All they want for Christmas.....

-jt · Dec 22, 2000

With RN strikes comes Public Awareness...

In the wake of the 7-week Washington, DC strike by the DC Nurses Association, a constituent member of the American Nurses Association......

Washington Post Puts Nurses on Christmas List

12/19/00 http://www.ana.org/news/ananews.htm#xmaslist

A column in the Dec. 19, 2000, Health Section of The Washington Post includes a letter to Santa asking for a "happy" nurse. The column, "A Christmas Gift We Should All Cherish," by Abigail Trafford, talks about the challenges presented by the nursing shortage in hospitals nationwide and the stress of nurses working short-staffed, caring for too many patients in too few numbers. The article points out how trends such as lower reimbursement rates to hospitals and cost-cutting by managed care companies have resulted in hospitals cutting nursing staff and replacing RNs with unlicensed personnel. It ends by making the point that "nurses are the critical piece in making sure patients get good hospital care."

The ANA worked closely with the reporter on the column. ANA President Mary Foley, MS, RN, and ANA Senior Policy Fellow Patricia Rowell, PhD, RN, along with American Journal of Nursing Editor Diana Mason, PhD, RN, FAAN, were among those quoted. The ANA is sending a letter to the editor thanking The Post for its focus on this crucial issue and sharing the results of the ANA study from this past spring (see press release at http://www.ana.org/pressrel/2000/pr0502.htm)

that showed that nurse staffing has a direct and positive relationship with patient outcomes.Nurses are encouraged to read the article and respond to The Washington Post as well at:

"A Christmas Gift We All Would Cherish (washingtonpost.com) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/health/columns/secondopinion/A24496-2000Dec18.html