National Nurses United

A P R I L | M AY | J U N E 2 0 2 2 W W W . N A T I O N A L N U R S E S U N I T E D . O R G N A T I O N A L N U R S E 11 director at her facility. She grew up in the Tops market neighborhood and a family member was working inside the store dur- ing the shooting. "A hate-filled man pulled the trigger, but he was handed the gun by every person, politician, news outlet, and social media platform that espouses white supremacy ideology." Both Nesbitt and White said that because of the public's high esteem and trust of nurses, nurses' expertise in caring for all members of society, and nurses' strong educational backgrounds, that nurses have an important role to play in public policy conversations and decisions about how to prevent racist violence in our communities as a matter of public health. Buffalo VA nurses plan to start and organ- ize nurses through a Social Justice Committee at their hospital to participate in such efforts. "We will do our part to dis- mantle this culture of oppression and vio- lence and build a community where my Black and Brown brothers and sisters know that their lives matter," said White. Nurses throughout New York state share in the Buffalo community's grief and determination to prevent racist violence. "Our hearts go out to the victims, sur- vivors, and their family and friends," said New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) President Nancy Hagans, RN. "Those lost had many connections and loved ones in Buffalo's East Side commu- nity and beyond. We are thankful for our first responders, caregivers and NYSNA nurses at Erie County Medical Center (ECMC) who treated the victims and sur- vivors of the shooting. Our union family at ECMC is part of these connections and is especially mourning the tragic loss of loved ones." NNU and NYSNA respond to Uvalde shooting The registered nurses of National Nurses United (NNU) and New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) were deeply disturbed by Congress' refusal to reduce gun violence and ensure safe schools, workplaces, and all areas of society by enacting desperately needed gun control laws. Shamefully, the Uvalde school shooting is the 213th mass shooting in the United States this year alone, according to the Gun Violence Archive, an independent data collection organization. "It's clear that gun violence is a deadly threat to public health in this country," said Jean Ross, RN and president of NNU, the country's largest union and professional association of registered nurses. "People can't go shopping at the supermarket or send their kids to school without fear of get- ting shot and killed. We all need to be able to feel and be safe: at school, at work, in places of worship, everywhere." NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, said, "The trauma of gun violence and espe- cially the mass shootings we have witnessed in recent weeks deeply impacts the victims, survivors, families, first responders, medical professionals who treat the victims, and the entire community. Across the country, nurses, workers, and parents all feel the pain of loss and the despair of knowing too little has changed since the last tragic mass shoot- ing. We need our political leaders to offer more than empty rhetoric—we need real change. Gun violence is a public health emergency, and we need to use every tool possible to remedy it." In keeping with nurses' commitment to promote the health and well-being of all peo- ple, NNU has called since 2019 for the ban of assault weapons. In addition to a ban on the manufacture, sale, and possession of assault weapons and magazines with more than 10 bullets, NNU encourages Congress and state legislators to consider other reforms that would reduce gun violence and save lives. "Nurses advocate for our patients' health and for public health," said Ross. "We will be joining efforts to win the gun control reforms we need to make our society safe. This means confronting the extremist agenda of far-right politicians and their gun lobby backers, and it means holding them accountable for disregarding the health and safety of our communities." —Staff report

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