The Nurses Strike

sensoregurl · May 2010

Is freaking me out. I'm full term tomorrow, delivering at Fairview RIverside by a certified nurse midwife (not sure if they're part of the strike - asking tomorrow at my appt)? I really hope it doesn't happen - it would be just my luck to go into labor the day of the strike and have a bunch of nurses who don't know where anything is or how to get things done.

Think conciliatory thoughts for the nurses. I need them.

arajfh · May 2010

I'm due in July also at Riverside, so I've been curious about how this will affect L&D. In the birth/parenting class, the teacher assured us that the L&D will be fully staffed and we shouldn't worry.

Also, the earliest a strike can happen is June 1, so you'll probably deliver before the strike could even happen.

MrsAshley16 · May 2010

From what I understand, the hospitals will remain fully staffed...they will have to bring in temps. Those temps will still be certified nurses, just not the regular staff. Not that it's good, but they will still be there.

I believe the strike is only RN's (not positive though), so it shouldn't affect midwifes (I also see one, and she hasn't said anything about it).

MrsGo4Hockeychick · May 2010

the earliest strike date is June 1st. And it most likely won't be before June 2nd.

edit: sorry I hit post too soon.

Midwives, as far as I know, are not a part of the MNA.

However, even as a patient, I wouldn't cross the picket line and would probably go to an unaffected hospital. LOL. But I work in health care and am very much on the side of the nurses.

sensoregurl · May 2010

Right, and I know it's unlikely, nobody wants a nurses strike, but I'm 37 weeks tomorrow, 40 weeks June 11th - so the timing of this just makes me a little nervous. Can I just show up at any hospital to give birth? I think that Woodwinds isn't involved in the strike...maybe I'll just head there if the timing of this strike is just right.

I don't want to cross a picket line, and I don't trust an entire building full of temp nurses.

Oh well, what can you do.

MrsAshley16 · May 2010

It is a hard decision. My hospital is one of them...I've been with my current practice since I was pregnant with DD, seeing the same midwife, and I delivered DD at this hospital. It's not that I don't agree with why their striking, but, this late in the game, and with that taken into consideration, I just cannot change hospitals. If I was going somewhere for anything else, I would choose another hospital that my insurance covered...but not the birth of my child.

MrsGo4Hockeychick · May 2010

sensoregurl:
Right, and I know it's unlikely, nobody wants a nurses strike, but I'm 37 weeks tomorrow, 40 weeks June 11th - so the timing of this just makes me a little nervous. Can I just show up at any hospital to give birth? I think that Woodwinds isn't involved in the strike...maybe I'll just head there if the timing of this strike is just right.
I don't want to cross a picket line, and I don't trust an entire building full of temp nurses.
Oh well, what can you do.

Any hospital should take any woman in labor. I believe it's covered under the same law that guarantees access to emergency care.

Does your midwife deliver anywhere else? HCMC, Regions, Woodwinds and Maple Grove are all unaffected. I thought I had heard that the University hospitals were also unaffected, but I can't find anything to back that up.

If it helps at all, they are planning on a one day strike....with hopes to return the next day. However, the hospitals can refuse to let them come back if the scab nurses have contracts.

sensoregurl · May 2010

MrsAshley16:
It is a hard decision. My hospital is one of them...I've been with my current practice since I was pregnant with DD, seeing the same midwife, and I delivered DD at this hospital. It's not that I don't agree with why their striking, but, this late in the game, and with that taken into consideration, I just cannot change hospitals. If I was going somewhere for anything else, I would choose another hospital that my insurance covered...but not the birth of my child.

I see it the opposite. It's the birth of my child - these nurses will be providing care for my baby, and they're not used to working with each other, not used to working with the dr's and don't know how or where to get things done. I'm not saying that temp nurses are unskilled at all - just saying they're in an unknown environment. I know how much of my care will be provided by nurses - most of it - and I want a competent nursing staff around. I found both Regions and Woodwinds are not part of the strike - both hospitals I would trust. I'm hoping it wouldn't come to it but I would consider switching if the stars align. I really need to think this one through.

Also, for me, I am seeing a midwife "practice" and am not high risk. Its a roll of the dice which midwife will deliver me and it's entirely possible that I'll have never met them.

sensoregurl · May 2010

MrsGo4Hockeychick:
sensoregurl:

Right, and I know it's unlikely, nobody wants a nurses strike, but I'm 37 weeks tomorrow, 40 weeks June 11th - so the timing of this just makes me a little nervous. Can I just show up at any hospital to give birth? I think that Woodwinds isn't involved in the strike...maybe I'll just head there if the timing of this strike is just right.

I don't want to cross a picket line, and I don't trust an entire building full of temp nurses.

Oh well, what can you do.

Any hospital should take any woman in labor. I believe it's covered under the same law that guarantees access to emergency care.

Does your midwife deliver anywhere else? HCMC, Regions, Woodwinds and Maple Grove are all unaffected. I thought I had heard that the University hospitals were also unaffected, but I can't find anything to back that up.

If it helps at all, they are planning on a one day strike....with hopes to return the next day. However, the hospitals can refuse to let them come back if the scab nurses have contracts.

She doesn't deliver anywhere else. Unfortunately. And you're right, it's a one day strike and maybe I'm overthinking it, but better now than when in labor I suppose.

ariel06 · May 2010

sensoregurl:
MrsGo4Hockeychick:
sensoregurl:

Right, and I know it's unlikely, nobody wants a nurses strike, but I'm 37 weeks tomorrow, 40 weeks June 11th - so the timing of this just makes me a little nervous. Can I just show up at any hospital to give birth? I think that Woodwinds isn't involved in the strike...maybe I'll just head there if the timing of this strike is just right.

I don't want to cross a picket line, and I don't trust an entire building full of temp nurses.

Oh well, what can you do.

Any hospital should take any woman in labor. I believe it's covered under the same law that guarantees access to emergency care.

Does your midwife deliver anywhere else? HCMC, Regions, Woodwinds and Maple Grove are all unaffected. I thought I had heard that the University hospitals were also unaffected, but I can't find anything to back that up.

If it helps at all, they are planning on a one day strike....with hopes to return the next day. However, the hospitals can refuse to let them come back if the scab nurses have contracts.

She doesn't deliver anywhere else. Unfortunately. And you're right, it's a one day strike and maybe I'm overthinking it, but better now than when in labor I suppose.

Hopefully your baby will come before anything happens, so this isn't an issue. I'm hoping everything will be resolved before I'm ready to deliver, but I think I might talk to my doctor at my next appointment to have a tentative plan in place. I'm suppose to deliver at St. John's, but my doctors are able to deliver at Woodwinds since that is where they bump to when St. John's is full.

ilovemochas · May 2010

I am due on June 2nd, so it is pretty close for me. I am not sure what to do, actually. I have read some very good points. I agree that the nurses would not know the hospital as well. I am just reluctant to go to a hospital that isn't associated with my clinic. I just don't know. I just hope that it all works out without a strike.

MrsGo4Hockeychick · May 2010

ilovemochas:
I am due on June 2nd, so it is pretty close for me. I am not sure what to do, actually. I have read some very good points. I agree that the nurses would not know the hospital as well. I am just reluctant to go to a hospital that isn't associated with my clinic. I just don't know. I just hope that it all works out without a strike.

I would suggest figuring out what you would like to do...at this point a strike is pretty much inevitable. The hospitals have basically refused to actually do any negotiation, and the two sides are SO far apart, that the nurses are planning on the strike happening.

It would be AWESOME if they could resolve it without...I just don't see it happening.

Sunshine2121 · May 2010

Woodwinds Hospital is not unionized and they are staffing up apparently. Just FYI.

mrs.bridgettkay · May 2010

I know this reply is late but if the nurses strike they need to give the hospital a 10 day notification. I'm assuming if and when this happens it will be known by the public as well.

Nurse midwives are not union employees. They are authorized advanced practitioners.

At this point, I would want to deliver where I've been receiving my care for my pregnancy. Even though you float between different midwives they have access to your medical records if needed. And really, even if a nurse has worked at an organization for a long time, they can still have a bad bedside manner. I think it's the luck of the draw when it comes to getting a nurse and bedside manner is huge while you're in labor.

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