Barb Woolard, RN
TESTIMONY
For the Subcommittee on Appropriate Supply and Utilization
of Michigan's Health Care Workforce of the Standing Committee
on HEALTH POLICY
Friday, June 1, 2001
Submitted by Barb Woolard, RN
My name is Barb Woolard and I have been a nurse for over
25 years. As a member of the Michigan Nurses Association
and as President of the collective bargaining unit at
Lapeer Regional Hospital, I'm deeply concerned about what
I see happening to nurses in the workplace today.
People ask me, "Why is there a nursing shortage?"
There are a variety of reasons, but one thing stands
out: there isn't enough money or prestige in the job.
There is a need for increased wages and benefits.
But that's not the only reason a nursing shortage exists.
A fundamental role of the nurse is to provide quality
patient care and support for those suffering from health
problems. Yet these functions are often not appreciated
and respected. We are not treated as professional caregivers
even though our presence at the bedside can literally
mean life or death for our patients. We have developed
critical thinking skills to provide superior care for
our patients, yet we are treated as though we are only
capable of changing the bedsheets.
Having been a nurse for 25 years, I've seen lots of
changes, some good and some bad. Lately, it's been
mostly bad. Do I see the effects of the nursing shortage
on my work? Sadly, yes, I do. My patient load is increasing
and my teaching and supportive time is decreasing.
I can't stay a few extra minutes at the bedside to
reassure a worried patient or family member as I once
did. And because there are so many vacant positions,
the hospital is sometimes put in the position of using
inexperienced nurses to fill the empty areas. That
means we experienced RNs must take more time to explain
our procedures. And frankly, a lot of the work can't
be handed off to people who are unfamiliar or unsure
of what to do to provide quality care.
With less staff, it is difficult to get days off,
increasing the stress. With less staff, patient care
suffers. With less staff, nurses burn out.
What do we, as professional caregivers, want? We want
competitive wages and a benefit package that's suitable
for a professional employee. There needs to be more
money for education in areas of interest. We desperately
want the public to understand the role of a registered
nurse, and to appreciate the quality patient care we
bring.
We are committed to providing support for our patients.
But our numbers are decreasing and we are very tired.
We need your help to ensure that Michigan's patients
can count on quality nursing care both now and in the
future.
Thank you.
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