Instead of celebrating National Nurses’ Day on May 6th with the usual roses or free lunches, more than 200 nurses and health care workers arrived at the doors of the New Jersey Hospital Association early that morning to deliver their message, “Ratios, Not Roses” to hospital CEOs.

Armed with an oversized greeting card displaying their message, the workers circled the Association’s headquarters chanting, “Hey Hey, Ho Ho, Short Staffing’s Got to Go!”, as the local police kept watch to assure the safety of the Association’s executives.

“While hospitals give lip service with ads applauding their nurses, they lobby against safe staffing levels in Trenton,” stated HPAE President Ann Twomey at the demonstration. ‘If hospitals truly want to recognize and reward nurses and all health care workers they would be supporting safe nurse-to-patient ratios.”

The demonstrators persisted and delivered their message and an actual petition signed by over one thousand of their co-workers to the Hospital Association (see President’s Message). They finally succeeded when those cowering inside the Association’s headquarters realized that the demonstrators were hardly “armed and dangerous”, just determined to make their point.

On to Trenton.

The group traveled on to Trenton later that morning to lobby legislators in both the New Jersey Senate and Assembly to support safe staffing legislation. Nurses set up blood pressure and health screening tables in front of the General Assembly; explaining to Assembly members the dangers of caring for too many patients with too little staff.

After a brief address by New Jersey AFL-CIO President Charlie Wowkanech, the group hit the halls of the State House in a massive lobbying effort. The HPAE members were warmly received by the legislators, an indication that they were very aware of the issue at stake, and the problems health care workers now face. The sincerity of the legislators will now begin to be tested when joint a Assembly/Senate committee meets on May 16th to begin the process of moving the safe staffing legislation to a vote (see Legislative Remedies on page 2).

Recognition by the Assembly and Governor McGreevey.

The HPAE members ended the day by being honored by the New Jersey Assembly with a proclamation for their union’s successful efforts in getting such legislation as ‘the Baby Bill”, and Whistleblower protections passed.

The proclamation was sponsored by Assemblywoman Loretta Weinberg and Assembly Speaker Albio Sires, and specifically honored HPAE members for “charting a new course for a healthy nation”, and ….increasing the quality of health care and improving the working conditions for nurses.”

Governor Jim McGreevey then received the group in his chambers, where he donned an HPAE union button during the ensuing photo session; completing what had been a very successful day for the workers, and for the drive to win safe staffing legislation protection.

Safe Staffing: It's Not Just About Nurses

Assistants, technicians and health professionals are integral parts of a patient's care team. When short staffing leaves them out of the picture, the consequences can be severe.

Charlene Cain, RN, Behavioral Health Nurse

"One weekend our patients did not receive any recreation sessions because there were no recreational therapists available. As a result, confrontations and other disruptive behavior increased dramatically. The recreation periods are important parts of the overall treatment program for these particular patients, who are being treated for substance abuse. In that case, the absence of therapists created a real setback for the patients and 'a work shift from hell' for their nursing staff."

Lisa Setz, RN, Visiting Nurse.

"A shortage of home health aides, speech therapists, and physical and occupational therapists can make a real - and negative - impact on a patient's recovery. As a visiting nurse who treats patients in their homes, I see patients repeatedly discharged with a need to take multiple medications. However, in some cases the patient cannot swallow, and will aspirate unless they have access to treatment by a speech therapist. When they don't, the chances for readmission to the hospital go way up."

Jennifer Charles, Certified Nursing Assistant

"Compared to most, our facility is one of the better staffed and operated ones in the state. However, there often are only 5 to 6 nursing assistants for 60 patients on one floor. Many of these patients have Alzheimers, and need to be closely watched but we don't have the number of staff we need to do that and provide the basic daily care they need. To do that, we need more staff."

The Legislative Remedies.
As health care workers, we are being told to do more with less - to care for more and sicker patients with less staff and less support.

Proposed legislation in New Jersey (Senate bill 482) would establish nurse-to-patient ratios in all hospitals and set minimum ratios in nursing homes for registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and certified nursing assistants.

That bill and companion legislation in the Assembly (Assembly bill 90) call for public disclosure of staffing levels and quality indicators, such as infection rates in both hospitals and nursing homes.

Our Senate and Assembly Health Committees will be holding a joint hearing on Thursday, May 16th. HPAE members will be there to testify in support of the safe staffing legislation, and to urge the Committees to quickly move for a vote in both legislative houses.

We Won’t Stop in Trenton
The campaign to “Set Limits - Save Lives” is a national campaign supported and joined by our AFT Healthcare affiliates in several different states. We will also make staffing language our priority in every contract we negotiate. To succeed, we need the help of the community and our union colleagues. We will double our outreach efforts to let the community know we are fighting for them and we need their support. This has been the proven combination for success.