PATIENT CARE EXPERT

By Charlene (Gertz) Anderson, R.N.

"Hi, I am Charlene and I am your nurse!" Compassionate, bedside care for 38 years helping your family and you.

Because of the healthcare in this community, I'm running for the board of Tri City District's Medical Center.

I'm a regular working gal, an RN, who has seen the changes in healthcare for more than three decades. Over the years I've seen access and affordability to healthcare become a daily challenge for many of my patients. With their struggles in mind, I've listened to many of the employees at Tri City shared stories -- a Phlebotomist, a Surgical Technician, a Certified Nursing Assistant, and Registered Nurse.

A Phlebotomist is the person who takes your blood. At Tri City there are three phlebotomists at night for the entire hospital. This means each phlebotomist draws blood of about 90 people.

Now -- management may not know how important the right tube is used, and the correct labels are correctly placed, but I do.

A Surgical Technician is the person responsible for sterilizing the instruments, opening and closing the operating room, and handling the instruments to the doctor. At Tri City, "surgical techs" have days where they do seven (7) back to back C-sections in one shift never getting a break for the first 10 hours of their shift.

Now -- management might not know how important it is for the instruments to be cleaned and counted correctly before and after a surgery, or how important it is for the "surgical tech" to not hurry or be exhausted, but I do.

A Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) is the backbone of the unit and is depended upon to feed, bathe, pass water, make beds, and take vital signs. A year ago the Tri City CNA's were responsible for 10-12 patients -- today CNA's are responsible for 20 - 30 of the same patients.

Now -- management might not know how important it is that vital signs are taken and recorded correctly or how often busy CNA's are supposed to wash their hands, but I do.

A Registered Nurse is responsible for assessing patients, administering treatments and medications, ordering lab work, recording on the chart, while continuously evaluating the effectiveness of treatments.

The patients who are admitted to the hospital these days are extremely ill. They require many interventions, treatments, medicines, and care which has to be coordinated with various departments within the hospital.

The strongest resource for the hospital is the Nurses. Currently, the Nurses at Tri City right now are feeling disrespected by management. The Nurses are over worked, exhausted, and yet, management won't listen.

New graduate Nurses are highly educated and come to the hospital expecting to give good patient care. Why are the Nurses leaving in less than 3 years to pursue other careers? Management must not care about the Nurses concerns, but I do.

Palomar Hospital recently eliminated 96 managerial positions, and hired 103 nurses! They got it right!

I will work to redirect how the care is given at Tri City, spending the money on patient care, not on consultants and bonuses for managers.

If you elect me, Charlene Anderson, to the board of Tri City HealthCare District's Medical Center, my energy will be directed towards patient care.

We must begin to RESPECT and EMPOWER the CAREGIVERS and NURSES -- Tri City employees are the No. 1 RESOURCE!

Tri City Hospital is a vital asset to the community!!

Tri City must be saved, healed, and valued by the community. So, I am Charlene Anderson and I am your nurse!

http://www.koct.org/pages/ELECTION_2008_tchd_01anderson.html