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Politician Says Nurses Play Cards All Day, Internet Claps Back
Now nurses are challenging her to shadow during a typical 12-hour shift.
D.G. Sciortino
04.29.19

We all know that politicians seem to be out of touch with the average working American these days.

Most Americans pretty much want the same things.

A livable wage, affordable health care, personal freedom, and proper infrastructure. Unfortunately, the people we elect often fail at providing these things and instead turn debates and bills into divisive issues. Republican Washington State Senator Maureen Walsh is getting some heat this week for turning a debate over a bill into an attack on nurses.

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You’d think that passing a law that would allow nurses to have mandatory, uninterrupted meal, rest breaks, and overtime protection would be something that politicians wouldn’t have to take to the local Senate floor.

You’d think that the corporations and entities that run hospitals would automatically be providing this. After all, nurses often work 12-hour shifts while caring for the sick and vulnerable. Why wouldn’t you want them to be well rested during their uninterrupted breaks when people’s lives are at stake?

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Well, it became an issue in Washington and something local legislators had to address. According to The New York Times, Walsh voted against the measure saying the legislation “does not apply” to districts like hers that have hospitals with fewer than 25 beds.

This is because nurses “probably do get breaks. They probably play cards for a considerable amount of the day.”

She asked that the bill exclude small hospitals from offering nurses mandatory uninterrupted breaks.

“I understand helping with employees and making sure we have rest breaks,” said Walsh. “We need to care for patients first and foremost.”

This obviously outraged many nurses across the country, including the Washington State Nurses Association who say that medical errors can be caused by fatigue and could be prevented with rest breaks.

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“No, senator, nurses are not sitting around playing cards,” the nurses’ association wrote in a blog post, according to CBS News. “They are taking care of your neighbors, your family, your community.”

Chicago nurse Juliana Bindas started a petition on Change.org calling for Walsh to spend a day shadowing a nurse.

“Nurses don’t really have time to even take a bathroom break, let alone play a deck of cards,” said Bindas.

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Since then, Walsh has had more than 1,700 decks of cards delivered to her office. Walsh ended up issuing an apology retracting her statement.

“I was tired, and in the heat of argument on the Senate floor, I said some things about nurses that were taken out of context — but still they crossed the line,” said Walsh, who also explained that her mother was a registered nurse. “I really don’t believe nurses at our critical access hospitals spend their days playing cards, but I did say it, and I wish I could reel it back.”
She did say that she is worried that the costs associated with providing nurses with breaks and overtime protection could force smaller hospitals to close. That is a valid concern, but I’m not sure it’s necessary to demean hard working nurses in the process of expressing concerns over the legislation, which ended up passing. Walsh also said she would be “happy to accept” an opportunity to shadow a nurse on a 12-hour shift.

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