Thousands Of MN Nurses On Strike, Could North Dakota Be Next?
15,000 nurses have gone on strike across thirteen different hospitals in Minnesota, according to CNN.
Should We Be Concerned?
Minnesota being our neighboring state, just a short drive away, I think we should be paying attention. If you talk to any healthcare worker they will all say the same thing -- they are understaffed, overworked, and unable to provide the quality care their patients deserve.
A Boiling Point
We've all heard that being a nurse is stressful work, but the COVID -19 pandemic made the conditions and environment much worse for many. Now, for nurses in Minnesota, things have hit a critical level.
According to CNN the strike in Minnesota isn't about wages. The source indicates that there is a staffing retention issue that can no longer be ignored. The nurses want more control and work-life balance. This news is likely no shock to you; we've heard reports about this issue in the healthcare field for quite awhile, but what is being done? This is more than a headline you scroll past on your lunch break.
Sound Familiar?
Restaurants, stores, and other business are similarly struggling with staffing and workplace morale. While other businesses can alter their business model to deal with these issues, the healthcare field cannot in the same way. They need more qualified professionals. Our lives are in their hands.
The Strike
The strike is a 3-day plea to hospital executives to make a greater effort to solve the staffing issues and help them offer better care to patients, according to the source.
So what's the climate in North Dakota? Is there a similar storm coming? Are healthcare workers struggling as severely as the nurses in Minnesota?
Disclaimer: This article is not slight to any healthcare organization. This is an observation on a trending report, open to discussion.
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