Fabulous Idea!!!!

Jackie Payne · Aug 24, 2000

Originally posted by bunky:
Hey, Barbara Rose, on another posting suggested something that I think we all should think about! What about organizing a rally like the Million Mom March only for nurses in protest of unsafe healthcare? If we did something like this it would bring the issues into the public eye in a way that we can't do alone! How could the media ignore several thousand of us getting together? If we were all to attend and bring along another nursing friend or two, how many do you suppose we could gather? I think that if the public had any idea of what was really going on in healthcare facilities and how it affects THEM, it would become an issue which they could relate to as opposed to just a nursing issue. Imagine what this could result in if we all got together for this cause?!

Anyone interested in working on this, and planning the details, post away! What I am proposing is that we would meet in one city, and hold a march much like the million mom idea. We'd need a core theme, which I feel should be unsafe healthcare, and all of the other issues such as unsafe staffing, manadatory overtime etc.. would fall under this idea.

I for one, think that we need to take action. I am tired of feeling this way, hating my working conditions and feeling hopelessly overworked, and I know that I am not alone in thinking that the profession is in need of some strong unity, and needs to be heard in a way that a single individual just can't accomplish alone.

So dear readers, how about it? Let's go for it!

[This message has been edited by bunky (edited August 18, 2000).]

Please read alternative to march it has some useful information

oldnurse · Aug 25, 2000

Originally posted by Jay-Jay:
Love the idea! When I was in nsg. college, I was really upset with what wimps my fellow students were, refusing to stand up and be counted when it came to protesting unfair, abusive treatment by one of our clinical instructors. Let's DO SOMETHING! Stand up and be counted for a change!

I'm in homecare, and I'm sick and tired of the fact I get paid about $10 an hour less than hospital nurses, don't get paid for any breaks, or travel time, or for the countless hours I spend on the phone and doing paperwork. Why should we be paid less when we have a lot more responsibility than hospital nurses? There's no MD just around the corner if our patient takes a turn for the worse, and our caseload covers ambsolutely everything, so we need to have a much broader knowledge base than hospital RN's, who typically just work in one area.

Maybe we could make it a multi-city march, all on the same day in both US and Canada.

Grand Idea- I'm from the time were there was enough staff and time for all total and partial bed rest patients to have their backs washed and rubed every evening after visting hours.I like Jay-Jay's idea I could get to our State Capital. (Don't know about Washington- our center has put a freeze on all out-of-state travel-Ha Ha)

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Paula

bunky, BSN, RN · Aug 25, 2000

Hi again! Jackie Payne came up with an excellent starting point for us! Let's start an email campaign to our leaders! Here are the email addresses for both George W. Bush, and Al Gore. And Saphie and Jay-Jay, I have come up with Jean Chretian's too! For mailing addresses, see Jackie Payne's posting topic Alternative to March.

I think that this would be an excellent start.

George W. Bush

[email protected]

Al Gore

[email protected]

Jean Chretian (for our neighbours to the north ha! ha!)

[email protected]

Let those emails fly you guys! If anyone gets a response, do share so we can guage the reception.

Barbara Rose · Aug 25, 2000

OK you guys! If it is such a good idea and while you are all fired up, how are we going to get this accomplished? First, you all and anyone else you know need to notify you state nurses association, and ANA along with any other groups you can find to get started, we are ready to march! next, a wave of "propaganda" has to hit the public; education from nurses themselves: volunteer to speak at the lunch meetings of service groups, set up a forum or education class on unsafe health care or related topic in your community, get items and concerns listed in your local papers, etc. It is a big job, and everyone has to help. Also, the big groups have to get behind this idea to and they won't if we don't! I am doing my share and will continue to. I know that most of you are not as busy as I am (trust me- 3 jobs and school, my own business, an advocacy group and my family) but this is worth losing a little sleep over - you'll lose alot more while you are waiting to give a deposition on why you gave such poor care and if it was unsafe why did you accept the assignment, etc. Once the big groups get a hold of the idea, it will get organized alot faster but NURSES AS A GROUP must work together and educate the public to make this an issue; especially in an election year and our very own governor here in Texas in the race, if we unite, we can win this battle!

Patricia Smith · Aug 25, 2000

Glad to see so many new postings on this subject--I plan on riding this out and doing what I can to make this happen. Like one of the nurses so elequently pointed out "it is worth losing a little sleep over!" California Nurses Association has a wonderful website and are more than willing to give any information that gets the word out to the public. I am so jealous that their association is so active in the political arena when it comes to staffing ratios and patient care issues. I think that they have formed a solid foundation on which we can build from here. Let's follow their lead ladies--we are anatomically correct aren't we? I mean, we do have backbones--let's stand up!!

beech · Aug 25, 2000

How about exposure on a national TV program such as Oprah Winfrey.

Donald H Eidman · Aug 25, 2000

I beleive that in theory the idea of a nursing march on Washington sounds great. I do recall the folks who published Nurse Revolution several years ago had a march of that nature. It would be difficult to organize a movement that large. But what if we all get together on a specific date and all of us just flood the Whitehouse or government with massive e-mails of our concerns, maybe @least a few will get through and let them know that we are uniting with a cause to better our healthcare system Kinda like a Paper March on DC......... hey just a thought

bunky, BSN, RN · Aug 25, 2000

I have one legal question on this. How do we really tell the public without violating confidentaility?

bunky, BSN, RN · Aug 26, 2000

Pat and Barb, I have NO idea how to do this, but damn I am determined to take this profession to a new level. I don't believe we can go on like this at work. It has come to the point where if we don't push for a change, than I am outta here.

What do you guys advise? I will work tirelessly to help with this as it's something I believe in very strongly.

Rosemary · Aug 27, 2000

Hey guys,you are not alone-In New Zealand the hospital based nurses have been fighting for exactly the same reasons and we in Tauranga had a rally and marched up the main street of town on a busy Friday with a police escort-the main thing is organisation-we are lucky here that we have an active union that fights with the nurses FOR the nurses.I will look forward to hearing about it on the world news headlines!

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FBB044 · Aug 27, 2000

Hi everybody!

Here's the e-mail that I sent to George and Al. Bush's e-mail came back to me but I'll try him again later.

-Sir,

I am compelled to write and make sure that you are aware that there is currently a problem in the U.S. with safe staffing levels of R.N.'s to patients in the hospitals. With a nursing shortage on the horizon this is only going to worsen. And the reason for a nursing shortage? Poor staffing ratios! Nurses are leaving the hospitals and the profession because they can't deliver safe health care and are asked to jeprodize the welfare of their patients for the bottom line. Nurses in California have recently had legislation passed that addresses this issue. You could certainly gain the support of all nurses if you would address this issue in the upcoming election on a national level.

Thank you,

Brent RN,LP,COHN

Anyway, Thats what I wrote. What do ya'll(Texas thing) think.

PS- Here's gov. Bush's address.

http://www.governor.state.tx.us/contact_thanks.html

[This message has been edited by FBB044 (edited August 27, 2000).]

bunky, BSN, RN · Aug 28, 2000

I wrote basically the same thing to both of them. Anyone else?