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Carol Feuss, MA
Labor Communications Specialist
Michigan Nurses Association
517/349-5640, ext. 21 or (cell) 517/230-4086
carol.feuss@minurses.org

OR

Suzanne Martin
United American Nurses
301/628-5133

September 28, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Michigan and nation’s largest RN unions endorse Conyers' Safe Patient Handling Bill
Measure will protect patients and nurses from preventable injuries

SILVER SPRING, MD – A new federal bill introduced Monday by Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) will give direct care nurses the protection they need to safely treat and move patients without running the risk of debilitating musculoskeletal disorders, say leaders of the United American Nurses, AFL-CIO (UAN) and its Michigan affiliate, the Michigan Nurses Association (MNA).

UAN and MNA have worked closely with Rep. Conyers to provide nurses’ input on this landmark legislation to protect RNs from lifting and handling injuries and ensure safer patient care.

Direct care RNs get injured at a higher rate than laborers, movers and truck drivers from repositioning, moving and lifting patients, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Work-related lifting injuries in turn lead many nurses to leave the profession, with more than half of all nurses complaining of chronic back pain and 38 percent of nurses suffering from pain severe enough to require leave from work.

“No nurse should have to sacrifice his or her own health to care for patients,” said UAN President Cheryl L. Johnson, RN, who is also president of the Michigan Nurses Association. “If we hope to protect patients and address the current nurse staffing crisis, we must do a better job of protecting nurses at the bedside so that they will choose to stay at the bedside instead of pursuing other, less dangerous career paths. The bill introduced by Rep. Conyers will help accomplish that.”

The Nurse and Patient Safety & Protection Act of 2006 (H.R. 6182) will protect nurses by:

  • Establishing a Federal Safe Patient Handling Standard to be administered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration within one year of the bill’s enactment. The standard will eliminate manual lifting of patients by nurses except in case of emergency and require all hospitals to purchase and use safe patient lift mechanical devices, with input from RNs and organizations representing RNs.
  • Requiring hospitals to implement a safe patient handling plan within one year of the bill’s enactment that is consistent with the requirements of the federal standard and that provides quality delivery of health care services to protect patient safety and nurses’ health;
  • Requiring the posting of information on the federal standard and unscheduled audits to ensure compliance;
  • Including strong whistleblower and refusal of assignment protections for nurses who speak out against non-compliance and penalties for hospitals which do not comply.

“We are pleased to work with Rep. Conyers on this important piece of legislation,” added Johnson. “Nurses around the country are ready to fight for this measure, which not only protects nurses but helps patients get the care they need by making hospital nursing jobs more attractive. We intend to let other Congress members know about the devastating effects of unsafe lifting on nurses and we expect they will agree that now, more than ever, patients need safe care from their registered nurses when they check into the hospital.”

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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.

The United American Nurses, AFL-CIO, the collective bargaining affiliate of the American Nurses Association, is the nation's largest RN union, representing more than 100,000 nurses and including 27 state nurses associations or collective bargaining program affiliates.

All content © 2006 Michigan Nurses Association. All rights reserved. No portion may be reproduced without permission. Links to other sites are provided as a convenience to our members. MNA assumes no responsibility for content on other sites.

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