Support of Policy Principles
December 12th, 2016
The Honorable Mike Pence
Vice President-Elect
Chair
The Presidential Transition Team
1800 F Street NW, Room G117
Washington, DC 20270
Dear Vice President-Elect Pence:
The Nursing Community is a coalition of national nursing associations that builds consensus and advocates on a wide spectrum of healthcare issues, including practice, education, and research. Our coalition is committed to improving the health and health care of the nation by collaborating to support the education and practice of Registered Nurses (RNs) and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs).
Collectively, we represent over one million practicing nurses, nurse executives, nursing students, faculty, and researchers. We welcome the opportunity to serve as a resource to the new Administration and help ensure Americans receive high-quality, cost-effective care.
Since 2009, the Nursing Community has advocated for a healthy nation by holding strong to the following Core Principles:
A robust and diverse nursing workforce is essential to the health of all Americans.
Nurses are an integral part of the healthcare team, are involved in every aspect of care delivery, and are committed to the patient, their families, the community, and the nation.
The contributions made by the practice and science of nursing are critical to the delivery of high quality, life-saving, preventive, and palliative health care across all care settings, geographic areas, and social determinants of health.
The services RNs and APRNs provide are linked directly to the availability, cost, and quality of healthcare services.
Affordable, accessible, high-quality health care and improved health outcomes depend upon a model of care that is patient-centered and comprehensive. This can only be achieved through the full complement of expertise gained from broad-based, inter-professional partnerships of all health professionals, including RNs and APRNs.
Nursing’s involvement is essential to the development of new healthcare information technology infrastructure. Nursing data are key to identifying patient outcomes and required improvements in
the delivery of patient care.
For over a decade, the Nursing Community has championed increased funding for the Nursing Workforce Development programs, authorized under Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 296 et seq.) and administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration. Within the last five years, the coalition has expanded its policy agenda to support funding for the National Institute of Nursing Research within the National Institutes of Health and directed our advocacy efforts to Congress and the Administration on subjects, including:
Population health
Primary care and access to the entire continuum of specialty services provided by RNs and APRNs
Telehealth
Workforce supply and demand focused on economic, demographic, and geographic trends
Veterans’ health care
Provider parity and nondiscrimination by health plans
Emerging public health crises
Additionally, working collaboratively, the Nursing Community has supported nominations of nursing experts to federal boards and commissions. We will look forward to the opportunity to share with the Trump Administration, the depth and breadth of expertise our coalition membership has to offer as it relates to systematic healthcare improvements.
Finally, we would like to share with the Administration the contributions the nursing workforce offers our nation and what we believe is critical to shaping a reformed delivery system.
ACCESS
Registered Nurses are the single largest group of healthcare professionals in the country and are critical to the delivery of high-quality, life-saving, preventive, and palliative health care across all care settings, geographic areas, socio-economic factors, and cultures.
Peer-reviewed research has demonstrated that when Advanced Practice Registered Nurses are able to provide services to the full extent of their education and training, they offer costeffective, comprehensive, and the highest-quality care in a patient-centered environment.
AFFORDABILITY
Patient-centered, community-based care coordination models that include a variety of primary and specialty healthcare provider options are proven to be cost-effective and efficient in improving quality health outcomes.
Increased research and clinical focus on wellness and health promotion strategies will yield significant improvements to the health of the nation, and produce cost savings that can be reinvested into achieving better health for all.
QUALITY
Transparent reporting of healthcare measures and outcomes by all providers empowers consumers, enables providers to make evidence-based decisions about processes of care, and can be used by purchasers to incentivize high-quality and cost-effective care.
The use of a national interoperable health information technology system that protects the privacy rights of individuals will improve safety and reliability, ensuring cost-effective and coordinated care.
The unique partnership the Nursing Community has created allows our national nursing organizations to unite on shared agendas and to promote America’s health through nursing care. Again, we welcome the opportunity to work with the Trump Administration. If the 60 undersigned organizations can be of any assistance, or if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the convener of the Nursing Community, Dr. Suzanne Miyamoto, at Smiyamoto@aacn.nche.edu or 202-463-6930, ext. 247. To review the efforts of the Nursing Community visit: http://www.thenursingcommunity.org.
Sincerely,
Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses
American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing
American Academy of Nursing
American Assembly for Men in Nursing
American Association of Colleges of Nursing
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
American Association of Heart Failure Nurses
American Association of Neuroscience Nurses
American Association of Nurse Anesthetists
American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordination
American Association of Nurse Practitioners
American Association of Occupational Health Nurses
American College of Nurse-Midwives
American Nephrology Nurses Association
American Nurses Association
American Nursing Informatics Association
American Organization of Nurse Executives
American Pediatric Surgical Nurses Association
American Psychiatric Nurses Association
American Society for Pain Management Nursing
American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses
Association for Radiologic & Imaging Nursing
Association of Community Health Nursing Educators
Association of Nurses in AIDS Care
Association of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses
Association of periOperative Registered Nurses
Association of Public Health Nurses
Association of Rehabilitation Nurses
Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses
Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S. Public Health Service
Dermatology Nurses’ Association
Emergency Nurses Association
Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association
Hospice & Palliative Nurses Association
Infusion Nurses Society
International Association of Forensic Nurses
International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses
National American Arab Nurses Association
National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists
National Association of Hispanic Nurses
National Association of Neonatal Nurse Practitioners
National Association of Neonatal Nurses
National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health
National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
National Association of School Nurses
National Black Nurses Association
National Council of State Boards of Nursing
National Forum of State Nursing Workforce Centers
National Gerontological Nursing Association
National League for Nursing
National Nurse-Led Centers Consortium
Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs
Oncology Nursing Society
Organization for Associate Degree Nursing
Pediatric Endocrinology Nursing Society
Public Health Nursing Section, American Public Health Association
Society of Pediatric Nurses
Society of Urologic Nurses and Associates
The Quad Council of Public Health Nursing Organizations
Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing Society
CC:
Andrew P. Bremberg
Department of Health and Human Services Agency Landing Team Co-Lead
President-Elect’s Transition Team
Paula M. Stannard
Department of Health and Human Services Agency Landing Team Co-Lead
President-Elect’s Transition Team