[Sharon]

The Nursing Profession Influencing Health Care Decisions: Let’s choose two of our questions to answer in our discussions this week:

1. Registered Practical Nurses have been “fighting” to be heard at the decision making tables for decades. Have they been successful? Do Practical Nurses have one voice? What other voices does nursing need to compete with?
2. Nurses are one voice at the policy table. Often the Registered Nurses’ voice is seen as the voice of Registered Practical Nurses as well. When and how is it important to raise the voice of RPNs separate from the RN’s? How can RPNs be heard amongst the many voices.

[Valerie]

1. Nurses have not been successful at advocating for nurses and patient rights. Our voices are not united. I hope each nurse believes in good care for patients, and fair pay and a good working environment for all nurses, but there is so unchanged division in each workplace, type of nursing, and between sectors that it is nearly impossible for nurses to help gain the profession and patients what they truly need and want. Nursing regularly has to compete with other sectors in the economy such as education as well as changing governments and economies.

2. RPN’s voices must be heard separately from R.N.’s voices. Our roles are similar, but different and our patient base requires different care and ongoing support and funding than patients in an R.N.’s care. I think more R.P.N.’s clarifying the role, educating the public, and helping to create policy to better serve patients and nurses would be beneficial.

[Author]

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