Safe Staffing Means Better Health Care
Go to any hospital in New Mexico and you will find nurses who are pushed to the limit … that means patients suffer.
The National Union of Hospital and Healthcare Employees 1199NM /AFSCME/AFL-CIO and other nurses throughout New Mexico are trying to change this dangerous condition.
We are introducing legislative measures that will establish state wide standards for nurses to engage hospital management in the delivery of nursing plans that respond to the ACTUAL needs of their patients … not just what hospital management determines is ‘average’ and ‘acceptable’ for cost considerations.
What is disturbing is many hospital administrators insist that these state standards are not necessary…that patients should just trust the “bean counters” to assure that the health care the patient is receiving is actually good and safe.
And the biggest problem is that these administrators are not the people responsible by law to be the patient’s advocate … New Mexico law lays that responsibility at the feet of Nurses.
Direct care nurses in New Mexico need safe staffing legislation that will bring their voice to the table.
During the 2013 New Mexico Legislative Session, your Representatives and Senators will be debating House Bill 445, filed by State Representatives Christine Trujillo, Brian Egolff and others that will establish nursing care staffing committees, made up of 75% of direct care, non- management nurses, at every hospital in New Mexico. Please read it and join us in our struggle for safe staffing legislation.
Please help us by:
1. Forwarding this information to all of your email and Facebook contacts.
2. Contact us at:
Phone #: 505-780-8272
Website: www.nmhospitalworkersunion.com
Email : nmsafestaffingcoalition@yahoo.com
3. Call your state representative and senator and let them know how important safe staffing ratios are for patient care.
4. Print a copy of this message and share with your friends at work.
Great Journal Article
Great Journal article about safe staffing. Link to Journal Article
Safe Staffing Survey and Page
NM1199 is working hard to get safe staffing levels in New Mexico Hospitals. Check out our new safe staffing survey and read about staffing plans. Select “Safe Staffing” above or this link. Link to Safe Staffing page
April Edition of The Thorn and Insert
Read the latest about the Staffing Matrix, Education, Contracts, Negotiations, Delegrate Training, and lots more. The Thorn and Insert.
Safe Staffing Summit
Read about our May 5 Safe Staffing Summit. Let’s work together to create safe staffing legislation. Staffing Summit Flyer
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Support House Memorial 51 – Report on Nurse to Patient Ratios
POWER IN NUMBERS; HM51 calls upon the state to study staffing levels and determine what levels are safe. This report will pave the way for a Safe Staffing bill next year. With supporters filling the hearing room it passed the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee passed HM51 5-0 (with modifications). On Wednesday night it passed the House 59-4 with 7 absent.
Many thanks to Representative Brian Egolf for championing our concerns, and Bruce Wethebee for working to get this through, everyone who attended the hearings.
You can read HM51 and see who voted here link to HM51
Fact Sheet about Nurse to Patient Ratios: Link to Fact Sheet
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Our new office has moved to:
1404 Taos street suite B
Phone 505-780-8272 FAX 505-780-8273
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Staffing Council Interactions with Christine Kipp
See what our nurses on the Staffing Council are doing to achieve safe staffing levels
Staffing Council Interaction With Christine Kipp post
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Member Staffing Grid Meetings
All three bargaining units come hear what changes Cristine Kipp is proposing
1199NM MEMBERSHIP MEETING NOV16
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New and Old Contracts
Link to summary of new contract provisions: Summary
See final and previous proposals selecting Contracts and Proposals above or this link Contract and Proposals page
*Any Questions please feel free to contact Yolanda Contreras @ (505)690-6871*
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Nurses and techs. Please report understaffing using this form: Staffing census form
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Background
This website is created by the healthcare worker’s union of New Mexico, 1199NM. Our goal is to inform the public about issues concerning hospital healthcare at Christus St.Vincent Regional Medical Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. This hospital is the sole community provider of inpatient medical services in Santa Fe.
In 2008, the hospital was taken over by Christus Healthcare System, a Dallas, Texas Catholic hospital chain. Much remains hidden about the takeover. In this website we offer to the public a forum for discussion and exchange of information regarding this takeover and all its implications.
We will also be using the website to offer the public our view of 1199NM’s upcoming negotiations with the Christus chain to retain and improve our labor contract. The site contains a blog with some of the subjects that have been of interest to the community recently. These subjects are marked as Categories. Categories may be added. We solicit comments, posts and links. Please tell your stories; we are listening.
Because there is specialized vocabulary, there will soon be a glossary and we will also be adding a page of links. You can find the complete text of the current contract on the Contract page and a link to the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services on the Directives Page. The subjects with which we begin this dialog are:
- Labor Relations & Negotiations
- End of Life Care
- Reproductive Care
- Staffing
- Business, Finance and Billing
- SupportCo
- Government Relations and Regulations.