ANA Applauds Nurses Marching and Rallying Across the Country

SILVER SPRING, MD – The following statement is attributable to American Nurses Association (ANA) President Ernest Grant, PhD, RN, FAAN:

 "This week, in many areas across the country from Tennessee to Washington DC nurses will be organizing and participating in marches and rallies on recent incidents and to call for action to support nurses and address and longstanding challenges impacting our profession. The American Nurses Association (ANA) applauds all nurses who will be participating in these efforts. While ANA is not associated with these marches and activities, we have and will always support every nurse who chooses to use their voice to advocate for themselves and the patients and communities that they serve.

ANA shares nurses' frustrations with the lack of sustainable solutions to address staffing concerns, workplace violence incidents, and other unchecked work environment challenges. Many nurses say they are overworked and exhausted and feel undervalued. Some are even quitting their jobs or leaving direct patient care roles. Without a nurse, the delivery of quality and equitable patient care is compromised. The current situation is not sustainable and the long-term repercussions and consequences for the profession and the entire health care delivery system are potentially dire.

ANA continues its advocacy efforts calling on Congress and the Administration to prioritize and address the root issues of many challenges facing the nursing workforce. For their indisputable contributions to the health of our nation, leaders must take transformational action that improves things for our nation's nurses now, and for the future."