The ANA maintains that, as a major payer for health care services for individuals entitled to benefits under Medicare and Medicaid, the federal government has a compelling interest to ensure that these beneficiaries receive high-quality care. Decades of research have shown that nurse staffing levels are the primary indicator of safe and effective care.

Research by Aiken and colleagues in the October 23, 2002, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association demonstrated that RN staffing levels have a significant impact on preventable deaths in hospitals, and that a patient’s likelihood of dying within 30 days of admission increases 7% for every additional patient added to the average RN’s workload. The Joint Com­mission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations reported in Health Care at the Crossroads in 2002 that inadequate nurse staffing contributes to nearly a quarter of all unexpected incidents that kill or injure hospitalized patients. Recent research conducted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published in 2001 found strong, objective proof that nurse staffing in nursing homes is directly related to quality measures. When staffing levels dropped below a certain threshold, the incidence of sepsis, urinary tract infections, pressure ulcers, and weight loss increased. (See www.cms.hhs.gov/medicaid/reports/rp700hmp.asp to read the report.)

Given the strong relationship between nurse staffing and quality of care, the ANA believes that patients should have easy access to reliable information regarding nurse staffing. The Patient Safety Act would require health care facilities to regularly report auditable data on RN, LPN, and unlicensed personnel staffing to the CMS. This data would then be made publicly available by the CMS (also on its Web site). Hospitals would also be required to report risk-adjusted mortality rates and incidences of medication errors, pressure ulcers, and nosocomial infections, including nosocomial urinary tract infections. The bill also provides whistleblower protections to nurses who report conditions dangerous to patients or that violate conditions of participation in the Medicare program.

More information is available at the ANA government affairs Web site: www.anapoliticalpower.org.

As part of National Nurses Week, the ANA hosted a reception May 12 to honor the bipartisan House Nursing Caucus, formed in 2003 to educate Congress on the nursing profession. The caucus, with more than 90 members, was formed after consultation between congressional leaders and the ANA. Attendees included, from left, Representative Lois Capps, MA, RN, (D-CA), caucus chairwoman and Representative Carolyn McCarthy, LPN, (D-NY), ANA Chief Executive Officer Linda Stierle, MSN, RN, CNAA, and Representative Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), sponsor of the Patient Safety Act.

Tips for Political Action

The upcoming election is a powerful opportunity to advance nursing’s perspectives on health care. RNs represent the largest group of health care professionals—numbering more than 2.7 million. Therefore, nurses have the opportunity to use their power at the ballot box to make health care a priority and to ensure that the concerns and goals of the nursing profession are represented on the national agenda.  

Going to the polls in November isn’t the only way to exercise power. There are so many ways to make a difference in this election. Here are a few:

• Make sure that the people in your life and community are registered to vote.
• Spread the word about the issues at stake in this election.
• Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper about the importance of nursing and health care issues.
• Get together with friends and other nurses to volunteer on the campaigns of pro-nursing candidates.
• Spread the word and get involved—make a difference.

Erin McKeon is the associate director of government affairs, and Michelle Artz is a senior political action specialist at the ANA.

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