Nurses Union Calls Off Strike, Reaches Settlement on Containing H1N1

Along with setting a national model for H1N1 hospital safety, the CNA/NNOC and CHW also settled issues on assuring adherence to safe staffing standards, reducing the practice of "floating," which is when nurses are assigned to areas outside of their clinical expertise, and proposals to reduce nurses' healthcare coverage.

CNA continues to receive information from nurses at other hospitals across the nation about the lack of H1N1 protection that nurses are receiving and the lack of hospital readiness. Other hospitals are lagging in isolating contagious patients, distributing N-95 masks, re-use of the masks, informing staff when they have been potentially exposed, and training staff members on the best policies and procedures.

Forty-eight states have now reported widespread flu activity, as the death toll from the H1N1 virus in the United States has climbed over 1,000 cases, including more than 100 children. Thirty million doses of the vaccine have gone out to health departments, doctors’ offices and other providers, with hopes of delivering 120 million in the near future.