Nurses object to TV ad praising Schwarzenegger's cut in CA nurse staffing

[papau]

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-nurses7dec07.story
Nurses Decry New TV Spot
Hospital group's ad commends governor's decision to keep the current patient ratio.
By Peter Nicholas
Times Staff Writer

December 7, 2004

SACRAMENTO — Airing across the state, a new television ad features a registered nurse with a stethoscope around her neck, thanking Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for relaxing nurse staffing levels at California hospitals.

The 30-second spot by the California Healthcare Assn., which represents hospitals and health systems, commends Schwarzenegger "on behalf of nurses, doctors and other caregivers who treat patients every day…."

With the state's nursing shortage, higher staffing levels would be tough to sustain, burdening hospitals with more expense and less flexibility in treating patients, according to advocates of the rule change.

But thousands of nurses, far from grateful to the governor as the ad suggests, are mounting an aggressive and personal campaign against his decision to relieve hospitals of a requirement that would lower patient-nurse ratios beginning in January. They contend the ad is deceptive, mischaracterizing the true feelings of nurses.

Today, nurses were planning to march in protest of a speech that the governor is to give in Long Beach at a women's conference led by his wife, Maria Shriver. About 2,500 nurses gathered at the Capitol last week, waving signs in protest of Schwarzenegger's action. It was one of the largest demonstrations against Schwarzenegger since his election last year.

Noting that women dominate the nursing profession, union advocates contend the governor's policy would create tougher working conditions for women — at a time when he is portraying himself as a champion of women's interests. In a sign of the visceral tone of the campaign, nurses are invoking allegations that the governor groped women in years past, using the slogan: "Hands off our ratios."

"They're running these ads attempting to act like the registered nurse speaks for the profession, when there's not a nurse in the state of California that supports the governor's actions on this," said Rose Ann DeMoro, executive director of the California Nurses Assn. The group represents about 58,000 of the state's approximately 300,000 registered nurses. "It's absolutely deceptive."<snip>

[skypilot]

1. Relaxing nurse staffing levels

Let's see if the patients are as "thankful". I haven't seen the ad but it sounds really disgusting.

[papau]

2. Up is down and vive versa - in GOP/US Media Speak

:-(

[elehhhhna]

3. sue for libel.

[skypilot]

4. Can ads featuring parents and spouses...

...thanking Bush for sending their loved ones to Iraq be far behind?

[katmondoo]

5. Remember all the Photo opps with the grateful parents of their hero sons

who died in Afghanistan. How proud they were to have given a son to protect the US. I expected the same in Iraq. It didn't happen. I wonder why?

[Crunchy Frog]

6. Low nurse/patient ratios kill.

Studies have shown a direct correlation. Where are the pro-lifers on this one?

Nurses are supposed to be grateful for having their employment undercut?

[atommom]

7. "Relaxing" ... another Orwellian code word (like "reform") that really

means "you're screwed!" I can't imagine how they can present this change as a good thing for anyone involved.

[HuckleB]

8. So much for research-based policy.

It's been repeatedly made clear that lower nurse-patient ratios lead to lower mortality and fewer days spent in the hospital.

How this saves money is beyond me.

[NurseLefty]

9. Cheers to the nurses who are fighting back.

:toast:
Show Aaahnold what you're made of!
I salute California for having this law in the first place. It reduces hospitals broomhandling patients through. The patient benefits substantially, and staff burnout is reduced.
The argument that this limits access to care is an empty one. So, there's a nursing shortage. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! If that is a root cause of decline in quality of care, it needs to be dealt with. Period. Demographics show that demand on the system will balloon in the coming years. We better make sure there are enough providers to handle the demand!

PS I grabbed my DU name while it was available. I am actually a nursing student (licensed as a nursing techinician). But, I graduate w/ my BSN in June and will take my boards shortly thereafter. Whoopee!

[FM Arouet666]

10. Ahnard is pathetic.

This is dangerous. As a physician I can state unequivocally that nurses are the backbone of the medical profession. Having more patients to each nurse over works nurses, who already have too much work to do, and is dangerous to patients. Schwarzenegger has not solved the problem, he has made it worse. Just another GOP politician out of touch with social reality.