Mayo Clinic Nurses Back Legislation Their Employer Wants To Nix

ROCHESTER, MN — Mayo Clinic nurses on Monday spoke out in favor of a nurse staffing bill that is actively being opposed by their employer.

The "Keeping Nurses at the Bedside" Act — which is backed by the state's nurses union — would require hospitals to form committees made up of nurses to create "core staffing plans."

The bill requires the state health commissioner to grade each hospital on how well they follow the staffing plans.

Advocates say the bill will reduce the high rate of nurse burnout and turnover and improve care for patients, especially at Mayo, where nurses are not unionized.

But leaders at Mayo, the state’s largest private employer and one of the world's most renowned hospitals, see things differently.

As first reported by the Minnesota Reformer, a Mayo Clinic executive last week warned Gov. Tim Walz and Democratic lawmakers that the non-profit might pull billions in facility investments over the staffing bill.

"We agree our nursing staff face many challenges; however, we believe this bill does little to address the real challenge – recruitment and retention of the health care workers and staff Minnesotans need," the Mayo Clinic told Patch in an emailed statement.

"At the heart of this is legislation we believe will negatively impact access to care and our ability to transform health care to support our staff and meet the evolving needs of our patients. Like any responsible organization, we must evaluate the legislative and regulatory environment in the places we operate."

But the Minnesota Nurses Association referred to the reported move as "blackmail."

"Mayo Clinic did not demand an exemption until this week," said Rep. Sandra Feist in a statement, chief author of the bill.

"The exemption that Mayo proposes would exempt, in essence, every hospital in Minnesota. This would make the bill meaningless and is a non-starter. Mayo has thus far refused to provide more reasonable language to address the clear concerns I expressed during our most recent meeting before they cut off communication."

Nurses shared stories Monday that they said were a result of Mayo's "deliberate understaffing by management," including a time when a baby on a CPAP breathing machine was being cared for by Mayo nurses who had not been properly trained in the equipment.

Meanwhile, hospital administrators worry the bill will lead to cost overruns.

"If implemented, these harmful mandates will reduce our ability to provide care, leading to potential unit closures, increased costs, longer wait times for patients, and the loss of vital health care services that communities rely on," warned Dr. Rahul Koranne, president and CEO of the Minnesota Hospital Associated, back in March.

"It is crucial that we maintain access to high-quality health care services and ensure that hospitals and health systems have the resources they need to continue caring for Minnesotans."

Editor's note: A previous version of this article misstated the timeline related to the Mayo Clinic's public comments