REPORT: July/August 2006

ANA House of Delegates acts to protect public health

At the American Nurses Association (ANA) House of Delegates meeting June 23-25 in Washington, D.C., RNs took action to protect the public’s health.

Delegates approved measures aimed at ensuring that patients have access to nursing care and that RNs are part of the effort to improve America’s response to natural disasters and potential flu pandemics.

More than 600 RNs from around the country attended the meeting. NYSNA members included 76 delegates and current ANA board members Patricia Holloman and Ann Converso. During the meeting, Barbara Crane was elected as a staff nurse member-at-large to the ANA Board of Directors and Bill Donovan, Karen Leone-Natale, David Keepnews, and Holloman were all elected to the Congress on Nursing Practice and Economics.

The bylaws and proposals adopted by the House of Delegates generally concurred with positions held by the NYSNA Board of Directors, according to NYSNA Executive Director Lola Fehr.

A NYSNA-sponsored resolution on a nurse’s right to know about chemical exposures was amended to include a statement urging the manufacturers of cosmetics to eliminate harmful chemicals in their products. This resolution builds on the ANA’s campaign to reduce toxic chemicals in healthcare-related products by substituting safer alternatives.

Resolutions aimed at patient safety

Other ANA actions included a call for RNs to work closely with government agencies and professional organizations — through programs like New York’s NurseResponse — to ensure a more coordinated and effective response to natural disasters.

In other business, the House of Delegates:

• Advocated for an adequate supply of vaccine and a well-structured plan to distribute it equitably if an influenza pandemic occurs.
• Passed a measure calling on policymakers and other healthcare professionals to promote effective management of both chronic and acute pain. This would ensure that healthcare professionals are not subject to undue government scrutiny when they provide palliative care.
• Called for zero tolerance of abusive behaviors, such as bullying, intimidation, and sexual harassment in the workplace.