AUGUSTA — Nurses who work at the two largest hospitals in Maine say they are being asked to do more with less, jeopardizing patient safety and increasing the possibility of workplace violence.
The nurses from Maine Medical Center in Portland and Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor are urging hospital managers to improve staffing levels and do a better job recruiting and retaining nurses.
“I do not know a single nurse who has not experienced some form of violence, ranging from verbal threats to physical attacks,” said Kirsten Lane, a registered nurse in the emergency department at Maine Medical Center. “My coworkers have been punched in the face. One had their nose broken.”
At an Augusta press conference on Tuesday, the nurses said they are entering contract negotiations and that they will press for metal detectors at all public entrances, dedicated psychiatric ward nurses to help de-escalate situations in emergency rooms and additional crisis training.
When it comes to nurse-to-patient ratios, the nurses say they worked on state legislation a few years ago to set minimum standards. That bill failed to pass so they will be asking for staffing minimums when they enter contract negotiations this week, said Kelli Brennan, a registered nurse at Maine Medical Center.
“Decades worth of research show that reasonable, enforceable nurse to patient ratios improve patient outcomes and decrease injuries for both patients and nurses,” she said.
In response, Faye Weir, senior director of patient care services at Maine Health, which runs Maine Medical Center, said the hospital has spent the last several years working to improve workplace safety.
Those efforts include de-escalation training for all workers and increasing security.
She said the hospital is seeing more patients and that decreasing reimbursement rates are making it difficult for many facilities.
“We recognize workplace violence is an issue no matter what healthcare facility you are working at,” she said. “We continue to hire in and focus on retention.”
She said some parts of the hospital are fully staffed, while others have shortages. Setting mandated minimums could prompt hospitals to limit patient care or bring in travel nurses, which are far more costly, she said.
Deborah Sanford, vice-president of nursing and patient care at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center, said in a statement that they are focused on patient needs.
“We monitor patient volume and acuity and ensure our day-to-day staffing enables us to provide the high quality of care our patients have come to expect,” she said.
The nurses who spoke out Tuesday are represented by the Maine State Nurses Association and the National Nurses Organizing Committee, which are part of the AFL-CIO. The union represents more than 2,500 nurses at Maine Medical Center and nearly 1,000 nurses at Eastern Maine Medical Center.
Jesse Lambert, a registered nurse at Northern Light, said facility closures and delays in imaging services are making it difficult for patients in northern and eastern Maine.
“Our communities are hurting,” she said. “That’s why we’re speaking out today.”