by jenn standfest
After working in nursing for 25 years and watching my mother in this profession, I can confidently say there is no easy button in nursing. Most who choose this profession understand that.
Nursing is physically demanding, emotionally taxing and challenging in ways that are difficult to explain unless you have lived it. There are moments that stay with you long after the shift ends – both wonderfully meaningful and exceptionally difficult to comprehend. Nurses do it, day after day, because they care deeply about others. Acknowledging that reality matters; honoring the nursing profession means being honest about the toll the job can take.
At Munson Healthcare, we believe caring for our patients starts with caring for the people who provide that care. While no employer can meet the needs of every individual, it means doing everything we can to support nurses through the emotional and physical demands of the job.
As baby boomers are entering retirement and burnout spiked during the pandemic, we know there is not just one solution that will solve the nurse staffing shortage. As we continue to face a national nursing shortage – with Michigan expected to have the 4th highest nursing shortage by state in the country by 2038 – we will continue to do everything we can to recruit new teammates to support our current team and our patients.
At the same time, we are focused on creating an excellent environment, where appropriate staffing supports high-quality care and the thoughtful use of technology enhances both the patient experience and complements nurses’ work without removing clinical judgment or personal connection.
Since late last year, Munson Medical Center has been working to renegotiate contract terms with the TC Michigan Nurses Association (TCMNA). We continue to make progress in those discussions and have additional time later this month to continue to work toward a fair and final resolution.
This last week, the TCMNA held an informational picket they called a “practice strike” outside of Munson Medical Center. The Lansing-based association also held six other awareness events around the state this month from the U.P. to Lansing. Munson has always been committed to supporting nurses as an essential part of the healthcare team. We remain committed to listening to their feedback and, as a result, we continue to provide proposals at the bargaining table to support them and ensure their voice is heard.
Here are a few of the key topics we’re working on:
• Workplace Safety: We have tentative agreement on workplace safety. It’s an area of commonality, as it should be. We have zero tolerance for workplace violence. In fact, next week, we will be installing a weapons’ detection system at Munson Medical Center which is just another step in our plan to protect everyone who walks through our doors, including our teammates.
• Technology: This week, we proposed new language defining nurse-led telehealth, along with specific ways to ensure nurses are aware of, and involved, as new technologies are introduced. As leaders, we value direct nurse feedback and recognize that technology should support and enhance patient care and should not replace nursing practice or clinical judgment.
• Staffing: We also proposed new ways to further elevate the voice of the bedside nurse in staffing through a more formalized and structured staffing committee that will meet regularly to review relevant information and trends. This will supplement existing daily meetings that occur at regular intervals, around the clock, to review specific details that help us flex up or down based on patient volumes. This will ensure equity and safety in nursing workloads and the best possible care for our patients.
• Wages and Benefits: Next, we look forward to finalizing fair wages and benefits. We are closely benchmarking with our peers regarding total compensation, and we will continue to align benefits to our other employees who have robust packages for themselves and their families.
We know nursing isn’t easy; it never has been. But with the support we’re committed to at Munson, it can be a sustainable, fulfilling career where nurses are enabled to do what they entered the profession to do: Care for our communities and patients with clinical expertise and compassion.
While I acknowledge my current role is now very different from a bedside nurse, I truly believe we’re all one team at Munson striving for the same goals. I know I can confidently speak for all of us that we are grateful for the trust you continue to put into our team each day.
About the author: Jenn Standfest is System Chief Nursing Officer for Munson Healthcare.