Nurses have scheduled 90+ legislative meetings
to address unsafe conditions at the bedside to keep nurses in the
profession, a message supported by the annual "State of Nursing in
Massachusetts" survey to be
released May 6
BOSTON, May 7, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Nearly 300 nurses and healthcare professionals will
flood the State House on May 8,
marking National Nurses Week with a Day of Advocacy focused on
protecting patients, healthcare workers, and essential healthcare
services. They will be joined by Kristine
Lilly, one of the most accomplished athletes in women's
soccer history, a teamwork expert, and an advocate for pay equity
in women's sports.
The Massachusetts Nurses Association also released its annual
"State of Nursing in Massachusetts" survey ahead of Advocacy Day,
on Monday, May 6. This survey,
conducted by Beacon Research, features interviews with 500 nurses
from across the Commonwealth. It provides critical insight into
care quality and nursing practice challenges, and the legislative
solutions nurses say will ensure safe, accessible patient care.
The MNA Advocacy Day event will feature a speech by Lilly at the
Grand Staircase and remarks by nurses focused on MNA-filed
legislation that would help ensure there are enough healthcare
staff for safe patient care, address workplace violence and
workplace injuries, and provide the resources in our communities to
preserve essential healthcare services. Editor's Note: See
below for local opportunities for nurse interviews.
"I am excited to join hundreds of MNA nurses and healthcare
professionals as they urge their elected officials to protect
patients, workers, and essential healthcare services,"
Kristine Lilly said. "They
need to be safe and supported in providing patient care."
MNA Advocacy Day Details
Date: Wednesday, May 8, 2024
Time: The speaking portion will be from 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. at the Grand Staircase.
After the speaking portion, nurses will meet with legislators in
their offices. More than 90 meetings with legislators have been
scheduled.
Location: State House, Boston, MA
Local Media Opportunities: Nurses are coming from across
Massachusetts to participate in
Advocacy Day. Buses will bring nurses to the State House from:
- 241 King Street, Northampton. Bus Departs:
6:45 a.m.
**Overflow Stop- Framingham Park & Ride 1672
Worcester Road, Framingham. Bus
Departs: 8:00 a.m.
- 11 E. Central St, Worcester. Bus Departs: 7:30 a.m.
- 60 Route 6A, Sandwich. Bus Departs: 7:30 a.m.
- 1 Market Street, Lawrence. Bus Departs: 7:30 a.m.
- 340 Turnpike St., Canton. Bus Departs: 7:30 a.m.
Contact Joe Markman at
781-571-8175 or jmarkman@mnarn.org to coordinate interviews
with participants around these local Advocacy Day kick-off
locations.
"The message nurses will carry to the State House will be that
Massachusetts has plenty of nurses
– more RNs per capita than almost any other state – and has added
45,000+ RNs since 2019, yet unsafe conditions are driving nurses
away from the bedside," said MNA President and ICU nurse
Katie Murphy. "New nurses are
rapidly leaving the profession because their concerns are not being
addressed. State officials must do more to protect patients and
nurses and preserve essential healthcare services."
Kristine Lilly Background
Lilly is the only person to have played in five FIFA Women's
World Cups. The Medfield, MA
resident is also the only player to play for the U.S. in four
different decades and is both the youngest and oldest player to
score a goal for the United
States. Lilly played midfielder for the United States
Women's National Soccer Team for over twenty-three years. This
included five FIFA World Cups and three Olympic Games, where she
won two gold medals and one silver.
Lilly was inducted into the US Olympic Hall of Fame in 2012 and
the US Soccer Hall of Fame in 2014. She was named U.S. Soccer
Female Athlete of the Year three times during her career. Lilly was
also a key figure in the fight for gender equity and equal pay in
women's soccer. She is the author of two books, Powerhouse: 13
Teamwork Tactics that Build Excellence and Unrivaled Success, and
Girls Soccer My Story: Kristine
Lilly. An expert on effective teamwork, she consults
with organizations, providing lessons gleaned from her remarkable
career as a professional athlete.
MassNurses.org │
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Founded in 1903, the Massachusetts Nurses Association is the
largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts. Its 25,000 members
advance the nursing profession by fostering high standards of
nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of
nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view
of nursing, and by lobbying the Legislature and regulatory agencies
on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.
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SOURCE Massachusetts Nurses Association