Issue link: https://nnumagazine.uberflip.com/i/198024
Letter from the Council of Presidents they say diversity is one of the things that makes our country great. It's also one of the strengths behind our organization, National Nurses United, which represents nurses from the crowded emergency rooms of Los Angeles to the mountains of Appalachia and everywhere in between. In this month's feature story, we showcase nurses who have chosen a career path that takes them off the beaten track. Whether these RNs are working to lower their community's lead poisoning rates or helping law enforcement solve sex crimes, their workdays look nothing like the standard hospital rotation. But as their stories make clear, the skills they need are the same: critical thinking, versatility, and most of all, a human touch. NNU is expanding our diverse family with organizing in traditionally non-union states of the South, Southwest and Southeast. This month, we bring you news of nurse actions in Florida and Texas, where RNs are on the move in a big way. If nurses considering joining us have any doubt about the benefits union representation can bring, they need only read Jacquelyn Baugher's letter in this issue, 'What the Union Has Done for Me.' We guarantee you'll be moved. No matter where we hail from, nurses share common goals: quality care, control over our practice, and the ability to advocate for our patients. These issues are at the heart of all our NNU organizing, from fighting for a decent contract in Minnesota to protesting unsafe staffing at Massachusetts hospitals. And they are all part of Senator Barbara Boxer's National Nursing Shortage Reform and Patient Advocacy Act, a landmark bill that could transform NATIONAL NURSE,™ (ISSN pending) The Voice of National Nurses United, March 2010 Volume 106/2 is published by National Nurses United, 2000 Franklin Street, Oakland, CA 946122908. It provides news of organizational activities and reports on developments of concern to all registered nurses across the nation. It also carries general coverage and commentary on matters of nursing practice, community and public health, and healthcare policy. It is published monthly except for combined issues nursing in this country. Donna Smith gives you the details in the News section. Also in News, meet our sister and brother RNs from South Korea, who are grappling with their own patient care problems. You'll be awed at the conditions they face (50 patients to one nurse, anyone?) and the steps they're taking to change them. NNU will need our hard-fought unity in the coming year as the winds of change sweep the healthcare industry. In her column this month, NNU Executive Director Rose Ann DeMoro weighs the pros and cons of the new federal health insurance law, and explains why we're still waiting for real universal healthcare. Look for more coverage of healthcare reform from us next month. In the meantime, enjoy these opportunities to learn from your fellow RNs around the country. We're all in this together. Deborah Burger, RN | Karen Higgins, RN | Jean Ross, RN National Nurses United Council of Presidents in January and February, and July and August. Periodicals postage paid at Oakland, California. POSTMASTER: send address changes to National Nurse, 2000 ™ Franklin Street, Oakland, CA 94612-2908. To send a media release or announcement, 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 management 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 healthcare 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 Rose Ann DeMoro ACTING EDITOR Felicia Mello GRAPHIC DESIGN Jonathan Wieder COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR Charles Idelson CONTRIBUTORS Gerard Brogan, RN, Hedy Dumpel, RN, JD, Jan Rabbers, Donna Smith, David Schildmeier, Ann Kettering Sincox PHOTOGRAPHY Jaclyn Higgs, Lauren Reid