedule:

“Hospitals across the state are accommodating this to allow nurses to have a better work-life balance….  However, we are still a hospital and we need to provide exceptional care to all of our patients 24/7.”