Nearly 2,400 nurses from other states have flooded the Minnesota nursing board with license applications in the last month, 10 times the normal volume, as hospitals line up replacements for a possible strike June 10. The 14 hospitals have said they're preparing to stay open if a walkout occurs, and staffing agencies are offering as much as $2,200 a day to recruit temporary replacement nurses. Already, some elective procedures are being postponed, and some doctors are starting to field questions from patients about what to expect if a strike occurs.
