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SEIU Local 1991 President Martha Baker, RN speaks to members of Local 1991 and other RNs from around Florida. SEIU Local 1991 held a press conference outside the House of Representatives Chamber on March 14, 2007, supporting RN Legislative Agenda. 

The RN Legislative Agenda
included Staffing and Safe Lifting

Local 1991 took another important step forward advancing an RN agenda dedicated to improving patient outcomes, eliminating the shortage of nurses willing to work at the bedside by improving working conditions, and saving precious health care dollars while providing quality care.

The core issues of the agenda included establishing mandatory staffing limits, requiring hospital transparency to allow informed patient choice, and requiring hospitals to develop and implement zero manual lift policies to address the plague of back injuries which threatens to cripple hospital staffing. We will return in 2008 and are working now to elect a Governor and legislature who will respond to the evidence rather than business lobbyist:

 Evidence demonstrates that there is no safe way to manually lift, turn, and transport patients. (more)

 The zero manual lift policy will help address the RN shortage at the bedside. (more)

 A famous national study demonstrated that patient lives are saved by establishing safe maximum numbers of patients assigned to each RN in the different units... (more)

 Hiring an additional RN is worth its weight in gold, saving money for hospitals. (more)

 A federal compendium of studies on RN staffing levels supports safe staffing levels. (more)