The Gazette’s mailbox and online blogs have been filled with some fervent comments from readers recently, responding to staffing changes at Newman Regional Health. Moving toward an all-RN nursing model that was launched last February as part of the hospital’s realignment plan, the change has also launched a heated debate about the value of our local nurses and patient care.
Both sides of the issue have valid arguments and concerns.
Understandably, this change has been a personal and painful one for the licensed practical nurses (LPNs) at Newman Regional Health, many of whom have made their careers at the hospital, investing their lives in caring for patients.
For them, this transition could mean one of several professional options:
• Staying at the hospital, but with a new set of responsibilities, perhaps spending less time doing what they were trained to do;
• Pursuing a registered nurse license through a $20,000 student loan program that includes loan forgiveness for anyone who will maintain their employment at Newman Regional Health.
• Relocating to another hospital to continue practicing as an LPN.
Whatever path an LPN chooses, change is inevitable.
For Newman Regional Health, the transition to an all-RN facility will also have a professional and personal impact on our community. It will mean more highly trained nurses on staff, better patient care and safety, and lower mortality and failure-to-rescue rates, according to Bob Driewer, Newman Regional Health CEO.
“The rationale goes back to a study completed in 2000 by the Institute of Medicine that recommended significant changes in health care designed to improve the quality and reduce errors to improve patient safety,” he said in a story in Tuesday’s paper. “Our goal is to provide the highest quality of care to the patients at Newman Regional Health.”
Who can argue with that?
Anyone (or loved one) who has ever been admitted to a hospital knows it’s not the initials on a staffer’s nametag that guarantees good care. But anyone (or loved one) who has ever been admitted to a hospital also knows they always want the odds stacked in their favor when receiving treatment — the very best care the hospital has to offer.
Hospitals are in the business of caring for the sick and saving lives. It’s good to know our local hospital is no exception and isn’t afraid to invest in and stay current on what research recommends will keep those odds stacked in favor of their patients.
Transitioning 35 of the 125 nurses at Newman Regional Health may seem like a large price to pay for safer and better patient care, but if the research is right, it seems like an investment they can’t afford not to make.
No matter what, changes in healthcare, especially at a local hospital, are always personal.
In the meantime, though, if the hospital can continue to offer help and assistance to each hard-working, valuable nurse being impacted by the restructuring, while moving the facility ahead in patient care, will mean a win-win for Newman Regional Health.
Ashley Knecht Walker
Editor
Observer (anonymous) says...
Balderdash!!!!!!!!
Newmans is reducing staff and sacrificing patient care for the corporate bottom line.
December 10, 2009 at 11:46 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
comicnurse (anonymous) says...
In the year 2000, our entire economy was doing a lot better than it is now. Hospitals closing because of economic failure were virtually unheard of. Now, hospitals are having to close down due to lack of funds. So, I'm sure in the year 2000, that report was looked upon favorably. I have not seen this exact report, but I would be interested in the stats overall- numbers can be skewed either way.
It is going to cost a heck of a lot more to pay an RN than it will to pay LPN's and Nurse Aides. If I was a patient, I would MUCH rather have an LPN and a nurse aide sharing the hourly wage budgeted verses one RN- that one RN cannot do everything- tend to doctor's orders, answer lights, hang blood, give I.V, push meds, sign consent forms, answer phone calls...the list goes on and on.
An all RN staff is going to mean less staff on the floors and that will result in a longer waiting time for the patients.
December 10, 2009 at 1:09 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
madpoet (anonymous) says...
If they're really concerned about patient safety, they should weed out the careless nurses of whatever type not just get rid of the LPNs. I've seen RNs I wouldn't let near me and LPNs who were wonderful nurses. And stats can be made to say whatever you want. I agree with comicnurse that it makes no sense to go all RN and have fewer nurses.
December 10, 2009 at 1:49 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
spectator (anonymous) says...
What a load of nonsense. - LPNs might be "Staying at the hospital, but with a new set of responsibilities, perhaps spending less time doing what they were trained to do" Gee, do you think? Bob has already indicated that he and the Mayo Wannabe are dumping them as nurses. PERHAPS? Increased wages and the $600k drop in Medicaid payments - - http://www.emporiagazette.com/news/20... - - "To make up for the $600,000 loss, French said additional cuts will have to be made in capital/small equipment investment, CONTINUED CUTS IN SALARIES AND CUTS IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT/EDUCATION. French added that to change the trend, the hospital can . . . . continue to improve efficiency and labor production." I hope "improve efficiency and labor production" doesn't include a reduction in overall staff or running the medical care professionals into the ground. I'd prefer my care not be given by an exhausted nurse of any kind.
December 10, 2009 at 2:48 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
biscuitboy (anonymous) says...
I personally would rather take my chances with an LPN at my bedside because he/she wanted to be, than an RN who was not at all happy about spending all the time and money achieving the RN license just to tend to my bed pan.
December 10, 2009 at 7:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
kfrrn63 (anonymous) says...
After reading about the LPNs being eliminated from bedside nursing at NRH I would like to know where the 35 RNs will be found to replace them. The report of 2000 didn't address the nationwide shortage of RNs. ANA/KSNA have been addressing this issue for several years. Also of great concern nationwide is who is going to replace all the retiring nurses and those who are leaving the field due to burn out because of high patient loads. Of national concern is safe nurse patient ratios to provide safe care. Some studies are great and some need more than a second look. This is Emporia Kansas not some big city where wages and benefits are higher. Most of our new graduates leave here to go to bigger cities or not do hospital nursing at all. I have worked as an RN doing bedside nursing and was a nurse manager for 12 years so I understand both sides of hospital nursing. How are salaries going to be cut and still hire new nurses? Lets also take a look at our Flint Hills Tech. school that graduates 2 classes of LPNs a year and now our community says that their graduates aren't good enough to work at our own hospital.This sure won't help with their recuiting program. There is no one who cared more for the patients than I did whether it was doing direct care or managing their care when I worked at NRH. It makes me feel really sad when I read about some of the best nurses I worked with are being thrown to the curb. Emporia's economy is already in sad shape so why not lose some more jobs.
December 10, 2009 at 8:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
msw2003 (anonymous) says...
What is the starting wage for an RN at Newman Hospital? Starting wages for example at Via Christi in Wichita are $19/hr + $2.85 shift differential which kicks in after 3pm and $4.85 if you work weekends. Just curious.
December 11, 2009 at 8:22 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
December 10, 2009 at 11:52 a.m. ( permalink )
seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...
(This comment was removed by seriously r. folks)
December 11, 2009 at 9:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gooseylucy (anonymous) says...
Man, I'm glad to hear that they are going to be hiring only RN's!! Because you know they NEVER make mistakes!!
Even when they are working 35 nurses short!! (In case you can't tell, this is all sarcasm.)
I too would like to see where Bob got all of this wonderful data. You know the data that says RN's give "better patient care and safety". Last time I looked RN's were human, just like the LPN's, and therefore just as prone to mistakes. And especially when they will be working 35 nurses short. NRH can't even fill the 8 RN positions that have been open for the past few months!!
And as several posters stated above, you can't forget about the current financial status of the hospital. It's already been a tough year for the hospital, and now they are facing a $600,000 loss!! What in the world are they thinking???
Another thing to remember......after they dispose of the LPN's the RN's are next. Yeah, they have already started on the RN's. If you are an AD RN or a Diploma RN, look out!! They are now pushing them to go back to school and get their BSN.
And just like the LPN's, there are a lot of RN's at the hospital that are close to retirement. The hospital could be losing a bunch of RN's next. Who will take care of the pt's then? Bob Driewer? Julie Stowe? I THINK NOT!!!! They will have moved on to "greener pastures", by then.
December 11, 2009 at 9:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
biscuitboy (anonymous) says...
I am not in the health care profession and know little about the operation of NRH. With the exception of their accounts and billing departments, I have no axe to grind. But with this level of public dissension in the ranks it would appear to me there might be something rotten in the state of Denmark. Its hard to have this much smoke and no fire.
December 11, 2009 at 10:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
knute (anonymous) says...
I don't know about Denmark, biscuitboy, but I really wonder about Newman's admin. You saw this, didn't you? http://www.emporiagazette.com/news/20... I'm not in the health care profession either but I detect something rotten too. About the operation of NRH.
December 11, 2009 at 2:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
goodoleboy (anonymous) says...
Good luck being able to keep enough RN's here, you might get a few grads for a few years so they can move to a bigger city with a few years experience behind them, but then you will have to continually retrain staff which is costly
They... just.... don't... get... it...
people are already fed up with this hospital and heading out of town. Nails in the coffin...
December 11, 2009 at 2:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
biscuitboy,
you stated; "Its hard to have this much smoke and no fire." You never came in my place before the smoking ban ,did you?
:) :) :)
December 11, 2009 at 4:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
KellyD (anonymous) says...
This community is doomed. We all are content to blog about our discontent with the hospital that services our community, but that won't cut it.
The board, and administration sees us as no more than an inconvenience. They will continue to abuse our friends and family until they realize that the person they hired as the Director of Nursing, is no more than someone with an agenda to make a name for herself.
Which I suppose she is doing, although I doubt its the name she desired. As for the head administrative person, maybe he needs to be around the staff and figure out how much disrespect has been fostered by all her grand plans.
My father once told me that respect has to be earned, it cannot not be demanded. Maybe someone needs to tell the hospital adminstration that.
December 11, 2009 at 6:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
barefootin (anonymous) says...
kelly, you say the community is doomed. after losing tyson, detroit, part of vektek and any others i havent listed, its really going to hurt emporia to lose nurses that have lived here a long time investing in homes and spending their hard earned dollars here. the decision to move to an rn model was made months ago, probably before the public knew about it. im not a business person, on the surface it sounds to me like a bad decision for the hospital to replace cheaper for more expensive help during a time when they are loosing so much money already. will it really be better for them to have nurses with more training, but have a higher nurse/patient ratio, i dont know, but i will keep the lpn's in my thoughts and hope they find suitable jobs to replace newmans with.
December 11, 2009 at 10:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
biscuitboy (anonymous) says...
Only rarely Steve....good point though.
December 12, 2009 at 4:26 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
spectator (anonymous) says...
This is the 3rd or 4th time an all-RN plan has been attempted that I've heard about. The other times it was shot down (appropriately) for reasons unknown to me but I fear this time the idiocy will prevail.
Newmans is going after the aides and LPNs now and the next targets will probably be the ones with only RN after their names. To what extent? Newmans has already indicated CONTINUED CUTS IN SALARIES AND CUTS IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT/EDUCATION are in the future which only makes certain that the best of the best will not bother to stay here.
Something else to consider: Nurses are required to obtain, I believe, 40 hours of continuing education per year. Many nurses work 12 hour shifts. Newman Hospital is making cuts in professional development/education. Looks like they'll have to leave town for school. Let's add a couple of hours travel time to that 12 hour shift. . . . It's almost as if Newmans is trying to make it impossible for any nurse other than the new graduate to be employed there. New grad + little practical experience[charting, measuring out and dispensing meds, hanging blood, monitoring IV push meds, etc etc and this doesn't include what an aide or LPN could easily do] = problems for the patients. Not to mention overtime costs, early burnout and even errors due to the tremendous pressure to perform.
I experienced a hospital with the all RN staff where my mother's call light was not answered for in excess of an hour. The RN assigned to her finally showed up and advised he was admitting a new patient and he, i.e. the sole caregiver, was unable to respond to the light. I found another nurse, a supervisor but I didn't know that at the time, and raised holy h*** and after which mom received a little better care afterwards or at least someone could answer the light when I couldn't be there. I noticed a few days later that this hospital employed *no* aides, *no* LPNs - RNs only. Small wonder there was nobody to answer the light which was something an aide or LPN could have done for this confined-to-bed-woman.
I was a patient at a different hospital with a nearly-all-RN staff. Most of them were great but one of the RNs was universally detested on the wing because she was, simply, an idiot with no common sense. She was rude and had no bedside manner whatsoever. This nurse was rough with the "new surgery" patients. RN. We all felt better when the sole orderly [that's a male aide for you younger folks] was on duty but he wasn't on her shift nearly enough.
December 12, 2009 at 2:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
comicnurse (anonymous) says...
Excellent points made, Spectator!
December 12, 2009 at 2:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
couchpotato (anonymous) says...
All of the points above are excellent. I was a patient in a hospital in a larger city not very far from here a couple of months ago. I was cared for by an LPN for all 3 days I was there. Absolutely no comparison with the care I received at any one of my admissions to NRH. I believe that NRH is in big time TROUBLE, and that none of the talking heads that are in the debate right now (Driewer and Stowe) will be there when the brown stuff really hits the fan. It is sad that a couple of people are going to bring down what it has taken this long to build up. Just plain sad. Everyone get ready to drive at least an hour to find good quality health care, because that's where Emporia is headed with NRH.
December 13, 2009 at 12:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
biscuitboy (anonymous) says...
It doesn't necessarily have to be a large city either. Eldorado has a nice new facility that seems to be very well operated and also only about a one hour drive away.
December 14, 2009 at 5:37 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jayhawkers1 (anonymous) says...
Unbelievable, now we are assuming that RN's make no mistakes are we? As an employee of the hospital I can tell you that mistakes made there are not only by LPN's. Again, there are good nurses and bad nurses, there are careful caring nurses and nurses that are careless and sloppy with their work and don't give a damn. Every study done has an alternative study done that takes the opposite view. NRH needs to cultivate and educate the good nurses they have. The admin at the hospital are creating a hostile work environment at the hospital.
This is not good for NRH.
December 14, 2009 at 10:02 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
Well, I hear that Burlington Hospital is also an excellant care, facility ! I may have to consider moving to Blurlington or Eldorado . People, whether you like to realize it or not, Emporia is progressively getting worse in many respects, instead of getting better !
December 14, 2009 at 10:12 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jayhawkers1 (anonymous) says...
"Transitioning 35 of the 125 nurses at Newman Regional Health may seem like a large price to pay for safer and better patient care, but if the research is right, it seems like an investment they can’t afford not to make." This is by far the most ridiculous and moronic statement made in this whole situation.
December 14, 2009 at 10:51 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
znasr (anonymous) says...
Minor detail:
"Something else to consider: Nurses are required to obtain, I believe, 40 hours of continuing education per year."
CE is done online now. You CAN go to seminars, etc, but you can also do it all from a computer if you so choose.
December 14, 2009 at 4:10 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
comicnurse (anonymous) says...
Last I heard, it was 30 hours every two years. Yes, we can go online and get our CEU hours, but education within a hospital is a perk- saves not only time but money.
December 14, 2009 at 4:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
powercat (Jerry Seinfelt) says...
Jayhawkers1:
What do you mean that's the "most moronic statement?" That's the best argument of the whole piece!!! If the research says having more RN's means better results for patients why would you NOT want that if YOU were in the hospital??? I certainly want the kind of care in the hospital that research says is going to give me the best results. Settling for anything less is moronic!!! That's a no brainer!!
December 14, 2009 at 5:50 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
Someone please see about checking Reggie into the hospital?
December 14, 2009 at 6:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gooseylucy (anonymous) says...
Powercat, That is indeed a moronic statement. How can you say an all RN staff gives "safer and better patient care"? RN's are human, just like the LPN's are. Humans make mistakes! Not to mention, this study is almost 10 years old!! If anyone looks back far enough and deep enough, you are going to find a study somewhere that says, what you want it to say.
Plus, another huge area of concern is, where are they going to get 35 RN's to come to NRH to work?? It's simple math. If you get rid of 35 LPN's, but can only hire 5 RN's, you are working very short on the floors. This in turn, will compromise patient care and be very un-safe. NRH has never been able to hire and keep RN's. Many are going to the bigger cities, where they can make more $$.
The LPN's at NRH's have many, many years of experience. I would rather have a very experienced LPN vs a brand new RN, taking care of me. Not to mention, they are more cost effective and right now the hospital needs to be looking at this very closely! They are having serious financial problems!
December 15, 2009 at 8:20 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )