Raising RNs' Voices from Lansing to the White House

As nurses, it is important for us to be able to raise our voices to make a difference at every level, from the hospital floor to Washington, D.C.  

Earlier today, MNA President Jamie Brown, RN, from Ascension Borgess Hospital, MNA Board Member Anne Jackson, RN, from Michigan Medicine, and other nurses who are working on the frontlines spoke with Governor Gretchen Whitmer about what conditions are like in hospitals right now as COVID-19 cases continue to rise. MNA advocacy has resulted in MIOSHA implementing some of the strongest protections in the country and it was clear that the governor wanted to know how she could best support those of us on the frontlines.  

On Thanksgiving Day, Doug Emhoff, husband of Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris, made a special Thanksgiving call to MNA member Mel Gibney, a registered nurse working at Michigan Medicine who has cared for patients who have contracted COVID-19: "Thank you for all the amazing work you are doing in Michigan at the hospital and with the COVID patients and being a leader in your union — and all the things that you do." The call to Mel along with other calls to RNs were part of National Nurses United’s ongoing campaign to make sure nurse voices are part of President-elect Biden’s Covid-19 response plan. 

As RNs, we know that having elected officials who are able to understand what we experience can save lives. MNA will be hosting our Spring Leadership Action Conference where we will advocate for needed change on May 4-5. Save the date now to make sure your voice can be heard by elected officials from both political parties! 

National RN press conference featuring Michigan nurse spotlights nurse deaths, PPE, and unsafe staffing

On November 23, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and nurses from Texas, Illinois, and Florida who are part of the 170,000-strong National Nurses United, joined in solidarity to publicly brief the nation and the president-elect about the ongoing struggle nurses face in their hospitals, and to demand immediate action to address their needs.  

Center stage at the virtual press conference was MNA RN Christina Hanson from Marquette, Michigan. 

Christina became emotional when she talked about nurses’ struggle to protect not just their patients but their own families from the deadly virus. She also called attention to the toll the pandemic is taking on nurses and called the current PPE and patient safety conditions, “…not sustainable”.  

The event was attended by over 80 journalists, including reporters from Newsweek, the Guardian, and National Public Radio. 

The profound need for alliances between nurses across the country to demand PPE and other workplace protections was in evidence and highlighted the importance of unity as nurses fight for our own and our patients’ lives during the pandemic. 

Winning COVID-19 Protections in Michigan and Across the Country

The Michigan Nurses Association has led the way in winning vital protections for nurses and other healthcare professionals on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. MNA members across the state have been able to win protections that exempt vulnerable workers, shift incentives that encourage safe staffing, hazard pay to appropriately compensate those on the frontlines, increased PPE, and improved staffing levels during COVID-19. As the largest nurses’ union in the state, we will continue to keep advocating for what those on the frontlines need.

Additionally, members of National Nurses United have been able to win major victories across the country in states ranging from Florida to Illinois including winning more PPE to improving staffing. Recently, NNU members were able to get a landmark piece of state legislation passed in California which requires hospitals to have stockpiles of PPE. This sets the stage for other states to follow suit.

When nurses and healthcare professional are united, we can win important achievements for our patients and each other.  

If you have a tip or story you would like to share, send an email to minurses@minurses.org

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