National Nurses United

NATIONAL NURSE,™ (ISSN 2153-0386 print /ISSN 2153-0394 online) The Voice of National Nurses United, January/February 2016 Volume 112/1 is published by National Nurses United, 2000 Franklin Street, Oakland, CA 94612-2908. It provides news of organi- zational activities and reports on devel- opments of concern to all registered nurses across the nation. It also carries general coverage and commen tary on matters of nursing practice, community and public health, and healthcare poli- cy. It is published monthly except for combined issues in January and Febru- ary 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 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 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 RoseAnn DeMoro EDITOR Lucia Hwang GRAPHIC DESIGN Jonathan Wieder COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR Charles Idelson CONTRIBUTORS Barb Brady, Gerard Brogan, RN, David Schildmeier PHOTOGRAPHY Jaclyn Higgs, Tad Keyes, Choppy Oshiro we three sure do #FeeltheBern in the original sense. Over the past few months, all of us have been traveling cross country on our #BernieBus, appearing at Bernie Sanders rallies and events, and walking miles and miles and miles, flyering and doorknocking, that our legs actually hurt! And we know that so many of you are right there in the thick of it with us, experiencing the same. But it's a good kind of sore. It means that we are all working hard and making some sacrifices today in order to realize a huge benefit tomorrow. That pretty much sums up how most of us approach our campaign to elect Bernie Sanders. It's amazing to us, as we are out there talking to the public, to stu- dents, to union members, and to nurses, how so many people recognize that this is a very special moment in history that must not be wasted or frittered away through apathy, cynicism, or inaction. For so many decades, nurses have been fighting for a healthcare and political revolution to change the socioeco- nomic living conditions under which our patients endlessly suffer, and the time is now! So we are pulling together as an organization like we never have before, and we are so very, very proud of National Nurses United and our RN members. In this issue, you can find extensive coverage of all of our nurses' activities this winter and early spring. As Karen quips, "What haven't we been doing?" We are on the #BernieBus, touring the country and doing voter education and outreach. We are phonebanking every night and weekend. We are flying out to swing states and canvassing door to door, having those one-on-one conversations with folks in communities who never get visitors and feel like they have been forgotten. We are donating and holding house parties and reaching out to our local union brothers and sisters to encourage them to do what they know is right and endorse Bernie Sanders. It's exhausting, and exhilarating! And, if we are successful in this primary round, the work is just beginning. So if you have not already, we really want to encourage you to get involved in our campaign to elect Bernie Sanders. We have made such a YUGE impact on the campaign so far that everyone is calling us "Bernie's nurses." Meanwhile, the incredibly important representation and advocacy work of National Nurses United marches on. We are pleased to announce the launch this spring of a beefed-up Health and Safety Division, with the addition of an industrial hygienist, more resources, and increased emphasis on miti- gating or eliminating the occupational hazards each of face every day, every shift. You can read all about it inside. Thanks to all of you for the work that you do. Onward and upward! Deborah Burger, RN | Karen Higgins, RN | Jean Ross, RN National Nurses United Council of Presidents Letter from the Council of Presidents Stay connected FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/NationalNurses TWITTER: @RNmagazine, @NationalNurses FLICKR: www.flickr.com/nationalnursesunited YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/NationalNursesUnited DIGITAL MAGAZINE: NationalNurseMagazine.org

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