Leveraging Nursing Expertise: A Message from the President on Taking off the Shackles

Nursing’s repeat appearance as America’s most trusted profession prompted the President of the ANA , Dr. Pamela Cipriano, to write a blog post, picked up by the Huffington Post. Pick it up here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pamela-f-cipriano-phd-rn-neabc-faan/leveraging-the-expertise-_b_8886198.html

In this post, Dr. Cipriano presents 4 ways  in which this country can move the health care agenda forward to facilitate better patient outcomes.

1. Modernize payment systems to incentivise the use of Multidisciplinary Teams.
2. Take the shackles off of APRNs to allow them a full scope of unfettered practice.
3. Place more nurses on hospital and corporate boards.
4. Protect nurses from on-the-job injuries.

As we advocate for our fellow RNs in Michigan, we should not fail to stretch ourselves to achieve our own full potential. Regrettably the link which was posted in my last post has expired, and the video no longer plays. We should not be discouraged, but continue to give our voices full volume and reach out to the public, politicians, and employers.

We can continue the work started in the Year of the Nurse to make this THE DECADE OF THE NURSE 2015-2025. I’m on board!

Termination Forces Nurse Anesthetist to Induce Early Labor – No Joy for the #Michigan68 in 2016!

What kind of a country do we live in, when highly educated, skilled, and accomplished CRNAs have to induce their baby to come two weeks early because they will be losing their health insurance benefits tomorrow? Barbaric! While mother and baby celebrate the New Year in the hospital (hopefully NOT St John Providence), 65 of the other #Michigan68 are also losing their jobs, their income, and their hearts as they are forced out by a sketchy physician fronting a shell corporation and a hospital administration that gives no quarter.

Here is the shocking story:

http://www.wxyz.com/news/region/oakland-county/66-nurse-anesthetists-to-walk-off-job-at-st-john-providence-instead-of-being-outsourced

I assume that all of the readers understand the extent of academic rigor, preparation, and training that a CRNA must undergo, but at the risk of preaching to the choir let me just give you an overview. In order to be admitted to a CRNA program, the applicant must have at least one year of nursing practice in a critical care setting, and submit to intense questioning regarding everything from their knowledge of Arterial Blood Gasses and the Acid-Base Balance to their philosophy of nursing and past contributions to professionalism and advocacy for nursing.

A very interesting fact is that numerous outcomes studies have demonstrated ZERO DIFFERENCE in the QUALITY OF CARE PROVIDED BY CRNAs and their PHYSICIAN COUNTERPARTS (http://www.aana.com/ceandeducation/becomeacrna/Pages/Nurse-Anesthetists-at-a-Glance.aspx).

So the CRNAs would like to be fairly compensated and treated like the professionals they are, but the physician community REFUSES to recognize their apparent parity, equity, equal ability – call it what you will but the patient outcomes are THE SAME. So why doesn’t the hospital support it’s CRNAs? Incredible.

The real villain in this scenario is #DominickLago, a physician who  purports to provide a new administrative and employment framework for the #Michigan68 CRNAs, but who in fact is a front man representing a yet as of unnamed company that has treated the CRNAs as if they were bad children who should just listen and shut up. See this story here:

http://www.clickondetroit.com/web/wdiv/news/nurse-anesthetists-locked-in-stalemate-with-st-john-providence-hopsital

So while I am going out in a little while to enjoy a “Happy New Year” my thoughts are with my friend and the #Michigan68 who lose their jobs at midnight and must scramble to keep their children fed, clothed, and housed in 2016. So what can we do about it?

Keep tweeting about the #Michigan68, add a new thread about #DominickLago and keep the pressure on. Oh yes, and keep the faith. Happy 2016, #Michigan 68 – we stand with you!