Nurses choose their profession for many reasons. Some want to extend their compassion and help those who are sick. Some love the flexibility of the schedule and the ability to explore many different specialties. But still, nurses are leaving the profession in record numbers.
The American Nurses Association exists to represent nursing interests in the United States. How do they do this? They work with nurses and facilities to make sure nurses have the most up-to-date information for excellent care.
They speak with politicians to fight for positive change. They promote nursing health and wellness. And they have helped draft three pieces of legislation to make nurses’ lives and patients’ care better than ever.
Nurses Need to Feel Safe at Work
No one wants to face violence at work. Physical and verbal altercations can feel jarring and even cause trauma.
The Problem
According to a 2022 Journal of Clinical and Translational Research article, nurses experience more workplace violence than any other profession. Patients in facilities can experience helplessness, pain, and trauma, which can easily pour out of them as abusive language and actions toward their carers.
In one study, 61.9% of healthcare providers reported physical or psychological violence in the previous 12 months. This same study found that violence against healthcare workers is highest in Asia and North America, especially in psychiatric and emergency units.
The Legislation
The Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (4182/H.R. 1195 in the 117th Congress) aims to make workplaces safer for employees in health care and social services. It asks OSHA to create and enforce specific standards to hold employers accountable for protecting their workers.
The act has already received bipartisan support in the House during the 117th Congress. The ANA is urging Congress to turn this important legislation into law.
Nurse Practitioners Want to Treat the Patients Who Need Them
When COVID-19 hit, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) passed emergency measures allowing advanced practice nurses (APNs) and physician assistants (PAs) to practice medicine in situations previously reserved for physicians.
The Problem
Now that the pandemic seems to be winding down, the public health emergency status will be over, and APNs will no longer be able to treat the patients they have worked with for the past three years. The concern is that patients will not seek a new healthcare provider, and many health needs will go unmet.
Many of the roles filled by APNs and PAs were telehealth positions, which allowed patients with limited mobility to still have access to healthcare. If APNs are not allowed to continue in their roles, it is unlikely that MDs will take their place, and those patients will have to look elsewhere for care.
The Legislation
The Improving Care and Access to Nurses (ICAN) Act asks Congress to make the changes enacted under COVID permanent. It states that APNs and PAs should be allowed to continue seeing their Medicare and Medicaid patients in these roles.
We Need More Nurses
A recent Health Affairs analysis found that 100,000 nurses left the bedside in 2021. The American Associate of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) has projected a 6% increase over the next ten years, but plenty of administrators remain skeptical.
The Problem
Nurses are leaving. Quitting. Fleeing the bedside in numbers not seen for decades. The causes range from COVID burnout to violence, with a mile-long list in between.
The amount of students in nursing school aren’t enough to fill the shoes of the nurses leaving. The AACN reports that while enrollment is up, nursing schools are concerned about meeting the demand for nurses in the coming years.
The ANA recognizes our newest nurses need the right tools to learn, love, and stick with their chosen profession.
If nurses don’t speak up about their needs, Congress certainly won’t offer support out of the blue. These three acts are important pieces of legislation that can significantly improve the safety and well-being of nurses, as well as patient care.
The ANA is urging Congress to take action on these critical matters, as collaboration between policymakers and the nursing community is essential for creating a better work culture for nurses, which can only result in improved patient care.
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