 2004 AJN Table of Contents
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Politics of Caring
American Journal of Nursing -
April, 2004 - Volume 104, Issue 04
By Rose Gonzalez, MPS, RN, and Connie Helmlinger
Election Alert
The ANA announced its endorsement of Senator John Kerry (D-MA) for president in the 2004 election at an Ohio Town Hall meeting in late February. Citing the need for dramatic improvements in the nation’s
health care system, as well as continued support for registered nurses and
their role in health care, ANA President Barbara A. Blakeney, MS, APRN,BC,
ANP, on behalf of the ANA board of directors, declared Kerry the best
candidate to lead health care reform efforts.
“Health care is at a crossroads in the United
States,” Blakeney said. “Too many Americans are without
accessible, affordable, quality health care, and nurses can play a critical
role in turning that around. We pledge our support to help Senator Kerry
become the next president because, as president, we can count on him to
continue his support for issues that are high on the agenda of
nurses.”
In the Senate, Kerry has been a consistent advocate
for increased funding for the Nurse Reinvestment Act and other nursing
workforce development programs. He supported the ANA-backed mandatory
overtime bill known as the Safe Nursing and Patient Care Act (S. 373), and
he opposed the repeal of strong ergonomic protections that were passed
during the Clinton administration.
Senator Kerry was, in fact, coauthor of both the Nurse
Reinvestment Act and the Safe Nursing and Patient Care Act and has been a
strong advocate on behalf of nurses throughout his senatorial career.
The ANA has been making presidential endorsements
since 1984. The endorsement process included sending a questionnaire on
nursing and health care issues to all Democratic and Republican candidates,
an invitation to them for a personal interview by the ANA, and an online
survey in which ANA’s members could select their favorite candidates.
In other election news, nearly 40 members of the U.S.
House of Representatives will compete to win House seats this fall in races
made more competitive by redistricting. State redistricting prior to the
last congressional election led to 20 new representatives joining the U.S.
Congress. Recently, Texas Governor Rick Perry signed into law a proposal
approved by the state legislature to design new state federal district
lines, which ultimately favor Republicans. These new district lines also
have forced incumbents to run against incumbents, inspiring some hot races
in Texas: representatives Martin Frost (D) will run against Randy
Neugebauer (R), and Charles Stenholm (D) will run against Pete Sessions
(R).
For more on the upcoming elections, go to www.anapoliticalpower.org.
On February 24, the Senate defeated legislation targeting medical
liability–tort reform for obstetric–gynecologic providers. The
Healthy Mothers and Healthy Babies Access to Care Act of 2003
(S. 2061) was introduced on February 10 and proposed federal
caps on damages awarded in lawsuits connected to
obstetric–gynecological care. The ANA believes that the dollar caps
are premature and will ultimately infringe on basic patient rights. The ANA
sent a letter last month to senators expressing its concerns, providing its
position on tort reform, and asking them to oppose the legislation.
To read the ANA’s position, go to www.anapoliticalpower.org and click on “Learn About Issues.” Scroll down to
“Medical Malpractice Liability/Tort Reform.”
State News
The West Virginia Nurses Association (WVNA) succeeded in getting legislation passed
that prohibits hospitals
from requiring nurses to work overtime except in emergencies, such as
natural disasters, terrorism or disease outbreaks. At press time, Governor
Bob Wise was expected to sign the bill, The Nurse Overtime and Patient
Safety Act, into law. It will ban private hospitals from forcing nurses to
work more than 16 hours in any 24-hour period. Hospitals violating this law
would be subject to administrative penalties, including fines. The ANA
provided legislative and lobbying expertise to the WVNA for its efforts in
securing introduction and passage of the legislation.
For more state news, go to www.anapoliticalpower.org and click on “State Advocacy.”
Rose Gonzalez is director of government affairs and Connie Helmlinger was periodicals manager at the ANA until March.
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