FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 28, 2001
March 28, 2001
Magda Lynn Seymour
Diane S. Witiak
(202) 639-6419
Diane S. Witiak
(202) 639-6419
AFGE Joins in Introduction of Bill to Safeguard Care of our Nation's Veterans
Thursday, March 29, 2001
1:00 p.m., Room 2255
Rayburn House Office Building
“After years of flat-line budgets and caps on the number of DVA employees, it is no surprise that there are fewer and fewer nurses to care for sick and elderly veterans,” Lee will state. “But DVA’s ‘quick fix’ remedy of forcing nursing staff to work two shifts back to back is unsafe and unwise and does nothing to address the critical shortage of nursing staff at DVA hospitals.”
“At a time when DVA is working to reduce and prevent medical errors, AFGE believes it is counterproductive for management to resort to planning and scheduling overtime as a way to cover all work shifts rather than increasing staff levels,” Lee will add. “The “Registered Nurses and Patient Protection Act” will curb this practice by prohibiting the use of regular and routine mandatory overtime for licensed health care workers.”
“DVA health care workers are dedicated to the promise of providing the very best care possible to our nation’s veterans,” Lee will conclude. “This bill will ensure that our nurses have the emotional stamina and keen level of concentration necessary to deliver high quality and compassionate care.”
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