"As the swine flu outbreak evolves it is time to consult the nation's nurses.

[herring_RN, ASN, BSN]

don't let insurance company greed block swine flu response

anyone who has had much experience with america's health care system knows that nurses are the essential players in making things work.

so as the swine flu outbreak evolves into a genuine public health emergency -- with cases being discovered in more states and the announcement by president obama of the first death in the u.s. -- it is time to consult the nation's nurses. ...

...obama's call focuses on emergency funding to provide an adequate supply of vaccines and the equipment to handle a potential outbreak. that's just a piece of the puzzle.

cna/nnoc officials argue that president's commitment, while significant and welcome, is not enough.

the union has developed an action plan that seeks a federal commitment to:

* reinstate the $870 million for pandemics that was cut from the economic stimulus bill.

* recruit and mobilize teams of scientists to create the appropriate effective vaccine for the virus.

* cease and desist any reductions in public health programs at federal, state and local levels. lift any freezes on public health funding currently in place.

* implement a moratorium on any closures of emergency rooms, layoffs of direct healthcare personnel, and reductions of hospital beds.

*allocate funding for recruitment and retention of school nurses, public health nurses.

* expand the network of community clinics, especially in medically underserved areas.

*add thousands of additional ventilators/respirators, which are critically needed in the event of epidemics.

* assure the availability of protective equipment for all healthcare personnel.

* require all insurance companies to suspend or waive all out-of-pocket expenses, including co-pays, deductibles, or co-insurance that discourage individuals from seeking preventive care for early signs of infection.

the nurses union's proposals should be taken seriously, especially by members of congress who -- aside from obey and a few others -- have failed to take public health issues seriously.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20090429/cm_thenation/1431300

[SchoolNurseBSN]

"Allocate funding for recruitment and retention of school nurses, public health nurses"

It is so sad that it took a flu pandamic to bring to light the importance and need of school nurses. Across the country - many school istricts are cutting their school nurses altogether or spreading them very thin among many schools.