Senator Maureen Walsh criticized for saying nurses "played cards" for "a lot of time"



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A senator from Washington State is being blamed for "degrading statements" about the nursing profession for suggesting that diligent health professionals "probably play cards for a good deal of time." the day".

State Senator Maureen Walsh, a Republican who represents College Place, in a rural area of ​​southeastern Washington, near the Oregon border, has drawn the wrath of the nurses to Washington. State after making this remark in front of the Senate.

Comments were voiced during a debate on a union-backed bill that would impose uninterrupted meal breaks and breaks and compulsory overtime protection in all hospitals, reported the spokesman. word.

Walsh argued that small hospitals with few beds should be exempted, otherwise they might have difficulty staying open due to the requirement.

"I would submit that these (small) hospital nurses probably have breaks," Walsh said, depending on the point of sale. "They are probably playing cards for a considerable amount of the day."

The Washington State Nurses Association called the comment "incredibly disrespectful and condescending," in a blog post that drew so many clicks, that the site was crashed for a moment on Friday.

"No, senator, nurses are not sitting around playing cards," reads partially. "They take care of your neighbors, your family, your community.

The article indicated that research has shown that mandatory overtime is bad for patient care and results in increased errors.

"And it's bad for your rural hospitals. With all due respect, Senator Walsh: It may be time for you to lay out the cards and pick up the literature.

The bill was passed by the state Senate with the amendment excluding small hospitals. It had already been adopted by the House without amendment.

Another amendment, Walsh, proposed to also limit nurses' working hours to 8-hour shifts.

The different versions of the bill in the House and the Senate will have to be reconciled before being promulgated.

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