Last week, at the Democratic National Convention, I joined with roughly 30 fellow RNs in sitting down with Rep. Jan Schakowsky (IL-9), who's a member of the House Subcommittee on Health and is a key member of the House Nursing Caucus. Our meeting took place in an unusual setting--on chairs in the grass in Denver's Sunken Gardens Park. The casual meeting space allowed for a more open dialogue between RNs and one of our biggest champions in Congress, Rep. Schakowsky.
First, Rep. Schakowsky explained why she strongly championed the bipartisan federal legislation on nurse staffing (H.R. 1222 and H.R. 2123). She related to the difficult working environment we find ourselves in, and how nurses are leaving the profession due to the lack of safe staffing. We talked about how H.R. 1222 and H.R. 2123 would not only can address the issues affecting RNs, but would ensure the safety of patients. It's become commonplace for families to stay at the bedside of a loved one to ensure that they receive proper care, and we all agreed that is a sign of a system in trouble.

As a strong advocate for Sen. Barack Obama's bid for the presidency, Rep. Schakowsky closed by sharing her experience working with Sen. Obama while he was in the Illinois state legislature, and how his current healthcare plan ensures accessibility, affordability and quality. She reminded us of how vitally important our RN voices are in developing and ensuring the passage of lasting healthcare legislation that puts patients and quality front and center.
 
Many questions were asked during the discussion, and it was a personal thrill when many RNs in attendance asked the Congresswoman how they could get involved to affect change for our patients.  I'm proud to say that each of those RNs signed up to join the movement for quality, affordable healthcare for all through Healthcare United!

Overall, it was a great day for nurses at the Democratic National Convention, and we were honored to have Congresswoman Schakowsky share it with us!

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