Nurses celebrated as legislative partners, transforming health care

Legislators and bystanders alike on the Statehouse grounds on April 2 took notice of the attendance of more than 350 nurses and nursing students at the Ohio Nurses Association's annual event, Nurses Day at the Statehouse. ONA President Barb Nash welcomed attendees and noted that "one in 50 voters is a nurse."

Sen. Sue Morano, RN (D-Lorain), in her keynote speech, emphasized the role of nurses as advocates. Morano noted the work of the Nurse Education Study Committee, which she chairs. The committee created by HB 119 is probing the underlying variables contributing to the shortage of nurse faculty and will synthesize its findings into a report and recommendation for the General Assembly.

In recognition of her support for nurses and nursing's issues, Rep. and House Minority Leader Joyce Beatty (D-Columbus) was presented with ONA's Legislator of the Year Award by Aimee Vance, chair of the ONA Council on Health Policy. Two other legislators who are actively engaged in health-care issues, Sen. Kevin Coughlin (R-Cuyahoga Falls), chair of the Senate Health, Human Services and Aging Committee, and Rep. Jim Raussen (R-Hamilton), chair of the House Healthcare Access and Affordability Committee, also addressed the Nurses Day audience. Both Coughlin and Raussen spoke about health-care challenges burdening Ohioans and the role of nurses in these issues.

In addition to ONA, 16 nursing organizations participated as co-sponsors: Ohio Chapter of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association; Columbus Chapter of the Oncology Nursing Society; Mount Carmel College of Nursing; Ohio Association of Advanced Practice Nurses; Ohio Association of School Nurses; Ohio Council for Home Care; Ohio League for Nursing; Ohio Nursing Students Association; Ohio Organization of Nurse Executives; Kent State University College of Nursing; Ohio Organization of Practical Nurse Educators; Licensed Practical Nurse Association of Ohio; Northeast Ohio Case Management Nurses; Ohio Society of Gastroenterology Nurses & Associates; Ohio State Association of Nurse Anesthetists; and Ohio State Council, Emergency Nurses Association.

Aimee Vance, representing ONA, focused on both nurse staffing concerns and the nurse shortage. She underscored ONA's work in achieving two key outcomes in HB 119, the state's budget bill: securing an appropriation of $1.4 million from Workforce Investment Act dollars (federal money) to establish a fellowship program for graduate students who agree to teach in an Ohio nurse education program, and establishing a Nurse Education Study Committee to address the nurse faculty shortage. Vance also urged legislators to support HB 346, the staffing principles bill sponsored by Rep. Jim Hughes (R-Columbus) that requires hospitals to establish staffing committees with meaningful representation and input from direct-care nurses.

The bill ensures adequate nurse staffing through a flexible approach that would include representation from direct-care nurses from all types of nursing services and appropriately meets the needs of patients and health-care providers within an individual facility.

House Bill 253, which enhances the prescriptive authority of advance practice nurses with respect to Schedule II controlled substances, was the focus of advocacy for the Ohio Association of Advanced Practice Nurses, represented by Keeley Harding.

Other issues raised included consumer choice for home care and hospice services; the need for more school nurses; access to emergency care; nursing education programs; collaboration through the Nursing 2015 Initiative; inclusion of licensed practical nurses in hospital staffing regulations; and support for multistate nurse licensure.

Update on House Bill 346 (Staffing Principles bill)

After passage in the House on March 12, HB 346 has been referred to the Senate Health, Human Services and Aging Committee. ONA is working with the committee to pass HB 346 before the legislature recesses in June.

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