National Nurses United

NATIONAL NURSE,™ (USPS publication permit number 0807-560/ISSN 2153- 0386 print/ISSN 2153-0394 online) The Voice of National Nurses United, January-February-March 2026 (Volume 122/1) is published by National Nurses United, 155 Grand Avenue, Oakland, CA 94612-2908. It provides news of or - ganizational activities and reports on developments of concern to all registered nurses across the nation. It also carries gen- eral coverage and commen tary on matters of nursing practice, community and public health, and health care policy. It is pub- lished quarterly, with combined issues in January-February-March (winter), April- May-June (spring), July-August- September (summer), and October- November-December (fall). Periodicals postage paid at Oakland, California. POSTMASTER: send address changes to National Nurse, ™ 155 Grand Avenue, Oakland, CA 94612-2908. To send a media release or announce- ment, fax (510) 663-0629. National Nurse™ is carried on the NNU website at www.nationalnursesunited.org. For permission to reprint articles, write to Editorial Office. To subscribe, send $40 ($45 foreign) to Subscription Department. Please contact us with your story ideas They can be about practice or manage- ment trends you've observed, or simply something new you've encountered in the profession. They can be about one nurse, unit, or hospital, or about the wider landscape of health care policy from an RN's perspective. They can be humorous, or a matter of life and death. If you're a writer and would like to contribute an article, please let us know. You can reach us at nationalnurse@nationalnursesunited.org EXECUTIVE EDITOR Puneet Maharaj EDITOR Lucia Hwang GRAPHIC DESIGN Jonathan Wieder COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR Sarah Cecile CONTRIBUTORS Rachel Berger, Lauren Bloomquist, Lucy Diavolo, Kari Jones, Dawn Kettinger, Michelle Morris, Chuleenan Svetvilas, Martha Wallner PHOTOGRAPHY Omar Bantayan, Jaclyn Higgs, Tad Keyes, Choppy Oshiro we know we were all eager to say goodbye to 2025, but we will be the first to acknowledge that 2026 has been pretty rough so far as well. When we nurses look around our workplaces, our neighborhoods and commu- nities, our country, and the world, we know three things to be true: First, we are living in a state of emergency and crisis as fascism at home and abroad grows. Second, the only thing that will stop power-hungry dictators and the profit-hungry billion- aire class from controlling every aspect of our lives is if working-class people in this country and around the world unite to build societies that are geared to not only ensure we survive, but bloom. And, third, unionized registered nurses are uniquely positioned to help lead this vision for a healthy society. Yes, we were ranked for the 24th year in a row as being the most ethical and trusted profession. Our patients and the public know that we are their advocates and will fight like hell to represent their best interests. Frankly, it's not unreasonable to think that one of the main reasons the Trump administra- tion's vicious attempt to paint Alex Pretti, the VA RN whom border patrol killed, as a "domestic terrorist" totally backfired was because Pretti was a nurse. The public could not and would not buy the administration's smear campaign against Pretti. Instead, the horrific killing of a nurse galvanized not only RNs across the country, but people of conscience every- where. We take a look in this issue at how our nurses have organized to fight ICE, with a special dive into the work of our very own Minnesota Nurses Association, which represents many nurses in the Twin Cities and has been battling on the front lines of this war. Please, let's read and learn from our Minnesota colleagues, because it will take all of us in our respective cities to end this violent, lawless, paramilitary force. Even amidst all the bad news, we nurses are making good news, too. We must make our own good news through collective struggle. Over these past months, we have unionized previously unorganized nurses. We have fought for and won strong, new contracts—sometimes first contracts. We have scored health and safety wins. We launched a Red Alert bus tour to visit and save hospital facilities at risk of service cuts and even complete closure due to the massive theft of $1 trillion from Medicaid and Medicare via the Republicans' budget bill last year. We know it's exhausting. We know we each have a lot going on, with work, family, obligations, and just surviving during these rough times. We know your mental health is frayed. But we also know that it's better and easier—actually, optimal—to fight this fight together. Don't do all of it, just a little part of it. Work with your fellow nurses, work with your union. People are waking up, and at this time of great jeop- ardy is also opportunity. Let's seize it! In solidarity, Jamie Brown, RN; Nancy Hagans, RN; Cathy Kennedy, RN; Mary Turner, RN National Nurses United Presidents Letter from the NNU presidents Stay connected FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/NationalNurses X: @NationalNurses FLICKR: www.flickr.com/nationalnursesunited VIMEO: www.vimeo.com/NationalNursesUnited DIGITAL MAGAZINE: NationalNurseMagazine.org

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