Contact: Carol Feuss, Director
of Communication
517/349-5640, ext. 39 or (cell) 517/230-4086
carol.feuss@minurses.org
April 19, 2005
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MICHIGAN NURSES ASSOCIATION LEADERS TO TESTIFY BEFORE SENATE
HEALTH POLICY COMMITTEE ON SAFE PATIENT CARE LEGISLATION
(Lansing) Cheryl Johnson, RN, President of the Michigan Nurses
Association (MNA), and Tom Bissonnette, Executive Director of
the MNA, are scheduled to testify at a hearing before the Senate
Health Policy Committee concerning Safe Patient Care legislation
at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 20 in the first-floor Senate Hearing
room of the Michigan National Tower, located at 124 W. Allegan
St. in Lansing.
During their testimony, Bissonnette and Johnson will offer
reasons why the Michigan Senate needs to act quickly to pass
Safe Patient Care legislation – Senate Bill 169 –
to save lives and money.
“Our research shows that establishing minimum registered-nurse-to-patient
staffing ratios, combined with a prohibition of the use of mandatory
overtime outside of natural disasters and emergency situations,
is simply good public policy,” said Johnson. “Nationally
recognized research studies clearly link lower patient morbidity
and mortality rates, a reduction in the risk of medical errors,
reductions in patients’ lengths of stay in hospitals,
and lower nursing staff turnover rates, all while generating
significant long-term financial savings for medical facilities.
Safe Patient Care legislation must be enacted now.”
Sponsored by Sen. Bruce Patterson (R-Canton), Safe Patient
Care legislation would amend the public health code to prohibit
the practice of mandatory overtime for Michigan nurses and establish
minimum patient-to-nurse staffing ratios to ensure the delivery
of safe, quality patient care.
| The
Michigan Nurses Association, nurses’ voice for 100
years, is the largest nurses’ union in the State of
Michigan. The Michigan Nurses Association (MNA) promotes
the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace,
fosters high standards of nursing practice, and lobbies
the legislature and regulatory agencies on health care issues
affecting nurses and recipients of nursing services. MNA
is a constituent member of the American Nurses Association
and the United American Nurses, as well as an affiliate
of the AFL-CIO. |
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