I applaud Norine Seymour, R.N., for voicing her opinion (Maine Voices, March 8) on how a union can disrupt the integrity of nursing at Maine Medical Center.

I too am a proud nurse of many years at MMC, serving the cancer community. The patients and families I have met over the years are our family members, friends and neighbors throughout Maine, and it is a privilege to care for them.

MMC recognizes and supports nursing professional development, from an organized hospital orientation, to unit-based preceptorship and education, to Clinical Nursing Ladder and leadership pathways, to nursing shared governance, to supporting specialty certification! I know, when our patient’s health status becomes critical, I can transfer the patient into the care of an educated, competent and highly skilled nurse.

Nursing collegiality happens at the patient’s bedside. We bond over all the wins and losses of the patients we care for.

Unions don’t professionally develop MMC nurses. Unions aren’t there in the moments nurses advocate for pain management for their patients. Unions don’t recognize the multitude of letters of appreciation for their loved one’s nurse. Unions don’t care if our patient’s last wish is to see a beloved pet.

What unions do, though, is unravel the bonds of collegiality. It saddens me that the undercurrents of a union takeover can affect a nurse’s relationship with his/her peers, managers and MMC leadership. I’m always proud to share the high standards of care we have in place at MMC, and I’ll continue to support a non-union workplace. Because we are MMC.

Betsy St. Germain, MN, RN, AOCN
oncology clinical nurse specialist, Gibson Pavilion, Maine Medical Center
Cape Elizabeth resident

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