Issue link: https://nnumagazine.uberflip.com/i/198747
NewsBriefs 12/12/06 12:23 PM Page 6 NewsBriefs TEXAS NURSES RALLY TO PROMOTE desire for change is welling up deep in the heart of Texas nurses. Nearly 200 registered nurses rallied Nov. 14 before the Capitol in Austin to highlight new state legislation that CNA/ NNOC is planning to introduce next year to establish safe RN-to-patient staffing ratios, real whistleblower protections for RNs, and a clear-cut legislative right to act as patient advocate. "Texas nurses see the light at the end of the tunnel, and we're all saying, 'It's about time,'" said Beverly Leonard, an Austin critical care RN nursing for more than 40 years. "What's so enticing is the possibility to actually reinvent nursing and take our profession back." A The legislation, titled the "Texas Hospital Patient Protection Act of 2007," is a result of extensive discussions with Texas RNs about what obstacles they face daily as they try to provide safe care for their patients. In addition to the noontime rally, during which nurses marched twice around the Capitol holding picket signs and chanting, attendees from across Texas and a number of other states learned about the proposed legislation in an allday continuing education course and had the chance to share experiences with other RNs. Many Texas nurses told stories of dangerous understaffing, corner-cutting, and being retaliated against or fired if they alerted management about these problems. Like TEXAS 6 REGISTERED NURSE W W W. C A L N U R S E S . O R G they have done in many other states, hospitals have pared down licensed registered nurses and hired more unlicensed assistive staff—even while patient acuity has increased. Healthcare in Texas is dominated by corporate interests. The Texas Hospital Association wields significant power, as does the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), which owns dozens of Texas hospitals and is considered the largest private operator of healthcare facilities in the United States. At the same time, almost no registered nurses in Texas are unionized, and the Texas Nurses Association, whose members are mostly nurse educators and executives, allows corporate interests to drive its agenda and provides little to no support for direct-care RNs. NOVEMBER 2006