The three-year contract between Eastern Maine Medical Center (EMMC) and the registered nurses represented by the Maine State Nurses Association/National Nurses United (MSNA/NNU) is set to expire as the Medical Center refuses to address nurses’ safety concerns.

RNs maintain that this contract settlement must address issues that impact patient safety, including improved staffing to reduce the number of injuries—such as falls, infections and bedsores—that patients acquire while being treated at EMMC.  

EMMC was recently cited by Medicare due to “high rates of potentially avoidable mistakes that can harm patients, known as 'hospital-acquired conditions' (HACs)." Penalized hospitals will have their Medicare payments reduced by 1 percent over the fiscal year that runs from October 2014 through September 2015. Nurses say these avoidable mistakes highlighted by the Medicare citation are unacceptable—and point to improved staffing as the solution for ensuring patient safety.

Studies have shown time and again that safe nurse-to-patient staffing improves outcomes and saves lives. A recent study by the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing showed that for each additional patient per nurse on medical–surgical units beyond the baseline number, there was a 4 percent decrease in the odds of survival. Nurses at EMMC, backed by studies such as these, maintain that if staffing were improved, patient injuries could be avoided—and along with them, the suffering of patients and their families subject to longer hospital stays and increased costs.

As of last week there were 39 positions that remain open for Registered Nurses at EMMC. The MSNA is concerned over the Medical Center’s ability to find nurses to fill these already-posted positions and any additional positions without secure contract language ensuring that new hires won’t sign on, only to be subject to EMMC’s history of poor working conditions. As things stand, nurses say, without a secure contract, the Medical Center has been having trouble recruiting and retaining the nurses patients deserve.

“The health of our patients and community rely on EMMC being appropriately staffed. The hospital cannot recruit or retain enough nurses at this point to provide the kind of care patients deserve. This is about reducing patient falls, infections and other injuries patients are subject to, due to inefficient staffing,” said Steve Akerley, a Post-Anesthesia Care Unit RN and member of the bargaining committee.
 
“It is unfortunate that the Medical Center is not willing to have a serious discussion about about staffing. They continue to state that EMMC’s 'staffing plans are adequate' and have spent much of negations on undocumented market research portraying RNs as overpaid. Disparaging RNs is not going to fill the open positions needed to staff the medical center. Recruitment is not all about a higher starting rate for nurses, it is about the working conditions and the RNs’ ability to provide safe and effective care to our patients. MSNA is hopeful that more negotiations dates will be set up,” said Akerely.
 
MSNA/NNU represents over 2000 nurses who work in facilities and agencies throughout the state of Maine. As the largest organization of nurses in the state, MSNA/NNU is committed to improving the standards of nursing and patient care through collective bargaining, advocacy and organizing.  MSNA is part of National Nurses United, representing over 185,000 RNs nationwide.