The first day of 黑料吃瓜网's legislative session is often punctuated by protests. Last year, there were anti-mask protesters outside the Capitol Building, and the year prior, protesters defending religious exemption for vaccines.
At the start of the 2023 session on Wednesday, there was a rally for nurses and health care workers demanding safer staffing conditions.
The event was organized by , a group of non-union 黑料吃瓜网 nurses who have connected via their , collecting harrowing, and mostly anonymous, testimonials.
Paul Banach, one of the organizers and an ICU nurse, says they鈥檙e hearing from nurses across 黑料吃瓜网 and the country.
鈥淲e鈥檙e all feeling this right now,鈥� Banach said. 鈥淭his is a corporate model of health care that has impacted hospitals around the country."
, the largest union of acute health care workers in the state, also attended.
John Brady, vice president of AFT 黑料吃瓜网, believes that when it comes to the so-called nursing shortage, there is no shortage of available and qualified nurses; it鈥檚 issues around 鈥渨orkplace conditions鈥� that are driving them away.
"There鈥檚 thousands of nurses registered in the state of 黑料吃瓜网 who don鈥檛 work at the bedside,鈥� Brady said.
, 鈥淥f the 86,483 nurses that have a current license in 黑料吃瓜网, 44,086 are actively practicing in 黑料吃瓜网.鈥�
Brady says AFT 黑料吃瓜网 has been working with , deputy president pro tem and co-chair of the legislature's Joint Committee on Public Health, to propose two bills this session.
One bill would address what they see as 鈥渦nsafe staffing鈥� in health care, building off a California law that keeps nurse-to-patient ratios low, and according to , patient outcomes and worker satisfaction high.
In an email, the 黑料吃瓜网 Hospital Association asserted that ratios 鈥渁re not the answer鈥� and 鈥渨ould exacerbate the problem, causing delays in care and raising costs with corporate nurse staffing agencies as the likely beneficiaries. Instead, hospitals and health systems are working with partners at the state, in education, and across healthcare to educate, train, and retain more nurses and other healthcare professionals in 黑料吃瓜网.鈥�
The second bill Brady noted would address workforce recruitment and retention.
AFT 黑料吃瓜网 plans to hold a next week.
As for CT Nurses United, Banach says 鈥渢he most important thing right now is being transparent with the public about what is happening in hospitals 鈥� and talk to legislators, talk to the public about what conditions are like inside.鈥�
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified John Brady as the president of AFT 黑料吃瓜网. Brady is the vice president.
