On June 10, nurses from 14 Twin Cities hospitals participated in a one-day strike, the effect of which is still unknown. The disagreement is between the Minnesota Nurses Association and Twin Cities hospitals, and no one is sure who has the upper hand, reports the Star Tribune. Nurses want strict nurse-to-patient ratios, while hospitals want to decide those ratios on an as-needed basis. The sides are also disputing whether nurses should be allowed to float to other units and be sent home if the unit is experiencing a lull.

During the strike, the hospitals succeeded in garnering 2,800 replacement nurses, and hospital officials have said that during the strike, patients remained safe. The Tribune reports the strike caused a few hiccups: some hospitals received fewer patients (Abott Northwestern had 299 patients compared to a usual 500), Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, which is not involved in the strike, reported a modest surge in patients, and some patients’ family members, including Kathy Washington, a nurse herself complained to the Tribune about subpar care.

Experts speculated that if the nurses wish to win the dispute, they will have to take part in more one-day strikes or a longer strike, and if hospitals wish to have the upper hand, they will need to hire permanent replacement staff.

What do you think? Have you been involved in strikes? How effective are they? Share your thoughts below.