Dear Mrs. Obama, As nurses, we were thrilled when the President announced during his State of the Union speech that you will be spearheading a comprehensive program to reduce childhood obesity. As you well know this is one of the fastest rising epidemics in our country. If we are indeed to make a difference and truly reform health care, then one of the most important steps we can take is to be proactive and prevent illness and complications. A large portion of skyrocketing health care costs can be attributed to paying for complications of preventable diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Obesity plays a huge role in these diseases…
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ONN Update
The Office of the National Nurse has an ad included in new literature about health care reform just sent to the House of Representatives. Click here to download the .pdf file.
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Tell ANA You Support a National Nurse
If you’d like to share your support of the Office of a National Nurse with the American Nurses Association, please send an email to the new CEO, Marla Weston, at marla.weston@ana.org. The ANA opposes the idea of the ONN, but have they polled the membership or do a few officers make these decisions on their own? This is a burning question. If you are a member of ANA have you been asked for your opinion about this issue, or other issues that ANA takes a stand on? Make your voice heard to the ANA on this issue. You should also read Nurse Ratched’s post.
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Obama Promotes Nurse to Lead
The American Nurses Association endorsed President Obama when he was running for President because of his insight into the health care crisis, the nursing shortage and the fact that the nursing profession needs some strong role models and leadership. He also has a strong understanding that nurses are the backbone of health care in the U.S. and that in order to improve the health and well being of Americans, that nurses need to have an active role in overseeing the health care industry. Today, President Obama took action to promote a nurse to a leadership position in the health care industry. He appointed Dr. Mary Wakefield, PhD, RN, FAAN, to…
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Why Do We Need a National Nurse?
Why do we need a National Nurse in America? Terri Mills, a nurse educator from Portland Oregon posed that question in The New York Times in May of 2005. Since then a huge grassroots effort has evolved. Representative Lois Capps (CA-23)herself a nurse introduced a bill (HR 4903) to establish the Office of a National Nurse to the 109th Congress. It received a great deal of support and public endorsement, but did not pass. This bill needs to be reintroduced to the 110th Congress. The National Nurse Team went to Washington DC in March, 2007, to meet with legislators and to educate them about nurses and why we need an…