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Archived post

Monday, June 30, 2008

Oregon Alliance for Retired Americans Adopts Resolution Supporting Office of the National Nurse Intiative



Thank you to President Verna Porter and the Executive Board of the Oregon Alliance for Retired Persons who passed the following resolution in support of creating the Office of the National Nurse:

RESOLUTION MEMORIALIZING THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES TO ENACT LEGISLATION TO CREATE AN OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL NURSE:


WHEREAS nurses are highly valued and trusted by the public and, in addition to administering healthcare, are often called up to deliver educational messages about health maintenance and disease prevention; and

WHEREAS there are thousands of nurses and nurse educators currently living and working in the State of Oregon; and

WHEREAS a national effort is under way to create an Office of the National Nurse; and

WHEREAS on March 8, 2006, Congresswoman Lois Capps, a nurse representing the 23rd District of California, introduced HR 4903 in the House of Representatives to amend the Public Health Service Act to establish an Office of the National Nurse; and

WHEREAS HR 4903 enjoyed bipartisan support and 42 members of the House of Representatives signed on to the bill, including the entire Oregon House delegation; and

WHEREAS the Office of the National Nurse would raise awareness of health issues and engage all nurses in promoting good health through education and community outreach; and

WHEREAS the National Nurse would effectively complement the existing Office of the Surgeon General of the United States; and


WHEREAS the Office of the National Nurse would support valuable initiatives, such as producing weekly media broadcasts to promote health, increasing the numbers of nurse educators, facilitating deployment of nurses to underserved areas, promote volunteerism within the Medical Reserve Corps and partnering with existing agencies to deliver nursing assistance and education to communities, particularly communities in crisis;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Oregon Alliance for Retired Americans memorializes the Congress of the united States to enact legislation to create an Office of the National Nurse; and


BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution be forwarded to the National ARA with a request for them to adopt a similar resolution; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that copies of this resolution be forwarded to the leaders of the House Nursing Congressional Caucus, the presiding officer of each branch of Congress and the entire US House and Senate delegation representing Oregon

Approved by the Oregon ARA Executive Board June 12, 2008

Signed

Verna Porter
President

Val Jack
Secretary

The National Nursing Network Organization Team—Monday, June 30, 2008   Post only 

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Archived post

Monday, June 23, 2008

TAANA Board of Directors Votes Yes for Office of the National Nurse



Thank you to TAANA Board Member Edie Brous RN, Esq, TAANA Executive Director Brad Feldman, MPA, IOM, CAE and the entire TAANA Board of Directors for their unanimous endorsement of the Office of the Nurse Initiative. Thank you also to the nurse attorneys who made mention of the ONN initiative on their blogs and also provided links to http://nationalnurse.org on their websites. Here is the endorsement letter sent to Congresswoman Lois Capps (CA-23):

Congresswoman Lois Capps
1110 Longworth House Office Building
Washington DC 20515

Dear Congresswoman Capps:

Consistent with TAANA’s goals of providing resources, education and leadership to its members and the healthcare and legal communities, The Board of Directors of the American Association of Nurse Attorneys has unanimously voted to endorse the Office of the National Nurse initiative.

In naming you as a recipient of the Mary Eleanor McGarvah award, TAANA has previously recognized your considerable efforts to advocate for the nursing profession. The award is granted to an individual or group that has made a significant contribution to the development of health law, nursing and policy. We are pleased to join the multiple professional organizations supporting your reintroduction of this vital legislation. The American Association of Nurse Attorneys believes the establishment of a more prominent and visible presence of nursing will promote the profession and consequently, the public health.

Sincerely,
Brad L. Feldman, MPA, IOM, CAE
Executive Director

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Archived post

Monday, June 16, 2008

Testifying Before the Healthy People 2020 HHS Committee

Pictured: Laura Stokowski MSN, RN testifying before the Secretary’s Advisory Committee on National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives for 2020

Thank you to Laura Stokowski for her testimony in support of an Office of the National Nurse. Laura was one of only two nurses testifying before the Advisory Committee on June 6, 2008.

"My name is Laura Stokowski. I am a registered nurse, and am here today to represent the National Nursing Network Organization (NNNO), a grassroots organization of working nurses dedicated to refocusing our health care system on prevention.

Healthcare is in a crisis with soaring costs and rising epidemics of preventable diseases. Nurses are calling for change. We want a cultural and philosophical shift to prevention in healthcare. We want to mobilize nurses in all communities in an organized effort for health promotion and to respond to communities in need. We propose that national leadership be provided by an Office of the National Nurse.

A National Nurse will be in a unique position to unify our large and diverse nursing workforce. All nurses, regardless of specialty practice area, share the goal of promoting the health of the public. Nurses are not just there when people are sick; they can also teach people how to stay well.

A highly visible Office of the National Nurse is needed to jumpstart nationwide prevention efforts. The National Nurse will promote healthy lifestyles and environments, increase health literacy, and reduce health disparities using evidence-based interventions. A publicly recognized National Nurse will promote recruitment and retention of nurses, and support increased resources for nursing education and public health workforce programs.

The Quad Council of the Public Health Nursing Organizations (ANA, APHA Nursing, ACHNE, and ASTDN) recommends that the existing position of the Chief Nurse Officer (CNO) of the US Public Health Service (USPHS), who also serves as the Assistant Surgeon General, be elevated to become a full time position within the Office of the Surgeon General . It is their position that this individual has the designation of US National Nurse, although that title is not widely recognized.

We propose to have Congress formally bestow the unique title of National Nurse on the CNO. This will provide the status, authority and public recognition needed to lead mass scale prevention efforts and guide the shift to a culture of prevention in US healthcare. Our goal is to elevate and enhance the Office of the USPHS Chief Nurse and to bring more visibility and understanding of the critical roles of nurses in promoting, protecting, and advancing the nation's health.

The National Nurse will continue to perform the current responsibilities of the CNO and, in addition, the NN will support the Surgeon General's focus on prevention; develop nurses as prevention messengers and community health advocates; and promote the profession of nursing. Just as nurses work in collaboration with physicians and others to meet their patient’s healthcare needs, the National Nurse will work hand-in-hand in a complementary role with the Office of the Surgeon General and other agencies providing health care services.

A National Nurse will help prioritize and deliver the health agenda to the nation by complementing government services and utilizing existing resources and networks already in place (i.e., Medical Reserve Corps, Parish Nurses, American Heart Association, Diabetes Association, Cancer Society, etc.) The Office of the National Nurse will encourage volunteerism of nurses, nurse retirees, and student nurses within these existing health promotion frameworks. The National Nurse will support PH nursing leaders in all states to build collaborative partnerships and strengthen existing prevention networks.

As a group nurses have enormous potential to improve the health of this nation. Led by a National Nurse, nurses will select interventions designed to achieve Healthy People 2010 goals. Shining a light on the abilities of nurses to organize and lead prevention efforts will serve to recruit and retain nurses and enhance the profile of the nursing profession.

We believe that creating an Office of the National Nurse is a way to bring attention to nursing, to instill pride and to recruit new nurses. But most importantly, it is a way to achieve better health for the citizens of this country by effectively utilizing nurses to improve health outcomes."

The National Nursing Network Organization Team—Monday, June 16, 2008   Post only 

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Anonymous Anonymous– 
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Anonymous Anonymous– 
State legislators, Nurse attorneys and Retired Folks... the list of supporters for a National Nurse continues to grow in numbers and in diversity. This is such a visionary and pragmatic plan to address a critical need. Nurses are the logical resource to begin to shift our nation toward prevention. As we continue to find supporters in every community, I am encouraged that respect for nursing will grow and nurses will become more unified with leadership of the National Nurse. Spread the word among your colleagues. Invite them to visit the National Nurse website and join the growing list of supporters.
Susan Sullivan RN PHN MSN
NNNO Board Member.


Archived post

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Announcing the Support of the American Radiological Nurses Association



Thank you to President Sharon Lehmann MS, ACNS-BC and the membership of the American Radiological Nurses Association for their support of the Office of the Nurse Initiative. Here is their endorsement letter:

Congresswoman Lois Capps
1110 Longworth House Office Building
Washington DC 20515

Dear Congresswoman Capps:

The American Radiological Nurses Association (ARNA) with its 2,000 members and 26 chapters across the U.S. is writing in support of the initiative to establish an Office of the National Nurse. Our core purpose and core values foster growth personally and professionally, advancing the standards of care, patient safety, research, and new leadership. We recognize that opportunities for change in health care are becoming a political reality. Creating the Office of the National Nurse will uniquely position nursing to promote prevention, the prominent cornerstone for healthcare reform in the platforms of the Presidential candidates.

ARNA has joined the list of more than 40 organizations currently signed on in support of this initiative. We applaud your efforts to bring this important proposal to the attention of the decision makers in Washington DC.

Sincerely,
Sharon Lehmann MS, ACNS-BC
President ARNA 2008-2009

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Archived post

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Congratulations Class of 2008!


Congratulations to the Nursing Graduates of the Class of 2008! The National Nursing Organization Board of Directors and supporters proudly welcome you to the nursing profession. We encourage you to watch this inspiring video that is really about you, the next generation of nursing leaders.

And if anyone ever tells you that one person can't make a difference to improve the life of one person, one city, one state, or even our nation, we invite you to read or listen to these words of Robert F. Kennedy that were repeated in his eulogy by his brother, Senator Edward Kennedy 40 years ago:

"Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation. It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.

Few are willing to brave the disapproval of their fellows, the censure of their colleagues, the wrath of their society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change a world that yields most painfully to change. And I believe that in this generation those with the courage to enter the moral conflict will find themselves with companions in every corner of the globe." RFK

Graduating nurses, this is your time, and our country needs you like never before.

The National Nursing Network Organization Team—Wednesday, June 04, 2008   Post only 

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