June 26, 2006: Hawaii, Shortage of educators plagues isle nursing schools:""Without enough RNs, some health care providers (e.g., hospitals, nursing homes and home care agencies) may be forced to limit or discontinue services." Even if they continue to provide services, the center said, having fewer nurses could affect patient safety. The nursing shortage is a global crisis, with Hawaii's plight intensified by a population aging faster than the rest of the nation. While demands for care are increasing, baby boomers -- the bulk of registered nurses and nursing educators -- are retiring." http://starbulletin.com/2006/06/26/news/story02.html
Dec. 30, 2002: Hawaii a new ballgame
for seasoned nurse negotiator:"There are some things that surprised me. In compensation, the two things that shocked me were the job rate pay system, where somebody reaches job rate at two years and doesn't really progress beyond that, and the absence of weekend differentials. Everywhere I've ever been on the mainland the employers realize those are prime shifts and nurses working them are compensated accordingly. Hawaii is probably about three years behind the mainland in terms of the acuity of the shortages and in terms of nurses leaving staff position to work for agencies where they have more control and aren't dealing with the same clinical demands. They may get more money and have more control over their schedules for easier work." http://starbulletin.com/2002/12/29/business/story2.html
December 13, 2002: Hawaii: Nurse strike claims victim: Holiday joy:"Nearly 1,400 nurses at Queen's, St. Francis Medical Center and Kuakini Medical Center, represented by the Hawaii Nurses Association, went into the second week of a strike after contract demands weren't met. No negotiations had been scheduled as of PBN's press time Wednesday night.
Contracts for approximately 2,500 nurses, including those at Kaiser Foundation Hospital and Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children, where nurses ratified agreements with management last week, expired Nov. 30.
Hospitals, Human Resources
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For Craft and other nurses on the picket line, the strike is sapping holiday energy and what usually is a festive environment this time of year." http://pacific.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2002/12/16/story3.html
December 6, 2002: Hawaii: St. Francis seeks nurses, Hospital says dialysis care will be
jeopardized if nurses won't return:"St. Francis Medical Center charged yesterday that if the Hawaii Nurses Association does not release striking nurses to go back to work in the hospital's kidney dialysis and organ transplant areas, patient care may be compromised in the next few days.
"The health of the patients is now being placed in jeopardy," said Dr. Jared Sugihara, St. Francis medical director and also a specialist in the treatment of kidney diseases.
Dialysis patients at St. Francis are now being cared for by management nurses and dialysis technicians.
Even prior to the strike, there was a shortage of nurses trained in the field, Sugihara said. It also takes six weeks to train a dialysis nurse, he said." http://starbulletin.com/2002/12/06/business/story1.html
December 3, 2002: Hawaii: Queen's Nurses Join Strike, 1,400 Nurses Walk Off Job:"Nurses at the state's largest hospital began striking Tuesday morning, making The Queen's Medical Center the third hospital where nurses are walking picket lines.
Queen's nurses Monday night rejected management's latest contract offer and began walking the picket line at 7 a.m.
They join nurses from St. Francis and Kuakini medical centers, who began picketing Monday morning.
An estimated 1,400 nurses are now on strike, and a union spokesman said he expects they'll be there for at least a few days." http://www.thehawaiichannel.com/news/1817150/detail.html
December 2, 2002: Hawaii: St. Francis, Kuakini Nurses Strike, St. Francis Lays Off 100 Workers:"Nurses at St. Francis and Kuakini medical centers hit the picket line at 7 a.m. Monday.
Last-minute contract negotiations continued late Sunday night, but did not keep nurses on the job.
Kuakini nurses said they rejected the latest offer from management. Kuakini's 212 nurses decided to strike after management offered them a take it or leave it proposal, union officials said.
The nurses said the proposal fell short on a medical benefits package for retirees and on the issue of staffing. They've heard management has flown in 100 nurses to care for patients, nurses said." http://www.thehawaiichannel.com/news/1814340/detail.html
November 19, 2002: Hawaii: Kaiser Nurses Vote To Strike:"The Hawaii Nurses' Association announced Tuesday that the nurses at Kaiser Medical Centers voted to authorize a strike.
HNA will next issue a 10-day strike notice to the hospitals.
The two sides are scheduled to resume negotiations on Wednesday and the following week with a federal mediator.
The nurses' current contract that expires on Nov. 30 has a no-strike clause. By issuing the 10-day strike notice to the hospital, the nurses could possibly strike on Dec. 1." http://www.thehawaiichannel.com/news/1795592/detail.html
November 18, 2002: Hawaii nurses begin taking strike vote:"Nurses at Kaiser Permanente, Kuakini and St. Francis Medical Center, Queen's and Kapiolani Medical Center began taking a strike vote Sunday as they negotiate for higher hourly rates.
Their contract expires Nov. 30 and the strike authorization vote, which would allow their union leaders to call a walkout at any time after that, is intended to strengthen the union bargaining team's hand." http://pacific.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2002/11/18/daily3.html
November 13, 2002: Hawaii: Kaiser Nurses Schedule Strike Vote Nurses' Contract Ends Nov. 30:"A labor contract covering nurses at five major hospitals expires at the end of the month.
The nurse's union has scheduled a strike authorization vote for nurses at Kaiser Permanente this weekend.
Contract talks are taking place at the Employers Council.
As of midday, negotiators for Kaiser nurses had yet to receive a wage proposal from management. However, nurses said a strike authorization vote is scheduled for Sunday and Monday of next week.
The union said the move is out of frustration that the talks are dragging compared to the other hospitals." http://www.thehawaiichannel.com/news/1785144/detail.html
National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc.:"The following narratives have been written by individual state boards of nursing regarding the significant activities in their respective states related to the nursing shortage. These excerpts do not provide a comprehensive update of the nurse shortage in these states or nationwide. The information is simply intended to share information among Member Boards."
National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc.
676 N. St. Clair Street
Suite 550
Chicago, Illinois, 60611-2921
Telephone: (312) 787-6555. info@ncsbn.org http://www.ncsbn.org/news/stateupdates_state_shortage.asp
Nursing Shortage Serious For Seniors, About.com:"As the population ages the impact of the nursing shortage will be even greater.
There is a threat to the health of every older adult in the United States and Canada looming on the horizon. It is not a virus or new type of bacteria that is causing this threat. The threat to health is a result of the increasing shortage of nurses in both countries.
Over the last couple of years there have been numerous stories in the press about the magnitude and causes of the shortage. So far solutions for this situation have been few. Additionally this nursing shortage will impact the oldest of citizens the most. Older adults use health care services at a higher rate than do younger people. Advances in medicine and improved nutrition and lifestyle have added years to the average life span. With this longer life comes higher needs for medical services, especially the services of professional nurses." http://seniorhealth.about.com/cs/prevention/a/nurse_shortage.htm
The Nurse/Patient Ratio by Genevieve M. Clavreul RN, Ph.D.:"The New Year heralds many things, and this year brings legislation mandating a patient/nurse ratio in California. But after the confetti stops falling, did we get what we want? We now have a panacea for thousands of nurses in California, however, the ratio really can’t be enforced. (At the writing of this article the companion bill for enforcement is stalled in the legislature, having been defeated at least once already).
As my children are fond of saying, “why am I not surprised?” Having been a nurse for almost 30 years, most of those years spent in the NICU/PICU, I am used to working with a strict nurse/patient ratio. ICU’s and a few other areas of nursing have always been under the control of an “acuity” system. Actually, all nursing is supposed to be, but we all know this isn’t always the case. For this reason, I knew in my heart that legislating a nurse/patient ratio was probably an exercise in futility."
Working Nurse, Working World Magazine
3600 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1526
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Tel:(213)385-4781,
Fax:(213)385-3782, WorkingNurse@WorkingWorld.com http://www.workingworld.com/magazine/viewarticle.asp?articleno=254&wn=1
Nursing: A Medical Emergency, and Opportunity, hits home by Ronald A. Reis and Karen F. Reis RN:"You’re an RN, and you’ve been at it, administering to the sick and wounded, for months, years, maybe even decades. You’ve got your hands full with 12-hour shifts, high turnover, an often less than supportive work environment, and a stressed-out health care system that is, in places, itself on life-support. What to do? How to keep going? How to make this job, career, meaningful again? How to get out of nursing what you went into it for? How to avoid adding to the national nursing shortage by short-circuiting your own involvement in a noble profession?"
Working Nurse, Working World Magazine
3600 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1526
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Tel:(213)385-4781,
Fax:(213)385-3782, WorkingNurse@WorkingWorld.com
http://www.workingworld.com/magazine/viewarticle.asp?articleno=253&w
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