Nursing Law & Order

Ohio Staffing Bill (HB 346)

This information appeared in the Ohio Nurses Association Member updated tht I received yesterday:

On Wednesday, February 6, 2008, Substitute HB 346, the Hospital Nurse Staffing Plan, gained momentum as the House Health Committee, chaired by Rep. Lynn Wachtmann, unanimously reported the bill favorably to the House of Representatives.

Lisa Rankin (ONA Lobbyist) and Bianca Miller testified on behalf of ONA.  Bianca Miller, a registered nurse for twenty years, testified regarding her personal experience with the impact that recent staffing changes have made to the qualify of care she provides and morale of staff at her hospital.  Ms. Miller further testified that her support for HB 346 rested on the hope that it was a “first step” in a different direction as bedside nurses have a voice in staffing decisions.  Ms. Miller powerfully stated, “In order to feel respected and valued, an organization needs to include the nurses in everyday operations…A committee with bedside nurses, hospital administration, and nursing management needs to be established.  An ongoing evaluation of the ANA [American Nurses Association] Staffing Principles needs to occur with established bench marks.”

The next step for Substitute HB 346 will be presentation to the full House to vote on, and, if passed, then the whole process begins again in the Senate.

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The American Nurses Association (ANA) believes staffing ratios need to be required by legislation but the number itself must be set at the unit level with RN input, rather than by the terms of the legislation. See http://www.safestaffingsaveslives.org/.

How do you feel about nurse staffing legislation? Should nursing staffing be legislated in your opinion? Do you support mandated nurse-patient staffing ratios or staffing principles like ANAs?

ANA Likes Hillary Clinton; This Blogger likes Obama

The American Nurses Association has endorsed Hillary Clinton. See http://nursingworld.org/FunctionalMenuCategories/MediaResources/PressReleases/2008PR/ANAEndorsesClinton.aspx

This blogger likes Barack Obama. See http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/semr?source=SEM-register-google-obama-search-national.

Jan Lanier, RN, JD running for Ohio House

Jan Lanier is running for the Ohio House of Representatives, 2nd District serving Delaware County. Jan is a nurse attorney and she is employed by the Ohio Nurses Association and was the director of its health policy department. See www.ohnurses.org. Jan also worked for several years as an executive at the Ohio Board of Nursing. Jan is a member of the American Nurses Association, Ohio Nurses Association, and the Ohio Democratic Nurses Caucus. http://www.ohiodemocraticnurses.org/mambo/

Her website address is www.janlanier.com.

Winning will not be possible without financial support. Jan has an opponent for the March 4th primary. Contributions should be sent to:

Citizens to Elect Jan Lanier, 35 Berkshire Commons Drive, Westerville, OH 43082.

I know funds are tight for most of us after the Holidays however, please consider making a financial contribution to Jan's campaign.

ANA 2008 Presidential Election Action Center

The American Nurses Association is providing nurses with extensive information about the 2008 Presidential Elections. ANA is encouraging nurses to learn about the Primary process, the political party conventions, and the Electoral College and to read about the candidates and their positions on the issues that are important to nurses. See http://www.nursingworld.org/Election2008ActionCenter.aspx.

How Do You Characterize Yourself as a Nurse?

I attended the fall meeting today for the Democratic Nurses Caucus in Bellville, Ohio. I introduced myself a nurse attorney to the membership.

How do you introduce yourself? My name is LaTonia Wright and I am a nurse. This isn't accurate. My name is LaTonia Wright and I am an attorney. This isn't accurate. My name is LaTonia Denise Wright and I am a nurse attorney; I defend nurses in licensure matters.

I don't think as nurses we sing our own praises and by not doing so, we miss an opportunity to inform, enlighten, and educate healthcare consumers and the public.

Start practicing your 15 second elevator speech as its referred to in the marketing literature.  Convey in precise terms exactly what you do and why its important.

Ohio Democratic Nurses Caucus

I joined the Ohio Democratic Nurses Caucus again at the Ohio Nurses Association Convention last weekend. Dues are $10.00 and it supports a worthy cause in my opinion.

For additional information about the Ohio Democratic Nurses Caucus, see its website at http://www.ohdemnurses.org/mambo/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1 or contact its Chairperson, Carol Roe, R.N, M.S., J.D. at [email protected]. 

Carol is a fellow nurse attorney in the Cleveland, Ohio area and an active member of the Ohio Nurses Association (http://www.ohnurses.org), and the Greater Cleveland Nurses Association (http://www.clevelandnurse.org).

I would also join the Ohio Republican Nurses Caucus if such an organization was formed because I want to support organizations or associations that focus on professional, policy, advocacy, legal, and regulatory issues for nurses. After all, it is a nursing world. Don't believe me, see http://www.nursingworld.org.