Local News
Nurses protest at ISJ
Related Photos
-
Licensed practical nurses from throughout the state picketed at Immanuel St. Joseph’s Hospital Wednesday in protest of the Mankato hospital’s elimination of its LPN staff. John Cross
-
The nurses who marched in protest near Immanuel St. Joseph’s Hospital Wednesday were marching not only for nurses locally, but for nurses nationally, as licensed practical nurses are seeing their jobs cut. John Cross
Discussion
Add a comment on this storyTools
Health cuts causing a stir
MANKATO — Picketing won’t bring back the lost jobs, but several dozen nurses said they were doing so Wednesday to let the public know what’s been lost.
“Immanuel St. Joseph’s is eliminating more than 200 years of experience at this hospital,” said Shelley Seeburg of St. Paul, area director for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
“This isn’t an economic decision; it’s a health-care decision being made about who will be at bedsides.”
The Mankato hospital has eliminated all 12 of its inpatient licensed practical nurse positions as part of an overall workforce reduction of 140 full-time employees.
Chief Communications Officer Kevin Burns said the action is in response to a sustained decline in inpatient numbers at the facility.
“These reductions are part of a thoughtful, strategic approach to reducing our expenses in accordance with a decline in revenues,” he said. “It’s also consistent with what is occurring throughout the health industry.”
Immanuel St. Joseph’s and regional affiliate hospitals in Waseca, St. James and Springfield are facing nearly $10 million in state budget cuts.
Deb Tauer of New Ulm, president of the 1,100-member Minnesota Licensed Practical Nurses Association holding its state convention in Mankato this week, said LPN job eliminations occurring nationwide is wrongheaded.
“Why would you get rid of licensed practical nurses at bedsides when the acuity of patients (those requiring higher degrees of care) is up?” she said.
Among the picketers was Mankato hospital LPN Lois Groebner, who lost her job after 39 years.
“We just don’t agree with it,” she said of the nursing job eliminations. “We need both RNs (registered nurses) and LPNs taking care of patients. An RN is the team leader and LPNs manage care. A bedside nurse is a liaison between the patient and the doctors.”
Group members said health care is compromised when hospitals attempt to replace licensed caregivers with non-licensed workers.
- Local News
-
-
Doomed depot resurrected in Wells
Goodbye pigeon droppings and leaky roof, hello rebirth for a historic Wells rail depot given up for dead just a few years ago.
-
Students, strangers reach out to victim's father
The father of Ashley Sullivan, who was killed last month by her estranged boyfriend, gets some comfort from the youngsters at the Lake Crystal elementary school where he works.
-
Authorities: One victim wasn’t shot
Investigators today will meet with family of murder victims to describe their findings on the Jan. 17 killings.
-
Survivor of car-pedestrian accident sues
The civil suit against Jesse Mann, who was 17 when the accident occurred, claims he was negligent.
-
Third clue for Winterfest Medallion
Winterfest’s Winter Medallion Hunt began Saturday.
-
Schools seek help shouldering travel costs
“It’s getting expensive to travel.” — Todd Waterbury, East High School’s activities director
-
Man arrested after shotgun incident
No one was hurt after a shotgun went off during a fight in North Mankato, but one man was arrested for felony assault.
- Today's Services (2/8/10)
-
Weird News: Jewelry bugged ’em at border
In January, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers confiscated a live, jeweled beetle that a woman was wearing as an “accessory” on her sweater as she crossed into Brownsville, Texas, from Mexico.
- Today's services (2/7/2010)
- More Local News Headlines
-
