For Immediate Release
Tuesday, May 06, 2003
Nurses Gather in Washington to Demand Federal Action on Safe Staffing Levels and State Fiscal Crisis
Lack of Congressional Action is Endangering the Health Care System
Washington, DC —
Nurses from across the country gathered today to tell Congress that the nation's health care system will flat-line unless safe staffing legislation is passed and immediate federal assistance is sent directly to cash-strapped state and local governments.
States are dealing with the worst fiscal crisis since the great depression and the budget shortfalls are forcing many local leaders to make draconian cuts in health care services. The United Nurses of America (UNA), the 
nursing branch of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFL-CIO, demanded that Congress send direct fiscal relief to states so that services are preserved and patients are protected.
"Layoffs in health care coupled with the ongoing nursing shortage is a lethal combination for both patients and nurses," said Kathy Sackman, UNA Co-Chair. "As the health care industry faces the threat of smallpox, SARS and the difficulty of retaining nurses, we need a budget plan that delivers responsible fiscal relief to the states."
UNA nurses also called for swift passage of federal legislation requiring minimum nurse to patient ratios that is expected to be introduced this session.
A new report released by AFSCME this week, Solving the Nursing Shortage: Best and Worst Practices for Recruiting, Retaining and Recouping of Hospital Nurses, documents that short staffing, mandatory overtime and poor working conditions for nurses all contribute to the current nursing shortage and negatively impact patient care.
AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee said, "We need federal support for our local hospitals, public health departments, nursing homes, and other health care providers - not another huge tax break for millionaires. Congress has some choices to make this session. They can choose to be bullied by the President into supporting his hand-out for the wealthy, or they can choose to make sure patients get quality care and nurses have safe working conditions."
A recent survey of more than 400 AFSCME nurses found that their top three concerns were inadequate staffing, burdensome paperwork and lack of respect. Those participating in the survey also indicated that they knew former nurses who would return to the nursing profession if working conditions improved. "Nurses are the backbone of our health care system and those who have left the profession are a valuable untapped resource. By bringing them back into the profession we could help solve the nurse staffing shortage," said McEntee.
