Registered nurses, supporters, and community members will hold a vigil for patient safety this Friday at Millinocket Regional Hospital (MRH)—focusing on safe staffing—the Maine State Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (MSNA/NNOC/NNU), announced today.

“Every community deserves a well-staffed hospital and the Millinocket community should expect no less.  We need to make sure the hospital is making safe staffing and coverage an ongoing priority,” said Cokie Giles, RN, co-president of NNU.

What: Vigil for Patient Safety at Millinocket Regional Hospital
When: Friday, May 19 2017, 6:00 - 8:00pm
Where: Veterans Memorial Park, Penobscot Ave. Millinocket ME 04462

Nurses, who are currently in contract negotiations with MRH, have been pushing for safe staffing measures for over a year—proposing contract provisions that would protect safe, effective and therapeutic patient care at the hospital. Specifically, say nurses, they have been advocating for safe nurse-to-patient staffing ratios, to ensure that nurses are not overloaded with patient assignments, rendering them unable to provide the kind of focused care each patient deserves.

Thus far, say nurses, MRH management representatives have been unwilling to accept union nurses’ proposals to address safe staffing issues—especially concerning, as research has shown that improved nurse-to-patient staffing ratios improve patient outcomes, assure nurses have more time to spend with patients and promote the retention of experienced RNs. According to a 2002 study (Aiken, et al), for example, for each additional surgical patient in an RN’s workload above the baseline nurse-to-patient ratio of 1:4, the likelihood of patient death within 30 days increases by 7 percent.

“Nothing takes the place having enough skilled and trained nursing staff to care for patients in this community,” said Giles. “Safe nurse to patient ratios are associated with improved patient outcomes and assure nurses will spend more time with patients.” 

MSNA represents over 2000 bedside nurses throughout Maine. NNU is the largest union of registered nurses in the country, with over 150,000 members nationwide.