Nurses might take a backseat role to doctors in most people's minds, but
their importance, while quiet, is an indispensable tool in a good healthcare
system. Nurses form a strong union that has pushed for healthcare reform, namely
in the areas of nurse-to-patient ratios, overtime, and patient safety. Last
week, half a year after Congress passed the healthcare legislation package, some
initial reforms have been implemented and first lady Michelle Obama gave a
direct address to America's nurses.
In a conference call with over 5,000 nurses, Obama gave a speech that called on
nurses to spread the word to patients and colleagues about the new benefits of
the Affordable Care Act. ?You all play such a critical role in helping patients
understand what?s going on with their healthcare," Obama said, "...and right
now, there?s some very important new information that we really need to help
pass along.?
The American Nurses Association (ANA) helped to organize the call along with
Mary K. Wakefield, RN, PhD, FAAN, administrator of the Health Resources and
Services Administration (HRSA). Wakefield, who was present for the call,
described some of the benefits of the Act, including the expansion of nursing
education and employment by increasing funds for tuition and loan programs. She
also reported that the Act provides money for HRSA affiliated community health
centers and ten new nurse-operated clinics, and, additionally, expands a big
hirer of nurses: the National Health Services Corps.
The Act doesn't only benefit healthcare workers. Some of the other initial
reforms that were enacted last week include provisions that insurance companies
can't deny coverage to children with pre-existing conditions or place spending
caps on coverage to anyone, provisions that adult children under 26 years may be
covered by their parents' insurance, and provisions that preventive services
(mammograms, prenatal care, colonoscopies, etc.) must be covered without co-pays
or deductibles.
?All this means that individuals and families have more control over their
healthcare,? the first lady said. ?These are real changes that will benefit
Americans all across the country.?
Obama related a story about taking Sasha to the ER as a baby only to discover
her daughter had meningitis. She singled nurses out for praise for their role in
helping the family. "(T)he nurses were the ones communicating with us every
single step of the way, using their expertise not just to comfort our little
baby girl, but to comfort us," Obama said.
The first lady went on to say that "because of that experience we will always be
grateful to the nurses who helped us then and to all our nurses across the
country who provide such outstanding health care each and every day." She added,
"And I know that so many Americans have their own stories to tell about the
skill, the care, the compassion that nurses showed them during difficult days.
We all have these stories because in moments of need, nurses are on the front
lines of America?s health care system. We all have these stories because in
moments of need, nurses are the ones who make things work."