Nursing Advocacy

With 95,000 nurses in the state of Alabama, we understand the importance of protecting nurses' rights, and how that many nurses coming together can make a difference. With this in mind, ASNA promotes safe practices for you and your patients, and provides vital representation within the Alabama Legislature and the U.S. Congress. We also work with ANA to ensure our state-level agenda is simultaneously addressed at the national level, when applicable. 

What Advocacy Means to ASNA

We often hear people refer to legislative initiatives as “advocacy”. Those activities are a part of our advocacy of all things positive for the nursing profession. But we also promote and want to help you support all efforts, whether through ASNA or through others, that help further the ultimate goals of care for nursing professionals and for the patients and families in your care at hospitals, doctors’ offices, in home and extended care, and in your communities.

We are aware of the issues facing Alabama nurses and partner to keep issues like the ones below at the forefront of our advocacy work. If you have questions or suggestions, please email Dr. John Ziegler.

Bullying in the Workplace
Incivility, bullying, and violence in the workplace are serious issues in nursing. Currently, there is no federal standard that requires workplace violence protections, but several states have enacted legislation or regulations aimed at preventing workplace violence. ANA and ASNA seek to protect nurses from all types of workplace violence through various methods including advocacy, policy, and resources. ANA and ASNA asks RNs and employers to jointly create and nurture a healthy, safe, and respectful work environment.
 
Adequate Staffing
Registered nurses have long acknowledged and continue to emphasize that staffing issues are an ongoing concern, one that influences the safety of both the patient and the nurse. There is a strong relationship between adequate nurse-to-patient ratios and safe patient outcomes. Rising patient acuity and shortened hospital stays has contributed to challenges. Finding an optimal nurse-to-patient ratio has been a national challenge. However, rising patient acuity and shortened hospital stays have contributed to recent challenges.
 
Safe Patient Handling
Injuries and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are common in nurses and are often caused by manually lifting and moving patients. This is more than just an inconvenience; these injuries are often life altering and career ending. ANA and ASNA work to prevent injuries and protect nurses and other healthcare workers through Safe Patient Handling and Mobility (SPHM) programs and advocacy.

Legislation

It is our job to follow every legislative initiative that affects you in our state and nationally. We are there on your behalf and bring your issues before those who can make a difference. Click on each of the links below to download the updates by date issued.

Legislative Report - Jun. 7, 2019

Legislative Report - Mar. 7, 2019

Resolutions

Resources