  |
| |
| Union
nurses keep watch over practices NYSUT supports keeping kids, patients safe 
Feb. 11, 2004 From left, nurses Dona Frazee, B.J. Darby and Ann O'Hara. Nurses need to be on the watch not only for changes in insulin levels and vital signs, but also for administrators lopping off pieces of their jobs to be turned over to unlicensed staff. School nurses are particularly on notice right now since the American Diabetes Association is doing a full-court press for model legislation around the country that would have school nurses train "non-nurse school personnel" to administer medicine to student diabetics. "We're opposed to anyone administering medication who's not licensed," said nurse Anne Goldman, the nursing representative to the United Federation of Teachers who chairs the New York State United Teachers Health Care Professionals Council. The UFT is the NYSUT affiliate in New York City schools. New York has stringent scope-of-practice procedures that protect licensed professionals such as doctors, nurses and psychologists, as well as their clients. The ADA Web site, www. diabetes.org, states that, since some state laws limit what non-medical personnel can do to help a student with diabetes, the association wants laws to ensure there are trained school personnel available to provide assistance to students with diabetes. Compromising school nurses' scope of practice could also affect hospital nurses and threaten patient safety. Because of the nursing shortage in hospitals, there has been pressure to have non-nurses (technicians, aides) take over some nursing duties. Goldman, speaking at a recent meeting of the council, said she and Sandra Feldman, president of the American Federation of Teachers, met with members of the diabetes association to hear about their proposed legislation. The AFT is the national affiliate of NYSUT. While the groups agree that diabetic students deserve to be treated in school without interruptions to their schooling, Goldman said the unions are against training unlicensed providers to administer shots. "You're introducing sharps (hypodermic needles) into an environment without protocol," Goldman said. "It's not reasonable." Problems would be aggravated, she noted, at some of the more dilapidated schools in New York City. "What about buildings with no running water? What about children with issues and special needs?" she asked members of the health care council. There are safety and long-range job issues, said B.J. Darby, a UFT school nurse and member of the health care council — people may wonder, "Why hire a school nurse?" Eight states have already passed the ADA legislation. Several New York legislators with ties to the asssociation have been approached to introduce its legislation; however, no bills are pending. With the shortage of working nurses, administrators in many facilities are examining options to fill the gaps with non-nurse workers. By 2007, a shortfall of 30,000 nurses in New York state is predicted, said Alan Lubin, NYSUT executive vice president, quoting from a state Board of Regents report. Shortage looms "It's a horrid figure, and we know it's real," Lubin told members of NYSUT's Health Care Profes- sionals Council. "It's your obligation to get nurses to generate letters (to legislators). I promise we will continue efforts on your behalf." The letters urge protection of nurses' scope of practice, support for a ban on mandatory overtime for nurses, mandatory nurse-patient ratios, one school nurse for every school building, and protections for psychologists and nurses from having optional services removed from Medicaid coverage, which is a current state budget proposal. "You work with your legislator — we'll work with the leadership," said Lubin, who oversees NYSUT's Legislative Department. Goldman said council members will draft a resolution supporting a nurses' scope of practice. Last year, NYSUT succeeded in advocating for a psychologists scope-of-practice bill for its affiliate, the New York State Psychological Association. The law prevents doctors who are not psychologists from promoting themselves as providers of psychological treatment. — Liza Frenette |
|
| | |