Lansing - A host of state legislators addressed Michigan nurses Thursday, saying they'll work toward improving working conditions for the profession.
The lawmakers spoke to nearly 400 nurses and nursing students who gathered at the Lansing Center for Nurses Impact 2004, a convention held by the Michigan Nurses Association. The MNA is the largest professional association and labor union for Michigan nurses.
Bevely Roberts was one of the many nurses to hear the legislators speak. A registered anesthetist, Roberts said she is concerned that unqualified people are allowed to become assistants in her field.
"I'm very concerned about the standards set for some of these jobs," she said. "We need qualified people performing these duties, not just anyone with a master's degree."
State Sen. Bruce Patterson, R-Canton, was among the speakers at the event. Patterson, who is married to a registered nurse, highlighted the need for a change in nursing practices in Michigan.
"I'm dedicated to the proposition that we must improve the environment you work in every day," Patterson said, noting that nurses often are required to work overtime against their will. "Nurses with the opportunity to get enough rest make better decisions and, as a result, take better care of patients."
Patterson also addressed the need for adequately staffed hospitals in the state and pledged to introduce legislation that aims to eliminate such problems in the health care system. He said he did not know how soon he would introduce the legislation.
Following Patterson's speech, Carol Feuss, MNA communication and integrated marketing director, said she was optimistic.
"We are certainly hoping to see some change as the result of being here," she said.
Feuss noted that nurses typically work 12-hour shifts and are sometimes required to stay on longer due to staff shortages. Being made to work such long hours can severely affect the quality of care nurses give, Feuss said.
"Our concern is for those patients being cared for on the fifteenth hour of somebody's shift," she said.
Rep. Barb Vander Veen, R-Allendale, a registered nurse, also spoke at the convention. She addressed the importance of having nurses represented in the state Legislature.
"I'm blessed to be a nurse and in the Legislature. I fight for you every day," she said. "It's very important we have people in the Capitol that understand you and your profession."
Vander Veen went on to suggest that the government provide incentives for students to pursue the nursing field.
Rep. Lisa Wojno, also a former nurse, told the audience she was committed to making change.
"I'm going back into nursing, eventually," Wojno, D-Warren, said. "I want to make sure that when I go back to it, it's better than when I left it."
