09.15.2006

Nurse Action Alert

Deval Patrick Publicly Denounces Nurse Staffing Bill
Nurses Need to Respond

During Wednesday night’s gubernatorial debate, candidate Deval Patrick, without prompting by a specific question about the bill, took it upon himself to raise the issue of the Safe RN staffing bill, and to publicly denounce it (see transcript below). Immediately following the debate, MNA was flooded with calls and emails from angry members, non members and other health care advocates who were outraged by this apparently gratuitous attack on a very important issue, an issue supported by nine in ten RNs in the state of Massachusetts.

In response, we have urged concerned nurses to call the Deval Patrick campaign today at 617.367.2006. Tell them you will not support a candidate that does not support patient safety.

Tell him when nurses have too many patients to care for patientssuffer the consequences.

Please be advised that the MNA has not officially endorsed any candidate for Governor in the primary election.

Transcript of Deval Patrick’s Comments
Regarding Safe RN Staffing Bill
During Televised Debate on 9/13/06

Gabrieli Question:

What I’d like to know from both of you is where is it in the positions that the democratic Party takes in the state, where specifically do you disagree with our party?

Patrick’s Answer:

Well I think, I don’t know if it is the party issue of not, but certainly most of the party imminence is against cape wind and I’m for it.

I think there are issues around nurse staffing ratios, the proposed bill that I think is, is something very hard to for me to imagine actually legislating.

[On the record positions of Democratic gubernatorial candidates on the safe RN staffing bill]