Welcome to the RN2RN Network!

RN2RN is a network of hundreds of nurses from across the Illinois who are committed to working for legislation that will improve patient care and nurse staffing in every hospital in the state.

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Workshops

A. Nurse Staffing Ratios – Recent Research and California Perspectives B. Impact of Health Care Reform on Nursing Practice C. Union Strategies for Improving Patient Care D. Challenges Facing Filipino Nurses E. Linking Wage Lawsuits and Better Nurse Staffing

New Research Shows Ratios Working in California

A major study released in April demonstrates what most bedside nurses have known all along: that nurse-to-patient ratios reduce patient mortality, improve the work environment for nurses and reduce nurse burnout. This runs counter to arguments made by hospital administrators opposed to the nurse ratios bill RNs have been working to pass here in Illinois.

The research, published in the policy journal Health Services Research, was led by Linda Aiken, RN, PhD of the University of Pennsylvania and compared nurse staffing in California to two states, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, without mandated staffing ratios. In an analysis of patient outcomes, the comparison revealed that hospitals that did not maintain the nurse ratio for medical/surgical units (1:5) set in California were likely to have higher patient mortality rates. Click here to read the full study.

Support the Campaign for Safe Patient Care!

Groups from across Illinois - community organizations, patient advocacy groups, nurse associations, block clubs, and more - are joining together to improve the quality of care in Illinois hospitals.

Your organization can help promote safe patient care by signing on to the CAMPAIGN FOR SAFE PATIENT CARE GOALS and by helping us reach patients who want to communicate their experiences and concerns. Not enough has been done to improve patient safety in the ten years since the Institute of Medicine estimated that up to 98,000 patients die every year from preventable medical errors. We know that more informed consumers and better nurse staffing will help reduce medical errors and improve the quality of care.

We all pay a staggering price for medical errors - especially patients and their families. With your support we can and will make our hospitals safer places.

Campaign for Safe Patient Care sign on form here.

Patient/Consumer survey on hospital care here.

Campaign for Safe Patient Care partner letter here.

Nurse Union and Hospital Partnership Awarded Federal Labor-Management Grant

The United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP), in a collaborative effort with Parkview Community Hospital and Medical Center in Riverside, CA, has been awarded a $60,000 grant from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS).

The AFSCME affiliate intends to use the FMCS grant to develop a sustainable customer service program that incorporates patient, employee and physician stakeholder groups to improve the quality of patient care at Parkview and determine the best way to provide health care services to the Riverside community.

"Health care facilities that truly seek to provide the highest quality of patient care utilize all the resources at their disposal, including staff," stated Kathy J. Sackman, RN and UNAC/UHCP president. "The FMCS grant will help create an amicable working environment that will contribute to moving Parkview forward in a positive direction toward providing high quality patient care."

The grant period is 18 months long and will end in March 2011.