Dear Nurse Alliance Sisters and Brothers,

Welcome to another issue of the Nurse Alliance RoundUp.

The big news, of course you know, is that the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act as constitutional, including the expansion of care to 32 million Americans, a range of consumer protections from insurance company abuses, and quality care improvements.

It is only fitting that this issue will start off with “Knowing the benefits of the Affordable Care Act,” a short article written by Patricia Greenberg, RN, MA, of SEIU1199, packed up with some additional links to articles you don’t want to miss.

There is also an article in this issue titled, “Facebook for Educated Union Activists.” My notes for this article are hysterical to look at without any context:

• Anderson Cooper
• I’m a nurse
• Superhero
• Back pain
• Protected & Concerted
• Like us on FB

But it is true; all of that and more is covered in this NOT-SO Pulitzer-Prize-Winning – RoundUp article.

We then have a piece linking to a study, “Strategies for nurses to prevent sleep-related injuries and errors.”

And then… there is a short 10-question Workplace Violence survey simply titled, "How safe is your work environment"  for you to fill out online. As we continue the discussion about workplace violence, it is critical that we also compile data from as many members as possible. This survey has you look into very specific questions that will help move the conversation and the work ahead of us.

Finally,there are a few news clips posted at the end of the RoundUp that were identified as being news you can definitely use, and would maybe want to speak out on.

As always, please forward the RoundUp to other SEIU Nurse sisters and brothers so they can sign up to get it directly. Also, please feel free to send me any questions, concerns, poems and book suggestions to: Richard.Negri@nursealliance.org.

Knowing the Benefits of the Affordable Care Act By Patricia Greenberg, RN, MA

Now that the Supreme Court upheld the legality of the Affordable Care Act, take a moment to learn about benefits you can access right now.

For instance, children under the age of 26 can remain on your healthcare plan. Your children cannot be denied coverage for a pre-existing condition.

For women, a significant number of women’s health benefits begin on August 1, 2012. These include no co-pays on mammograms or pap tests, most contraception coverage, and free screenings for many illnesses.

Additionally, women cannot be denied coverage for having had breast cancer, or a c-section. These are important things to know about! One member (me**) just saved $1300 when she did not have to pay for student health insurance because her 23-year-old is covered on her plan.

A couple other incredible online resources to help learn the benefits of the Law include:

The SEIU.org section dedicated to the Affordable Care Act  Better Care, Better Lives: The Affordable Care Act at Work

AND ... wait ... this past week, two of our nurses were featured in a national op-ed that ran across the country in McClatchy newspapers. McClatchy is the largest newspaper chain in the country!

Stay tuned as we look to feature more ACA materials in each forthcoming RoundUp.  --

Facebook for Educated Union Activists

I. Facebook is where we are -- Even CNN thinks so.

Anderson Cooper from CNN's AC360 closed out a recent news segment with "follow me on Facebook and Twitter...." By saying that, he sent a few simultaneous and subtle messages to his viewers:

1. He is using these social networks to put news out for his job 2. He is reading these social networks to get news 3. He knows you might be on Facebook and Twitter instead of being glued to his news show and its RidcuList

As a union activist, I not only use Facebook on a daily basis, but I also have shared with thousands of workers from every trade why they should, too. In part, this piece is to further spread that message -- with your help!

II. "Facebook for union activism? I’m a nurse, what do I know about that?"

The quick and dirty response to this frequently asked question is: There is a strong probability that you are not going to be featured tonight on Anderson's show (or any other mainstream media outlet).

You might have back pain that is so severe after your shift that the idea of even picking up your child, grandchild, or even the dishes seems like a task for Superwoman or Superman. A patient might have taken a swing at you, again, or groped you while you were taking a blood pressure, or treated you like a servant. You are strong women and men, but...superheroes you are not. And some of the issues you contend with every day are issues that are potentially preventable. Unfortunately, Anderson (or any of his colleagues and counterparts) will never hear your stories or consider them all that newsworthy, as it stands.

Now envision an unmedicated returning patient -- who shouldn't be roaming the streets to begin with – who saunters into the ER with a huge smile on his face and, without warning, pulls out a revolver and starts shooting.

All of a sudden Anderson, CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, MSNBC, and so on, they're all clamoring for the "big story."

Question: Is the story about the shooting spree? Or is the story about what COULD'VE been done to prevent it from happening in the first place? I think you know the answer. It could definitely be both, but the likelihood of getting deeper into the preventative aspect of the story is usually not a priority for selling news packages to viewers.

III. Facebook and YOUR work. As educated union members, if you aren't already familiar with your rights as they relate to concerted and protected activities, you should definitely brush up on them as we become Online Activist Ninjas. Added to that, as a nurse, you must, of course, always be cognizant of HIPAA rules as well, and never, ever, post any potentially patient-identifying information on the internet or elsewhere. If you have questions about this, your union representative can help you.

If the facility where you work has a social media guideline, you need to know that, too. (In another article, I'll discuss some ideas about how labor and management can potentially come together to work on social media guidelines.)

At the end of the day, regardless of how well you have memorized rules, regulations, and laws, it is your common sense that should prevail and lead you forward. In other words, if you are about to hit send/publish/post, and the thought suddenly comes to you that "If I actually post this amazing picture of my patient's bulging eyes staring into a drug-induced cloud, I will be on the unemployment line this time tomorrow...." that thought is a "red flag," your Common Sense Detector. Please be sure it is well charged! The “identifying information” doesn’t have to be that dramatic—a reference to “so and so’s cousin”, or Mr. P., or “someone you might know from high school”, are all equally dangerous when used in reference to work.

IV. Become an ONLINE Nurse Leader & Educator

You know this RoundUp is being read only by SEIU nurses right now. And, you know our current readership is a sampling of our 85,000 nurse union sisters and brothers. AND...you know that the guy writing this continuously begs you to help spread the word, get heard, and -- if you're able -- step up your game when it comes to union activism. With all that in mind, I'd like to leave you with an exercise to get you moving with online activism. There is one caveat: If you find yourself interested in carrying out the exercise, but are being challenged for one technical reason or another, you need to let me know so that I can help you as best I can. You can always reach me at Richard.Negri@nursealliance.org.

Here it is, my exercise for nurses and online union activists:

(Spoiler: I am about to ask you to post this article to your Facebook page and then to share on the Nurse Alliance Facebook page that you did this. If you're ready to jump right in, no need to read instructions below.

1. Find and copy the URL to this article. 2. Sign in to your Facebook account.* 3. In the "status update" box, paste the URL you have copied. 4. What SHOULD happen is that you will see the article and picture appear in your status update box -- and you will now have the opportunity to write something about what you are posting. 5. If you cannot think of something to write about the link you're posting, feel free to just write: "Nurses shouldn't just be a blip in the mainstream media when one of us is killed. This article is a primer for nurses (and all union activists) who want to get active online." 6. Hit update.

Let's go one step further. 1. Go to the Nurse Alliance Facebook page.  2. Have you "liked" the page? If not, please do. 3. Now, leave a message on the Nurse Alliance Facebook page. You can say anything that doesn't trigger your Common Sense Detector. 6. It can be as simple as your name, title, and local union.

It can be as complex as: "The article that brought me here was pretty amazing, here's the link" (and here's the link) *If you don't have a Facebook page, I am curious to know why. Please let me know: Richard.Negri@nursealliance.org. Also, please let me know what part of all this stumps you, even if it is the first direction to “find the URL.” I don’t judge.

Strategies for Nurses to Prevent Sleep-Related Injuries and Errors

I joined SEIU Nurse Alliance members Linda Bock, RN, and Deb Bonn, RN, at the American Nurses Association (ANA) Healthy Nurse Conference in Washington, D.C., in June 2012. One of the highlights of the conference for the three of us was the presentation about sleep deprivation.

Linda noted that “Stress and overworking is a top area of concern with more than 32% of the population sleeping less than 6 hours/day; 52% of nightshift workers sleep less than or equal to 6 hours/day and 10% of car accidents are secondary to lack of sleep.” Nurses know this is happening all the time.How many times how you or a colleague dosed off at a red light on the way home after the night shift?

Claire C. Caruso, PhD, RN, is a research heath scientist at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in Cincinnati, Ohio.

In 2010, Dr. Caruso co-authored an incredible article on the subject that all nurses should take a few minutes to read. The abstract, “Strategies for Nurses to Prevent Sleep-Related Injuries and Errors” reads as follows:

Rehabilitation nurses work shift schedules or long hours to provide essential patient services around the clock. These demanding hours can lead to sleep difficulties, declines in performance, and increased worker errors. This article gives an overview of selected declines in cognitive performance that are associated with inadequate sleep and several factors that increase risk for fatigue-related errors. Selected strategies for nurses and managers to reduce these risks are discussed, such as better sleep practices, improved work schedule design, naps, caffeine, exposure to light, and rest breaks. Both nurses and managers share responsibility for implementing strategies to reduce risks from inadequate sleep.

The full article (in PDF) is available here: http://www.rehabnurse.org/pdf/rnj326.pdf

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Survey: How Safe Is Your Work Environment?

We are all committed to maintaining the highest possible standards for patient safety and health. But we are not as consistent about practicing our own health, safety and wellness. As a result we can lose sight of the fact that providing the highest quality of care to patients is impossible when our own safety and health is left at a risk.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), “workplace violence is violence or the threat of violence against workers. It can occur at or outside the workplace and range from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults and homicide.”

Harassment, verbal threats, abuse, physical attacks and in some cases homicide are some of the many characteristics that define workplace violence. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, nurses should know all about this stuff as it has reported nurses ares are exposed to workplace violence more often than all other healthcare workers.

In the United States all employers are responsible for creating and maintaining a safe and healthy place of work for employees. This is not debatable, it is the law, there are no exceptions to the rule. The following survey seeks to find out just how safe your work environment really is.

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Extra, Extra ... a few clips to get us talking ...

There is never enough time in the day to read through all the good stuff out there pertaining to our professions, if only. The goal with "Extra, Extra" is to bring back an old RoundUp feature and tie in the need to get our voices heard on issues. What does that mean? Read through the articles and report back with your take on them -- it's that simple. When you write in with your thoughts, let me know if you'd like me to share you message with others via the RoundUp.

N.Y. Times - An infection, unnoticed, turns unstoppable

This article is a tearjerker. It is about a boy who was in perfectly good health when he tripped and fell in his gym class. He got cut and bruised as young boys do …but unlike most young boys who trip and fall, he was dead a few weeks later. Share your thoughts on this article by clicking here The Well Blog - When it's the nurse who needs looking after

An article that deals with our own safety and wellness and ties in the critical need of appropriate staffing. If there were ever a need to second guess all of that, read this one and share it with others. (Post it on your Facebook page, if you'd like). Share your thoughts on this article by clicking here American Journal of Nursing - Improving communication among nurses, patients, and physicians

This is an older study, but no less relevant today. It goes into the fact that as we continually try to accomplish more in less time, that there is a relationship between patients and providers that natually suffers. I am guessing we don't need a study to tell us this, but folks do need to be reminded that mis-communication, bizarre assumptions and less and less staff = not good at all.

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And so ... thank you for allowing me the honor of bringing you the RoundUp. Please tell other SEIU Nurses about the RoundUp so that they can get it as well. You know you can do that by clicking here.

Richard Negri SEIU Nurse Alliance