Last week was National Nurses Week and even though our nation’s caregivers appreciate the gifts and other gestures of appreciation it was also a wonderful opportunity to address issues that they face in the workplace.

For instance, many hospitals are cutting back on nursing staff to cut expenses and increase profits while putting patients at risk for infections, falls and other complications because of the lack of proper staff coverage.

So, if a nurse seems like she is ignoring you, she is usually trying to manage too many patients at once.

Nurses are also working under a constant threat of being assaulted in the workplace. For instance, 50 percent of emergency room nurses report being assaulted on the job by patients or their family members. In many hospitals, more security is needed.

Another issue is the growing trend among healthcare providers to replace nursing staff with unlicensed nursing assistants who are paid far less and lack proper training to provide adequate care. As more and more health facilities are being consumed by corporations, America’s nurses are finding themselves being treated like low-wage employees and being denied the proper resources to conduct their profession.

If the corporate healthcare industry is going to use threats and intimidation to deny our nation’s nursing professionals their basic rights in the workplace then our nation’s legislators must pass laws to protect them.

A simple law requiring hospitals to schedule nurses on a patient-to-staff ratio would be a good start. Further, passing a law that will hold offenders accountable for assaults upon hospital staff because many get off with a light sentence would also be beneficial. We have passed laws to protect our law enforcement officers, so we should also protect our caregivers.

As someone with many health concerns, I have been admitted to the hospital many times and I have never encountered a nurse that didn’t show me care and understanding.

As with everything else corporate America touches, quality is being sacrificed for profits.

I find that unacceptable and so should you.

 

William Crandell is a community activist and member of the Michigan Education Association and the Michigan Democratic Party. He is also a member of the South County Democratic Club where he has served as their communications director and as the chairperson of the SCDC Blue Tiger Community Action Committee.