KNA shares American Nurses Association's position on 'Million Nurse March'

A message from ANA - 'Million Nurse March' -

Like many of you, last week we became aware of a surge of activity on social media calling for a 'Million Nurse March' in Washington, DC on May 12. Interest in such a march, with calls for companion marches in the states, appeared to spike in the wake of the congressional letter calling for an investigation of nurse staffing agencies. Since last week, and after varying questions and concerns were shared on the  Facebook group, the name of the march, leaders and other details continue to change. There appears to be a split between the original organizers and as a result, the Facebook group and webpage (United Nurses March nursesagainstviolence.org) are showing different messaging. Given our experience with similar grassroots-led efforts, this evolution will likely continue. To date, ANA has not been asked to support nor do we see evidence of other large organizations sponsoring or supporting the march. 

There are many elements needed to organize such a march, ranging from securing the appropriate permits, logistics, publicity, and engagement, all of which require financial support in addition to clarifying goals, messaging, and speakers. For the past 25years,  there have been several marches by nurses in Washington of various sizes and impact. You may recall similar efforts launched on social media that called for collective actions using the slogan, NursesTakeDC. A small event was held in 2016 followed by other lightly attended events in 2017 and 2018. ANA monitored these efforts as well and they had neither clear, unified messaging nor a meaningful impact on advancing an agenda. 

 We are monitoring this activity closely and will provide updates. 

 Here's what we know at this time.

• What: National Nurses March
• When: May 12, 2022
• Where: Washington DC, Freedom Plaza

 The stated purpose of the march (according to the Facebook group page)  is:

PEACEFUL lifting of our collective nurse voice in an effort to be heard on the subjects of

Nurse to patient ratios

Violence against healthcare workers

Fair and realistic wages for nurses.

What we are NOT:

A strike

A riot

A protest

A platform for vaccines mandates or the abolition there of

United Nurse March does not facilitate, sponsor, or encourage a working strike. If individuals so choose to go on strike of their own accord that is their right. It is not a goal of United Nurse March.

United Nurse March does not weigh in on vaccine mandates one way or the other. That is an issue of individual importance. It is not part of the mission of United Nurse March

United Nurse March is not a protest and does not encourage protest movements. If individuals choose to protest in their own places of work or living that is their right. It is not a goal or focus of United Nurse March.

United Nurse March in no way supports or encourages any form of rioting on any subject whatsoever
_____________________________________________________________________________

Social Media: Various handles and accounts on social media channels, however, with the exception of the Facebook group, they appear inactive at this time. You will see social media posts on a variety of channels referencing the march. Some posts about the march have circulated on Tik-Tok. 

ANA's Activities

 Protecting nurses' health and safety, advocating for resources to support nurses' mental health and wellbeing, taking measures to address workplace violence, and calling for a comprehensive action plan to address the nurse staffing crisis have been and continue to be top priorities for ANA. We support nurses using their voices to call for action. We have a robust and growing RN Action program with more than 212,000 advocates. For example, we most recently called for Congress to pass commonsense mental health legislation for frontline providers, pass legislation that would provide key funding to increase the number of faculty and students at schools of nursing, while working with key stakeholders to finally recognize nurses as integral leaders of the health care team rather than an 'expense.'

Additionally, we are actively planning for ANA's annual Hill Day, scheduled for June 9 in Washington, DC.   We encourage nurses to participate in person or virtually. We support participants by providing a briefing and materials and scheduling meetings with their elected representatives. 

 Messages:

 As we approach the two-year mark of the pandemic, nurses are physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted, suffering from moral injury, and feeling undervalued by their employers and underappreciated and misunderstood by the public. 

 Even before the pandemic, many nurses felt undervalued by their employers. Nurses report that they are working too many hours with too many patients, and many are under constant stress given their responsibilities plus the fear of being assaulted at work.  

The pandemic has exacerbated a long-standing nursing shortage, especially in areas experiencing high numbers of COVID-19 cases. Many nurses are changing employers because they seek better working conditions and to be respected and valued for their contributions. The nursing shortage crisis will not be solved by a short-term piecemeal approach. 

 The American Nurses Association (ANA) continues to call on Congress and the Administration to take meaningful action to address the chronic causes of cyclical nursing shortages that have occurred over the past 50 years. The current situation is not sustainable and the long-term repercussions and consequences for the profession, the entire health care delivery system, and ultimately, on the health of the nation are potentially dire.

 Q & A:

Q: Does ANA support the march?
 A: ANA understands and shares your frustrations with the lack of concrete action by elected leaders to address nurses' needs. ANA supports nurses' using their voice and vote to advocate for action and change in the ways that meet their needs. Marches and rallies are common tactics to call for change, but absent an overarching long-term strategic plan, rallies alone do not drive meaningful change. ANA has a multi-pronged strategy to support its legislative and regulatory agenda to address nurses' needs, improve the work environment and address the root causes of the nursing shortage. We are relentless in our advocacy each and every day. We encourage nurses to become actively engaged in all aspects of advocacy both at the state and federal levels. All nurses are urged to join ANA in federal advocacy by signing up at RNAction.org or by joining their state nurses association in its advocacy work. Nurses are the largest group of health care professionals in this country and when we come together, we are a powerful force.