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Who are the Players?
| Support | Opposition |
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Among Mass Public
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Among Mass Public
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Interest Groups
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Interest Groups
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Lawmakers
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Other
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The issue
has received support across party lines. In addition, it has attracted media
attention, with stories in The New York Times Magazine, Reader's Digest, Good
Housekeeping, and other popular sources.
What
are the Interests?
Support
The ANA
cites these as the top concerns of nurses:
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Nurses seek better pay and working conditions. They also express interest
in the improved care they feel these measures will give their patients.
Opposition
Those opposed to the bill, including hospitals and health care companies, worry about the increased costs that the bill will bring with it. They would likely take on much of the financial burden for ensuring that hospitals and clinics comply with the new guidelines. Hospitals fear that there would be wasteful funding allocations and overbroad rules for spending.
Painting Two Very Different Views
Support
The nurses discussed the issue as a matter of concern over patient care
and tolerable working conditions. They presented themselves as
overworked, fatigued, and inhumanely treated workers, who although
competent and educated, were not physically capable of providing the
compassion and care that they wanted to give their patients. As a
result, more nurses were leaving the field and more patients were being
neglected. Nursing magazine says, "Nurses need work environments with
strong professional practice models that value their work and recognize
their impact on patient outcomes." Furthermore, specific instances of
patient
fatalities and harm were sited and linked to poor working conditions in
order to demonstrate the severity of the issue. When pay raises were
requested, the primary reason given was that "hospital's nurse-staffing
plan endangers patients' lives."
Opposition
Those opposed to the measures acknowledge the shortage, but deny that it is having such severe consequences. They claim that it is resulting in less education and "extra" programs, but they agree that basic care is still being given. The opposition is also arguing that the issue is being approached in the wrong way. They claim that instead of putting forth regulations and strict guidelines, hospitals should have leeway on their care based on present demands and circumstances. California Healthcare Association's Emerson said, "Hospitals should have the flexibility to adjust their staff levels according to the actual needs of their patients- and those needs can change on a daily or even hourly basis." Managed healthcare providers are claiming that staffing laws will ultimately drive up the costs of care for consumers. Opposition is framing the issue as a money-driven and job security campaign for the nurses' unions.
Public Opinion
Public
opinion reveals an overall ignorance about the issue. Most people are aware
that there is a nursing shortage, but don't know specifics about the legislation
related to it. Nurses complain that there is widespread public ignorance about
what nurses do and how they are educated. Suzanne Gordon, co-author of "From
Silence to Voice: What Nurses Know and Must Communicate to the Public"
argues that nurses must overturn the general belief that they are "kind,
but dumb" and that their work is trivial. Although much of the general
public sympathizes with the nurses' conditions, they retain some negative
stereotypes associated with nurses' intellect and status.
Introduction -- Impetus & Motivation -- Support & Opposition -- Analysis -- Expectations -- Works Cited -- Contact Us
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