Northland nurses say they hope a bill could help improve the staffing levels.  Photo: WDIO

From WDIO-TV - February 4, 2022

Nurses say they remain exhausted as they care for patients, but with fewer and fewer co-workers. The issue of safe staffing isn't a new one, according to the the Minnesota Nurses Association, but made worse by the pandemic.

"We've sort of faced a proverbial hamster wheel," shared Cory Rubesch, from the MNA. "When we attempt to bring to the issue to the hospitals, they've said we don't have an interest in negotiating with you. Go to the legislature. Then the legislature, in previous sessions, says we're not interested in legislating this with you. Go to your employers."

But they are hopeful that the Keep Nurses at the Bedside Act will address hospital short-staffing and the retention crisis. It would set a limit on the  number of patients any one nurse can be responsible for, and that nurses would have input on setting up those staffing numbers. Plus it calls for new measures to recruit and retain workers.

Several nurses stood at the Labor Temple in Duluth and shared stories about their experiences on Friday.

"We're getting phone calls day after day, saying we're three short on afternoons. Can you come? This is every shift, not just one shift," shared Marcia Swanson, who works at Miller Dwan.

Laura Drozdowski, an ER nurse at St. Luke's, added, "Currently we are hemorrhaging nurses at the bedside, and it takes a long time to train new nurses again."

And a Moose Lake area nurse, Tristin Eastvold, shared, "Before the pandemic began, I've never had so many shifts where I felt completely helpless. There are so many shifts where I don't have the resources to give the patients the exact care that they need."

Senator Jen McEwen, of Duluth, said she's hearing nurses are facing a moral injury. "They're working as hard as they can work. They're stretching as far as they can, knowing that they can't perhaps deliver the kind of care that they know that their patients need. That is excruciating for them."

Rep. Liz Olson of Duluth is a chief author of the bill. She said she thinks this bill is different than ones from before, so it has a different chance of getting through. "Given the focus on the pandemic and supporting workers, I think this is the time. The time is right. And this is the moment. This has to be the moment."

Essentia sent a statement:

“At Essentia Health, we appreciate the contributions of all of our colleagues, especially during this challenging time.  High-quality patient care continues to be at the heart of all we do.”  

So did St. Luke's. It's from co-presidents Eric Lohn and Dr. Nick Van Deelen:

"The COVID-19 pandemic worsened the nationwide nursing shortage and that has created extra stress and increased work for all of us in healthcare. We appreciate the incredible job our staff does every day, dedicating themselves to putting our patients above all else. Our team is constantly going above and beyond. We are so proud of them. 

We support any legislation that encourages and provides grants to help others enter the nursing field. While these are unprecedented times, we believe that the nursing shortage will continue long term if more isn't done to help recruit people to this vital profession. 

We know it has been a tough time, and we are thankful for people throughout our organization taking on more, whether it's our nurses signing on for extra shifts or non-patient care staff signing up to support them. 

We also want to thank our communities for doing what they can to mitigate COVID. We ask that people continue supporting our staff by getting the COVID-19 vaccine and booster shots, masking, and following CDC guidelines to keep everyone safe and healthy."

To see the original report and read related stories, follow this link to the WDIO-TV website. https://www.wdio.com/news/northland-nurses-safe-staffing-bill-health-care-medical-pandemic/6380651/?...