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Casey and Joanie visit with RN and CNA President’s Council member, Zenei Cortez about the CNA Nursing Angels Family Fund established by the California Nurses Association for the victims of the horrible limousine fire that occurred on the San Mateo Bridge here in Northern California. The news of the death of two RNs and three other caregivers in the tragic limousine fire brought deep sadness to everyone. Zenei will talk about the fund and how people can donate. * For more information about this topic visit calnurses.org. Read more…

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Ken Zinn, the D.C. based Political Director for National Nurses United, talks with us about the announcement from the European Nations that 11 countries have signed on to a “financial transaction” tax, aka the Robin Hood Tax. The Robin Hood tax will raise billions of dollars by taxing financial transactions by incurring a less than half a percent tax on Wall Street transactions. Nurses in the U.S. have been on the leading edge of this concept and are making some headway here at home. Keep an open mind. If you listen to the simple details you might agree – this is a very fair and doable measure. Visit robinhoodtax.org. Read more…

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Listen to our guest this week RN Jeff Breslin of the Michigan Nurses Association on The Safe Patient Care Act “Every Michigan resident deserves to receive safe care at every hospital, every time. Michigan’s nurses are simply asking for our leaders’ support to make that happen.” Jeff will talk with us about this important initiative that is sweeping the country. Read more…

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RN Betty Sparks joins us. RN Betty Sparks joins us. Betty is a nurse at Newton Wellesley Hospital and is trained to provide care and treatment in the wake of all types of disasters.

Betty, who was on the ground to help victims after Hurricane Katrina and in Haiti after the devastating earthquake, was working at the medical tent at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. She was there to respond and care for the victims when the bombs exploded. She is trained to do this and she has seen horrific scenes before, but this time it was different; she knew her son was at the finish line with a camera getting ready to photograph her daughter-in-law as she finished the race. Betty is with us to share what it was like to be at the horrific scene. Read more…

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Ahhhh, technology! It’s a very good thing, but when are we going too far? Should ROBOTS replace doctors and nurses? Can they diagnose and treat patients? Well it’s already happening in some hospitals. Get the good, the bad, and the ugly on this emerging trend when Casey and Shayne visit with National Nurses United RN Deborah Burger.

Also, Jean Ross, recaps on the importance of the Inclusive Prosperity Act and reports back on the SEA OF RED SCRUBS march.   Read more…

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We always joke about our nurses at National Nurses United and how busy they are. Even though we do like to have fun with that, its true! RN and Co-President of National Nurses United, Jean Ross will be with us to talk about H.R. 6411, the Inclusive Prosperity Act (aka the Robin Hood Tax). I swear these people never sleep—but that would be wrong because they are nurses and they know the value of a good night’s rest. That said, this week we find over a thousand of our friends, aka the “Sea of Red Scrubs,” on Capitol Hill this week at a rally to support Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison as he reintroduces the Inclusive Prosperity Act.

You’ve heard us beating this drum for at least 18 months…The Robin Hood Tax makes so much sense it is hard to argue against it. But game on, as there are corporate interests (i.e. Wall Street) who have bought some “blinders” to help our elected officials to ignore it. Here’s how simple it is: a small tax (less than half of 1%) on speed trades—you know the million-trades-per-minute trades—could raise billions for healthcare, education, and infrastructure. It’s not hard, it works, eleven of the European Union Countries have adopted it, the U.S. Read more…

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Have you ever wondered about what a business or an organization has to provide in order to acquire and keep a not-for-profit (aka nonprofit) status? Well the truth is most of us don’t really think about it…but we should because some of those nonprofit entities, such as hospitals, are not really held to account with respect to their end of the bargain. Now, we are not saying any of these businesses are not doing a good job and are not operating above board, but a recent study (conducted by California Nurses Association) shows some major hospitals may not be providing enough “charity” care to the communities they are suppose to serve.

Our guest, RN and Director of Government Relations for CNA, Bonnie Castillo will talk about a new bill, AB 975 that aims to press California non-profit hospitals to fulfill their charity care obligation in exchange for the substantial public financing they receive through their tax-exempt status. It  passed its first hurdle last Tuesday in the California Assembly Health Committee, overcoming opposition from California’s biggest hospital corporations and its allies. The bill won broad support in the committee hearing from nurse members of the California Nurses Association who attended the hearing in a sea of red scrubs. Read more…

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We’ve touched on this issue before but it’s worth talking about again.

The statistics regarding back injuries are frightening! Approximately 80% of adults are expected to experience back injuries in their lifetime with 10% re-injuring! When it comes to health care professionals, the facts get are even worse.

According to national statistics, six of the top 10 professions at greatest risk for back injury are nurse’s aides, licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, health aides, radiology technicians, and physical therapists. Healthcare industry workers sustain 4.5 times more overexertion injuries than any other type of worker.

Well, registered nurses from hospitals in Kansas City and St. Louis, members of National Nurses Organizing Committee (NNOC), with the help of their state legislators, recently introduced HB 856 - the Safe Lift Bill. Sounds like a no brainer right? Listen and find out how challenging it was to get this bill introduced. Trust us – this is important even if it isn’t a sexy topic. The next time you are in a hospital you want to make sure whoever is lifting or moving you doesn’t have a bad back. That could lead to – well – you may end up on the floor on top of a nurse! Read more…

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Keeping up with the RNs from National Nurses United—Registered nurses at Jackson Park Hospital and Medical Center on Chicago’s South Side reached an agreement with hospital officials on their first ever collective bargaining contract that includes significant improvements in patient care protections. We’ll talk with RN Monica Lloyd from the great city of Chicago about this and more. And did we say Monica is on fire about this good news!?! Read more…

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This week one of our good friends returns to Nurse Talk to talk about her new project, Healthcare for All Colorado. None other than Donna Smith is with. Donna as most of our listeners know, worked for five years as National Nurses United Legislative Advocate based in D.C. She just returned to her home state of Colorado and now serves as the Executive Director of Healthcare for All Colorado.

Having (successfully) gone through two bouts of cancer, Donna has great advice on how to make your insurance company accountable–at least to some degree. In her new role she will do what she has done for many years, advocate and educate people about what can be done to access healthcare and to eventually change the current system to a nationwide universal healthcare system.

For more information about Healthcare for All Colorado and National Nurses United visit: healthcareforallcolorado.org and nationalnursesunited.org. Read more…