Different groups of nurses all over America unite
to form one alliance, thus forming National Nurses United (NNU). The NNU is the
end result when three large organizations of America including the influential California
Nurses Association (CNA) joined forces. The fusion makes up the biggest union
of nurses in America with
150,000 members from the West Coast, Midwest, West Coast, and parts of New England.
The National Nurses United that took eight months of planning
before it was formalized was created when California Nurses Association that
has 83,000 members teams up with the United American Nurses and the Massachusetts
Nurses Union with 45,000 members and 23,000 members respectively. A national
debate regarding healthcare policies in America prompted the alliance.
The three organizations are still independent from each
other but can be considered as one during negotiations. Filipino nurses in America welcomes
the new alliance. Jane Sandoval a registered nurses who have been employed at
the St. Luke’s Hospital in San Franciscofor 25 years thins that the NNU can serve as a way for recognition.
In an interview by the FilAm Star to Sandoval she said, “I’m
hoping that it will be recognized and in the numbers there will be strength. For
the most part, nursing is generally one of the professions that people respect
the most.”
An example of an instance when the newly formed NNU could
be beneficial is when the state of Washingtonrefused to accept the creation of a single payer health care system. With the
NNU, nurses will have greater influence in setting new polices in healthcare. One
of the goals of NNU is to provide patients with various care options and the
best possible services available.
Sandoval also believes that NNU will give greater power
and voice to the nurses in disseminating information and in creation of
policies specifically regarding nurse-to-patient ratio numbers.
Sandoval said, “The number one goal in joining up with the
NNU, besides the size, is patient advocacy. And California has ratio laws that we’re hoping
that we can get the other states to recognize that as well. Because the bottom
line is patient safety and patient advocacy and the ratio laws to be applied in
every state. That would be the best thing for patient care.”
The formation of NNU is beneficial to the Filipino community
in Americaespecially the nurses because they are very much affected with the polices regarding
healthcare.
Sandoval informs, “There are a very high percentage of
Filipino nurses in the Bay Area. The way that health care impacts Filipinos is
because…the Bay Area has a high number of not just Filipino nurses but a
growing Filipino community whose members are very much family-oriented and are
into cultural awareness.”
