Staffing shortages are everywhere but largely not considered in individual cases when reviewing medical records. This is because the names of nurses and techs may appear throughout a medical record but without seeing the rest of the shift and treatment records of other patients, it is difficult to put the names into context. This is especially true with electronic health records, whose cold and pristine appearance can belie the disorganization and chaos that used to be apparent in handwritten charts.
The union said it has negotiated with hospital executives for more than five months, and its members have worked without contracts for the last several months. Although Turner said the two sides have been moving closer to one another on wages, they are still far apart on economic terms and have made no progress on the union’s demands to solve short-staffing, retention and better patient care. Spokespeople for management at the various hospitals can not afford to meet the nurses demands, and that they are doing what is needed to provide patients with uninterrupted care during the strike.
Here’s the story about the fight over good patient care in Minnesota:
