Community invited to attend, support

Presque Isle, Maine—Nurses at The Aroostook Medical Center (TAMC) will hold a “March for Patient Safety,” Thursday, June 9 at 7 p.m., beginning in the Braden Theater parking lot—calling on TAMC to address key safety and staffing concerns.

“We need more nurses at the bedside to be able to provide the kind of care the community needs. The medical center can’t safely staff the hospital if there aren’t enough nurses to cover all the shifts,” said TAMC RN Kim Cooper.

Nurses represented by the Maine State Nurses Association/National Nurses United (MSNA/NNU) have been in contract negotiations with TAMC since early April.  Nurses are asking for provisions that would ensure safe staffing at the medical center—by including improved nurse-to-patient ratios and factoring in the staffing necessary to care for patients at more severe levels of illness or injury. Recruitment and retention of experienced staff is also a critical issue, as TAMC has had trouble filling RN positions, leaving units short staffed and potentially creating unsafe conditions.

What: Nurse March for Safe Patient Staffing
When: Thursday, June 9—6:30 p.m. RN Media Availability, 7 p.m. March
Where: The Braden Theater Parking Lot, 408 Main St, Presque Isle, ME 04769

Unsafe staffing has been related to poor patient outcomes including increased rates of hospital-acquired infections, bedsores, and falls—as well as fatigue and higher turnover rates for nurses.  Studies have shown that there is also a higher mortality rate associated with short staffing—including a University of Pennsylvania study that revealed on a medical floor with appropriate ratios, patient deaths could be reduced by 14 percent.

“We need the hospital to hire and retain nurses and also be accountable for the staffing decisions they make that affect our patients’ health and safety,” said Cooper.

TAMC is an affiliate of Eastern Maine Health Systems.

Press availability, photo opportunity: Nurses will be available to speak with the press by 6:30 p.m. at the Braden Theater Parking Lot. Contact: Vanessa Sylvester, 207-441-6762