National Nurses United

4 N A T I O N A L N U R S E 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 J A N U A R Y | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 T o be a nurse is to be mighty. We never give up. RNs are a steadfast force of protection that our patients and their families can count on, day in and day out. As RoseAnn DeMoro, beyond-bold leader of the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee and National Nurses United, retires this March, and I have the honor of stepping into the role of execu- tive director, phrases like "end of an era" do not do justice to the collective power we have built, with no end in sight. Our mighty nurses and staff have spent decades fighting tirelessly on all fronts, at the bedside and beyond, for a healthier world. What we have accomplished, from rocketing Medicare for all to the national stage, to winning nation-leading safe staffing protec- tions for nurses—sometimes against all odds—can only propel us forward. To that end, this transition in leadership is not a conclusion; it's an unwavering continuation of nurses' power. In fact, RNs will recognize it as a lifesaving exchange woven into their everyday work: We are undergoing a shift change. At the end of a workday, RNs convey crit- ical details of our patient's condition to the next nurse, so that there is no break in care. I could not be more proud to have spent several years preparing side by side with RoseAnn, as her known successor, for this shift from one labor leader to the next—with no break in our advocacy for working RNs, patients, and a society and environment in great need of healing. In fact, looking back, I can see this day may have been decades in the making. From my time as a young ICU nurse, in Sacra- mento, Calif., who found the inner strength to help unionize my hospital, to becoming a staff organizer for CNA in 1997 and helping other nurses realize their collective power to advocate for safe patient care, I have always known that working people, united, have undeniable power. And although it can be tough to stand up and fight the battles for a safer workplace and healthier world, no one is tougher than nurses. What makes RNs such a threat to those who put profits over people, is that we are uniquely positioned to speak up not just Shift Change A special message from Bonnie Castillo, RN and NNU's and CNA/NNOC's new executive director

• Cover