National Nurses United (NNU) is one of the largest healthcare interest groups that strive to improve people’s health quality. The key issues with which the group is concerned include the increased quality and access to education for nurses and the promotion of a safe workplace for them (“About National Nurses United,” n.d.). The mission of NNU is the advancement of care nurses’ and their patients’ interests across the US. The legislative agenda of the organization is developed at the state and federal levels and is promoted through bills.
National legislation involves such standards and policies as “Medicare for All,” “Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Care,” “Inclusive Prosperity Act,” The Veteran Affairs Employee Fairness Act,” and others (“National legislation,” n.d.). State bills cover such crucial aspects as hospital closures, paramedicine projects, phlebotomy practice, seismic safety, and others (“California legislation,” n.d.). Some of these bills were supported, but the majority of them have been opposed.
Current lobbying efforts of NNU include the prevention of workplace violence and nurse staffing ratios (“The Federal Health Care Workplace Violence Prevention Act,” n.d.; “National campaign for safe RN-to-patient staffing ratios,” n.d.). Key partner coalitions of the selected interest group include the California Nurses Association, the DC Nurses Association, Global Nurses United, NNOC state affiliates, the Minnesota Nurses Association, and Veterans Affairs.
Lobbying efforts are pushed and promoted through a variety of campaigns. The main obstacle is that many of the suggested initiatives are opposed due to such reasons as a single company being a benefactor or the insufficient justification of agenda (“California legislation,” n.d.). Total lobbying expenditures in 2018 constitute $110,000 (“National Nurses United: Summary,” 2018). The issues covered by lobbying efforts include environment and Superfund, clean air and water, Medicare and Medicaid, and health problems (“National Nurses United: Issues,” 2018).
The agencies with which NNU cooperates in this respect are the US Senate and the US House of Representatives (“National Nurses United: Agencies,” 2018). NNU hopes that its efforts on promoting better work conditions for nurses will be supported, and changes will be implemented in the nearest future.
References
About National Nurses United. (n.d.). Web.
About NNOC. (n.d.). Web.
California legislation. (n.d.). Web.
The Federal Health Care Workplace Violence Prevention Act. (n.d.). Web.
National campaign for safe RN-to-patient staffing ratios. (n.d.). Web.
National legislation. (n.d.). Web.
National Nurses United: Agencies. (2018). Web.
National Nurses United: Issues. (2018). Web.
National Nurses United: Lobbying. (2018). Web.
National Nurses United: Summary. (2018). Web.