"Call to the Nursing Profession"

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Nursing Organizations to Hold Summit to Address Quality of Care, Staffing Issues and The Emerging Shortage

"Call to the Nursing Profession" Promises Plan of Action

http://www.nursingworld.org/pressrel/2001/pr0907a.htm

WASHINGTON, DC - As the nation grapples with decreased nurse staffing in many settings today and predictions of an unprecedented shortage of nurses in the next decade, leaders of national nursing organizations will hold a summit in Washington, D.C., Sept. 8-11, to address these issues. Leaders who participate in the Call to the Nursing Profession meeting will create a comprehensive plan to ensure that consumers continue to receive safe, quality nursing care, to retain nurses who are currently practicing and to recruit more people into the profession.

"A shortage of nurses jeopardizes the public's access to quality health care," said Anne Manton, PhD, RN, CEN, co-chair of the Nursing Organization Liaison Forum (NOLF), a coalition of 74 national nursing organizations. "Projections indicate that the demand for nurses will outstrip supply by 2010. Nursing organizations view issues that affect the strength of the nursing workforce as a priority."

The Call to the Nursing Profession is a special invitational meeting of leaders of national nursing organizations. Discussions during the Call to the Nursing Profession will revolve around 10 domains identified as key issues of concern for nurses, the profession, and the public. The domains include: work environment, economic value, education, legislation/regulation/policy, delivery systems/nursing practice models, diversity, recruitment/retention, professional/nursing culture, public relations/communications, and leadership/planning.

An overarching plan will be developed as a result of the meeting. The implementation of the plan will be an ongoing effort by each nursing organization, consistent with its mission, to address nurse staffing, the nursing shortage and their impact on the public.

"We know that the plan must be bold and that all of the factors that drive shortages must be addressed," said American Nurses Association (ANA) President Mary Foley, MS, RN. "The plan we develop collectively will demonstrate nursing's commitment to forging long-term solutions that address the complex factors that have resulted in cyclical shortages of nurses."

Nurse leaders will advance this plan to stakeholders outside of nursing with a Call to the Nation planned for 2002. At the 2002 meeting, groups representing the spectrum of consumers, purchasers and providers of health care will be invited to support the plan to ensure high quality nursing care.

The concept for the Call to the Nursing Profession originated with the American Nurses Association and was further developed in concert with other nursing organizations. Representatives of 19 organizations formed a steering committee to develop the include the folllowing:framework for the meeting. Members of the steering committee

The American Academy of Nursing

American Association of Colleges of Nursing

American Association of Critical Care Nurses

American Association of Nurse Anesthetists

American Nurses Association

American Nurses Credentialing Center

American Organization of Nurse Executives

American Psychiatric Nurses Association

Association of periOperative Registered Nurses

Association of Women's Health

Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses

Emergency Nurses Association

Infusion Nurses Society

National Black Nurses Association

National Council of State Boards of Nursing,

National League for Nursing

National Student Nurses Association

Nursing Organization Liaison Forum

Oncology Nursing Society

The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International

[oramar]

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