7,800 nurses, staff at Swedish hospitals will strike for 3 days (medical, best)

[AADAD]

Originally Posted by Seacove

The greater question is which nurses can get hired at better hospitals.

Most of them. There is a shortage of qualified RN's.

[AADAD]

Originally Posted by eugene_b

Asking for a friend... which place(s) are seasoned nurses leaving for?

Evergreen

Virginia Mason

UW

Overlake

Nursing is one of the most demanding jobs a person can have. One actually to be successful over years must perform flawlessly. Zero errors. It's that discipline which leads to our confidence.

It's something that most people won't understand.

[Seacove]

Originally Posted by AADAD

Evergreen

Virginia Mason

UW

Overlake

Nursing is one of the most demanding jobs a person can have. One actually to be successful over years must perform flawlessly. Zero errors. It's that discipline which leads to our confidence.

It's something that most people won't understand.

But the good ones would already be hired elsewhere by now.

[eugene_b]

Originally Posted by AADAD

Evergreen

Virginia Mason

UW

Overlake

Nursing is one of the most demanding jobs a person can have. One actually to be successful over years must perform flawlessly. Zero errors. It's that discipline which leads to our confidence.

It's something that most people won't understand.

Thanks! And another question - do you know if this involves all nurses throughout Swedish system or just certain areas like ER nurses? So areas like surgeries, labor/deliveries, etc?

[AADAD]

Originally Posted by eugene_b

Thanks! And another question - do you know if this involves all nurses throughout Swedish system or just certain areas like ER nurses? So areas like surgeries, labor/deliveries, etc?

All RN's support staff, EVS and Respiratory Therapists, lab, pharmacy and others.

[AADAD]

Originally Posted by Seacove

But the good ones would already be hired elsewhere by now.

WE don't scale ourselves in that way good vs bad. Competence in nursing is the benchmark. One cannot practice nursing and be "bad". The internal controls to prevent that are pretty strong. Nurses and doctors
know a practitioner under stress right away and we deal with it quickly.

[Seacove]

Originally Posted by AADAD

WE don't scale ourselves in that way good vs bad. Competence in nursing is the benchmark. One cannot practice nursing and be "bad". The internal controls to prevent that are pretty strong. Nurses and doctors
know a practitioner under stress right away and we deal with it quickly.

Nurses may not but hospitals do. We all know good and bad doctors and nurses. They are not all the same in education, knowledge, skill set, approach, thoroughness or manner. Some are indeed better than others.

[AADAD]

Originally Posted by Seacove

Nurses may not but hospitals do. We all know good and bad doctors and nurses. They are not all the same in education, knowledge, skill set, approach, thoroughness or manner. Some are indeed better than others.

It's a nuance.

In practice now for 30 years, I have met and worked with only a handful of practitioners worldwide who were compromised. From Russia to South Africa to France to Alaska the training for RN's and MD's is nearly identical.

Do mistakes happen...yes and unfortunately they do. Mostly due to the fact that the checks in place are not followed. Do medication errors happen again yes. Again, we are not immune to those.

Some make you feel better. If that is important to you rate them on courtesy, not on skills.

[AADAD]

Governor Inslee has appointed a new and very experienced senior mediator to the debacle to determine if progress can be made.

Most top tier medical centers have already figured out that adequate staffing improves outcomes. Swedish for some reason has not. Their administrations intransigence has led to staffing failures, poor patient safety and quality measure downturns. Here are some examples.

When a suicidal patient is in the hospital they must be placed with a one to one nursing assistant. Swedish refused to do so and 2 months ago was at risk of being closed at the Edmonds Campus.

When a nurse watching 4 patients takes a break of any length another nurse who already has 4 patients must absorb the others. This is unsafe.

There are frequently violent patients that are not adequately supervised. These have resulted in staff injuries.

It is an awkward position for a medical center to find itself and many have. Swedish simply does not want to believe that their "time has come" to improve care and patient outcomes. At the top of that decision modality, money is a priority but not the leading one. It is how they see themselves. They in fact do good work, helping thousands each year. It's "their house". Admitting that nurses ratio and staffing changes will improve care is not the issue in their minds. It's that they are being forced to change. It hurts them and they resist it.

The groundswell of nurses and the public is bringing to a close the sad chapter- since 2016 when Swedish hired Dr. Deleshaw and his antics, which led to a superb series of articles by the Seattle Times. His medical license to practice in Washington State, was revoked after a terribly tragic death resulted and his practice of "performing" multiple surgeries was revealed.

https://projects.seattletimes.com/20...care/hospital/


Swedish has continued to suggest, to you, the public, that they are Health For Good (their current motto), while knowing full well of the failures present in their hospitals. These are not minor nor is their attitude towards change.

Hospitalists frequently carry many more patients than can be adequately cared for. Swedish's demands on staff extend to all corners of the organization and increase risk to the public health. This is what WE are fighting for, to make your care safer.

Many people have positive outcomes, and thousands of people do well at their campuses. It's those that do not that holds our concern and our trust.

Nurses take an oath, a promise, dating back hundreds of years to do our best to protect and to serve the public.

That's what this strike is about. Nothing more and nothing less.

[Seacove]

Originally Posted by AADAD

Governor Inslee has appointed a new and very experienced senior mediator to the debacle to determine if progress can be made.

Most top tier medical centers have already figured out that adequate staffing improves outcomes. Swedish for some reason has not. Their administrations intransigence has led to staffing failures, poor patient safety and quality measure downturns. Here are some examples.

When a suicidal patient is in the hospital they must be placed with a one to one nursing assistant. Swedish refused to do so and 2 months ago was at risk of being closed at the Edmonds Campus.

When a nurse watching 4 patients takes a break of any length another nurse who already has 4 patients must absorb the others. This is unsafe.

There are frequently violent patients that are not adequately supervised. These have resulted in staff injuries.

It is an awkward position for a medical center to find itself and many have. Swedish simply does not want to believe that their "time has come" to improve care and patient outcomes. At the top of that decision modality, money is a priority but not the leading one. It is how they see themselves. They in fact do good work, helping thousands each year. It's "their house". Admitting that nurses ratio and staffing changes will improve care is not the issue in their minds. It's that they are being forced to change. It hurts them and they resist it.

The groundswell of nurses and the public is bringing to a close the sad chapter- since 2016 when Swedish hired Dr. Deleshaw and his antics, which led to a superb series of articles by the Seattle Times. His medical license to practice in Washington State, was revoked after a terribly tragic death resulted and his practice of "performing" multiple surgeries was revealed.

https://projects.seattletimes.com/20...care/hospital/


Swedish has continued to suggest, to you, the public, that they are Health For Good (their current motto), while knowing full well of the failures present in their hospitals. These are not minor nor is their attitude towards change.

Hospitalists frequently carry many more patients than can be adequately cared for. Swedish's demands on staff extend to all corners of the organization and increase risk to the public health. This is what WE are fighting for, to make your care safer.

Many people have positive outcomes, and thousands of people do well at their campuses. It's those that do not that holds our concern and our trust.

Nurses take an oath, a promise, dating back hundreds of years to do our best to protect and to serve the public.

That's what this strike is about. Nothing more and nothing less.

IMO the best medical staff have likely taken positions with other hospitals. What’s left are the ones that can’t. This is capitalism at work. Patients will go to other hospitals which will lead to adequate staffing at Swedish by process of elimination.