I am writing to clarify some of the misinformation regarding Question 1 about mandated staffing ratios. I am frustrated with the sketchy way the issue of taking away a nurse’s judgment and leaving care in the hands of the government is stated in the commercials.
First of all, scaring the public into believing that hospital wait times and people losing their jobs is hugely misleading and sensationalized. I am a nurse, and I make judgments every day. I work hard, and I have a duty and an obligation to care for every patient no matter what level of staffing I and my coworkers are provided.
We as nurses want to ensure that we can do the best job we can and serve our community well. I understand that there can be some financial issues related to the hospitals having to follow the rules in relation to how many patients a single nurse may care for in one shift. But don’t we want to make sure that, as patients, we have the nurse’s time and that they are not so overwhelmed with too many patients that they cannot help when we need them?
Let’s at least be fair, when we air commercials about staffing and hospitals, that we don’t scare the public into voting “no” based on information that is like a trailer to a movie which gives you a teaser but doesn’t really give you much more. I guess what I really don’t understand is why any nurse would feel that staffing ratios are a bad thing.
Maria Etkin
Easthampton