RENO, April 6, 2008 - In the wake of the tragedy resulting from the
unethical actions of the health clinics that spread hepatitis in Las Vegas,
our community has been taking a hard look at the safety standards in our
healthcare facilities.  Patients rely on their nurses and frontline
healthcare workers to keep them safe and help them heal.  

The management at Renown has been very clear about their priorities -
spending big bucks to rebrand our largest community hospital and build a
luxury, part-hotel hospital tower.  But a new logo doesn't heal patients -
nurses heal patients.  That's why the nurses and healthcare workers at
Renown remain committed to our top priority - building a better hospital by
building a stronger hospital team.    

The nurses at Renown are calling on their community to stand with them to
give nurses and healthcare workers a voice to advocate for their patients in
our hospital!

My Story, by Steve Smagala, RN, Post Anesthesia Care Unit 
"Our first role as nurses is always as a patient advocate.  And the nurses
at Renown have come together to set higher standards for healthcare in our
community and higher standards for our working conditions in the hospital
because we know that is what our community deserves from it's largest local
hospital.  

"We know that as our community learns more about what we are trying to do -
design a better hospital from the inside by ensuring there are enough
trained and experienced local nurses at the bedside providing patient care
so nurses are able to do their jobs without worrying about their health or
losing their license - they will stand with us in asking Renown to do the
right thing.

"It's going to take everyone to improve quality care standards in Northern
Nevada.  Together we'll be able to make the changes needed to ensure
patients have the safe, fully-staffed hospital they deserve."  

SEIU Nevada nurses are asking Renown - help us spend more time helping
patients by fully staffing our hospital!

 
This is the 6th story in a 10-day countdown to the SEIU nurses at Renown's
rally for patient care on April 10.  For more information about SEIU
contract negotiations at Renown, to interview a nurse or to talk to an
academic expert about why we need enforceable staffing ratios in our
hospitals, contact Hilary Haycock at 745-1532 or hhaycock@seiunv.org.  Or
visit our website at
http://www.seiunv.org/healthcare/renonurses/Default.aspx.