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Nursing Commission Fully Appointed!
Gloria Craven, RN, MS
Director, Department of Legislation and Government Affairs
The legislative members of a "Special Commission
to Investigate and Report on Matters Affecting the Practice of Nursing
and the Delivery of Healthcare Services by Nurses" have been appointed.
This has been fondly dubbed the Nursing Commission. The members
are:
- Rep. Christine Canavan, RN, BSN – Chair (D-Brockton)
- Rep. Kay Khan, RN, MSN (D-Newton)
- Rep. Mary Jane Simmons, LPN (D-Leominster)
- Rep. Cory Atkins (D-Concord; Acton)
- Rep. Barbara Hyland (R-Foxborough)
- Sen. Robert Creedon – Chair (D-Brockton)
- Sen. Richard Moore (Chair of Joint Committee
on Health Care) (D-Uxbridge)
- Sen. Michael Morrissey (Chair of Joint Committee
on Government Regulations) (D-Quincy)
- Sen. Therese Murray (Chair of Joint Committee
on Human Services and Elderly Affairs) (D-Plymouth)
- Sen. Henri Raucshenbach (R-Brewster)
What nurses can expect, and what nurses can do:
These "hearings" while an official government activity
should not be treated as intimidating. We are encouraging all nurses
to really view them as "town meetings" where the legislators can
truly hear from practicing nurses about the concerns that you have
from your practice areas. It is an opportunity for each and everyone
of you to verbalize what you share with each other every day: the
insufficient and unsafe staffing, the rapid discharge of patients
and your concerns for their safety, the increase in mandatory overtime,
the desire for increased education with little support for tuition
reimbursement and the looming nursing shortage… Further, it is an
opportunity to also offer any and all possible solutions to the
concerns you have. It is a time to share new and entrepreneurial
ideas related to patient care issues. A time to feature nursing
as a model which is effective and critically important to the delivery
of health "care".
Plan on coming, and if you need assistance with
how to structure you thoughts please do not hesitate to contact
the Department of Legislation and Government affairs staff:
Gloria Craven, (ext. 716)
Stacey Ober (ext. 787)
This is a tremendous opportunity to help shape the
health care debate from a nursing perspective. Your practice and
your license make you a credible expert. Let's help legislators
understand the issues and present solutions.
If you do not participate, who will? Remember, Democracy
is not a spectator sport!! MNA will support you.
Click here of story on Commission's
undertakings
Click
here for story on Nursing Commission and other Leg wins |
