Yesterday I received an urgent message from the ANA asking nurses to contact their Congressional Representatives to support HR 1424, the Paul Wellstone Mental Health & Addiction Act. Congress is expected to take up this issue tomorrow, March 5, 2008. In September, 2007, the U.S. Senate passed similar legislation (S. 588) which will help bring an end to health insurance discrimination and remove barriers blocking health care for those who suffer from mental illness. Please call today! The toll free number is 1-866-727-4894 and ask for your Representative’s office. If you don’t know who your representative is or prefer to send an Email you can get this information and access…
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Help Encourage Increased Funding for Nursing Workforce Development Programs
On Feb 25, 2008, Congressional Representatives Lois Capps (D-CA) and Steven LaTourette(R-OH) began circulating a “Dear Colleagues” letter in the House of Representatives seeking support of funding the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Program at a level of $200 million for FY 2009. The American Nurses Association and the National League for Nursing are asking nurses for help. Nurses are encouraged to contact(by phone, FAX. or Email) their Congressional Representative to encourage him/her to co-sign this letter by Wednesday, March 12, 2008. Find your Representative at Congress.org.President Bush’s proposed budget for FY 2009 reduces the funding for Title VIII by 30% ($46.1 million) from FY2008. He accomplished this by completely…
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Article Index Now on The Nursing Site
I’m adding content to TheNursingSite and have now made an Article Index page so if you’re in a hurry to find a particular article you can find it there faster. Be sure to check the specific web pages however, as there is also relevant information and links you don’t want to miss. As always, if you have any specific content added, please be sure to Email me. And many thanks to those who have asked before they use my content!! It is important to respect copyrights!
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Joining Forces With the National Nurse Efforts
Patient education is a key element in helping patients to assume responsibility for their own health status and outcomes. Nurses are a primary source for patient education, but beyond the bedside, nurses are not always as accessible. Practitioners have cut office operational costs by using medical assistants and lay personnel. An Office of the National Nurse could help to make nurses more accessible to the general public. Health care costs are expected to double in the U.S. by 2017. Using nurses effectively to promote wellness and health care education would go a long way in healing the health care crisis.
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Michigan Funds Program to Help High School Students Prepare for Nursing School
Here’s a perfect example of why nurses should pay attention to political issues. The state of Michigan is funding a program to better prepare high school students for nursing school. One of the reasons nursing students don’t succeed in nursing school is that they have difficulties with the math or reading. This poor success rate is why so many nursings schools have now instituted entrance exams to exclude students who don’t have the math, reading and science skills to pass. This type of program is designed to help high school students achieve the necessary math, science and reading skills to succeed and to eventually become nurses and help to solve…