Standing Strong Together: E-Sisters and Asheville96

The distress caused by problems with Essure cannot be overemphasized. The link below contains a significant amount of resources to share with those who have been hurt:

 

 

The most important thing to do is to REPORT the side effects and add to the data base and evidence that is being used to remove this product from the market.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Essureproblems/permalink/1117765924921786/

An update from the Asheville96 is below:

We have endured another emotional week here in Asheville. To say things have settled would be a gross overstatement, but there have been significant developments in our situation. Mission Health System and our current employer, AllCare Clinical Associates, have agreed to an extension of our contract through July 31st, in order to assist with a transition that would better meet the needs of our patients.

Included in the agreement of a contract extension, a non-solicitation clause was lifted, allowing the hospital to approach us regarding employment, again to better meet the needs of our patients here in WNC during the transition.

Now that we can openly explore employment options with Mission Health System, we sincerely hope that dialogue will open up that could result in a mutually acceptable agreement regarding certain details of our employment. Recent history has demonstrated that in a transition such as ours, all parties involved eventually sit down and try to reach an acceptable agreement. Unfortunately, these discussions often take place after much disruption, displacement, and financial loss. We strongly believe if there could be dialogue between CRNAs and Mission Health now — and not 6 months from now– the outcome would be more favorable for CRNAs, hospital administration, surgeons, and most importantly, our patients.

The CRNAs are extremely unsettled and unsure of what our future holds. Many of us are actively searching, applying, and interviewing for employment outside of Western North Carolina. While we have remained committed to the safety and well-being of our patients throughout this difficult 6 weeks, we are now realizing that we must make decisions based on what is best for our families. We desperately want to stay in Asheville, but fear our quality of life and time spent with our families is in grave danger. While we are faced with these difficult decisions and in hopes that we will open dialogue with hospital administration, we ask that you continue to respect our position and give us time and space to hopefully reach a mutual agreement.

Please continue to follow these issues and lend them your voice and your support. Together, we are making a difference in the world.

Happy CRNA Week – January 24-30, 2016

It’s CRNA week, and I am glad to report good news for the #Michigan68.

First to the celebration:

Posted by Asheville Crna on Monday, January 25, 2016

They are celebrating in Michigan, as a legitimate and fair contract has finally been negotiated, allowing the #MI68 to go back to the jobs and patients they love. Find the whole story here:

https://www.gofundme.com/8acbtzfw?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=email&utm_content=cta_button&utm_campaign=upd_n

Perhaps the most powerful statement made in the news from the #MI68 is this one-

We have proven our conviction to stand up for what is right. We have shown the extent of our moral fortitude by remaining committed to the CRNA profession and our campaign despite the personal cost. And, most importantly, have shown the selfless ability to forgive – exemplifying the compassion and professionalism inherent throughout the entire nurse and advanced nurse practice field.

Nurses, exhibiting compassion, professionalism and CARING, while remaining true to their values. It is truly worth celebrating that your efforts, their efforts, and the combined pressure of public opinion, nursing professionals, and just plain ethics resulted in the ability for all parties to come to a reasonable and appropriate agreement.

I hope you will join me in now turning your attention to the #Asheville96 and support them in any way you can as they work through these same issues. Together we can keep CARING in nursing without sacrificing our core values. It takes a village…

 

 

High-Quality Nursing Environment = Better Outcomes. Is that not what we want?

This photo of a Civil War era nurse reminds us of where we have come from. We have made such significant progress in all areas of nursing and medical care, except perhaps in the area of nursing’s status as an independent profession deserving of respect and equality. In this era of outcomes-driven healthcare regulation, it only seems logical to ensure the availability of well-educated nurses in a supportive environment. This week’s ANA Smart Brief highlighted a Journal of the American Medical Association – Surgery article which stated clearly that high-quality nursing environments cost no more but result in better survival of surgical patients. Here is the cite:

Hospital study links high-quality nursing environment to better outcomes
A study that included hospitals in Illinois, New York and Texas found higher-quality nursing environments had similar costs but better survival rates for surgical patients, compared with hospitals that had poorer nursing environments. “While better outcomes and value may be owing to other features of hospitals with good nursing, excellent nursing environments appear to provide a strong signal to patients and referring physicians for better quality, lower cost, and higher value,” researchers reported in JAMA Surgery.

…better quality…lower cost…higher value. What then is the impetus for higher nurse-to-patient ratios, reducing compensation for CRNAs and diminishing or decreasing the quality of the nursing environment? It is outright counter-productive!

As study results mount demonstrating the added value of an educated and supported nursing staff, perhaps we will finally be able to address these issues with legislation. Some active issues include:

• legislating nurse-to-patient staffing ratios that cannot be exceeded as in California
• lifting restrictions on APRN practice
• Safe Patient Handling and Mobility (SPHM)
• workplace violence.

Becoming politically active is not a huge commitment. It could be a single phone call or email to one of your representatives to educate them about an issue that is important to you as a nurse. Just imagine if we all did this. Now, imagine if we all did it as an entire profession! If nursing took up just one issue, focused on it with the power of the entire profession, and reached out to politicians and policymakers, I am sure we could advance our agenda a great deal. Let’s all commit to taking the first step. Remember Meryl Williamson’s inspirational video. We are the only things in our way!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dedicated Medical Professionals when Disaster Strikes: Kudos to the #Asheville96

Facing termination by an uncaring administration, the doctors and nurses comprising the #Asheville96 respond by going the extra mile to ensure their community has the excellent medical care they need in the fact of disaster.

In pursuit of the “Iron Triangle” of access, outcomes (quality) and cost, all too often we overlook the big C which is supposed to be at the heart of our system – CARING. These nurses and physicians are demonstrating their caring despite being put into a disrespectful, compromised position by the hospital.

We all must continue to keep the big C at heart of medical “care”. We can talk about medical services, and medical service administration but the act of a medical professional interacting with a patient on their behalf is still called medicare CARE.

Please support the #Asheville96 as they seek to continue to provide excellent medical CARE to their community, and let your own voice be heard! Together we can move forward without losing sight of the big C.

Do you want just anyone doing this? What’s happening in Anesthesia?

I was all set to blog about the water tragedy in Flint and #whatwouldflodo when I came upon a situation which roughly parallels the #Michigan68. Now there are the #Asheville 96. In their case, however, not only the CRNAs are facing termination, but the physicians are as well. Here is the post from their Facebook group Asheville Crna:

As we posted yesterday, anesthesia services in Western North Carolina face an uncertain future. We, the certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), are the people who provide your direct, hands-on anesthesia care in our home community. We safely get you off to sleep, watch over every single breath and every heartbeat while you’re having surgery, and wake you up safely and comfortably. We provide your anesthesia care for the birth of your children. We serve you in times of your greatest joys and highest vulnerabilities. We are your lifeline, and we take enormous pride in that.

Due to circumstances in which we had no part, we are facing a huge change in our employment this Spring. More importantly, the stability that our group has provided for 45 years may vanish. In short, come Spring you may have a new group of anesthesia providers who know nothing of hospital protocols, surgeon preferences, quality measures we’ve perfected over decades, heck – even how to find their way around the hospital.

All we want is to continue providing the highest level of care to surgical patients of WNC—our home community—just as we always have. We want the stability of 45 years of quality care to continue for another 45 years and beyond. We want to come into work before the sun, give our very best to you, and not be concerned about our employment. After all, we have more important things to focus on.

How can you help? Pass this on to everyone you know, especially in medical circles. Tell them that we are facing the uprooting of a stable, highly skilled anesthesia care community. Talk with your family, your doctor, your dentist, your cousin who is a nurse, your minister, your coworkers. Ask them whom they would prefer to have put them to sleep, watch over them and wake them up—the group that’s done it for 45 years and lives here with you or someone who hasn’t had time to unpack boxes.

Please share your support for ‪#‎Asheville96‬

It is once again time to join together to voice our support for our colleagues, to advocate for nurses, nursing, and patient care and safety. If we come together, we will be stronger in number and power. Please support the #Asheville96.