2001 Resolution - 011

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SUBJECT: Safe Staffing Campaign
Introduced by: UAN Executive Council
Date of Resolution: May 24, 2001
Action: Resolution adopted on June 27, 2001

WHEREAS, patients and nurses continue to be at risk in today's hospitals and health care facilities because of unsafe staffing, and

WHEREAS, registered nurses are committed to making hospitals safe, and

WHEREAS, UAN is building a strong new voice for America's nurses, and

WHEREAS, through its Safe Staffing Campaign commencing in fall, 2000, UAN has implemented a multifaceted approach to educate the public and policymakers, mobilize nurses, and promote UAN as the force to better the work and care conditions for registered nurses, and

WHEREAS, thousands of nurses throughout the country have participated in Nurses Week rallies, public hearings and other events, signed safe staffing petitions, distributed consumer posters and brochures, worked for passage of safe staffing laws, and fought for strong contract language to assure safe staffing and quality patient care, and

WHEREAS, by these efforts, UAN and its members across the country are making safe staffing visible to the public, national and local media, the nursing community, and lawmakers as they deliver UAN's safe staffing message and push for measures to end the staffing crisis,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that UAN continue implementation of Safe Staffing Campaign strategies over the next twelve months, through public relations, bargaining, education and legislative initiatives, which may include the following activities:

1. Coordinate annual National Nurses Week events to mobilize registered nurses for safe staffing until the goal of safe staffing is met,
2. Hold a National Safe Staffing Lobby Day in 2002,
3. Undertake these safe staffing events with the goal of doubling the numbers of events and the turnout of registered nurses in 2002,
4. Conduct focus group research with health care consumers to assess general public awareness about registered nurse staffing,
5. Create a speakers bureau of registered nurses to serve as spokespersons on staffing,
6. Call for the development and implementation of safe staffing initiatives within the AFL-CIO,
7. Provide education programs for registered nurses and the public on staffing issues and trends, and

Be it further RESOLVED, that the National Labor Assembly seeks the support of the American Nurses Association and the American Nurses Foundation for sufficient resources to implement an effective research and education plan.