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Operating Room Nurse Day is opportunity to visit legislators
Legislation
Operating Room Nurse Day is opportunity to visit legislators Has your state legislator or congressman ever met an OR nurse outside the hospital? Nov 14 would be a good time to make sure he does. The date has been selected by the AORN Board of Directors as Operating Room Nurse Day, following a recommendationfrom the 1979 House of Delegates. The delegates realized that educating the public is important to the future of operating room nursing. Lack of public understandingof what OR nurses do is a major problem in the proposed revision of the Medicare rule that would allow technicians to circulate. Why not take your legislatorto lunch that day or pay him a visit at his office. Your state legislators have offices in your state capitol, and they visit their local districts frequently. Your congressman also has an office in the home district. It is important to make an appointment in advance. A small, informal lunch with representative OR nurses might be the best way to get to know your legislator. Nurses should meet in advance to anticipate questions and gather information. Even though the lunch is informal, you should be prepared with solid information and articulate responses to questions about nursing and health care. Keep in mind that cost containment and national health insurance will be of interest to lawmakers. Another possibility is inviting your legislator to visit your OR suite, where he can see in action the importance of the nurse's role. Again, this type of activity requires careful
616
s
planning and scheduling. You will want to inform your hospital administrator, community relations director, and department administrators, depending on the organization and policies of your hospital. Plan your visit so the legislator has an opportunity to see how nurses practice. You may want to show him patient teaching facilities and assessment forms and have him visit an OR, if that can be arranged. It is important for lawmakersto learn about the circulating and coordinatingduties of the OR nurse. Your local chapter president has many other ideas for recognizing Operating Room Nurse Day. Promotion packets prepared by the Na.tional Committee on Education were mailed to chapter presidents in August. W Patricia Roberts Harris was quickly confirmed by the Senate July 27 as the new secretary of the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, replacing Joseph Califano. But it was not immediately known how far down into the bureaucracy the new Secretary's influence would reach. As when any new administrator is hired, many of the top officialsin HEW were expected to resign or be replaced. Whether this would include Leonard Schaeffer, head of the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) was not known. HCFA is the agency that oversees HEW rules and regulations, including the proposed Medicare rule revision that would allow OR technicians to circulate. Harris, a lawyer and former secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, does not have a background in health care nor does she have a great deal of experience working with Congress. On broad policies, her views are likely to be similar to
AORN Journal, October 1979,Vol30, No 4
Califano’s, since both were closely tied to the Johnson administration in the 1960s. An exception is abortion. Califano, a Catholic, was personally opposed to abortion, and his policies reflected that. Harris does not oppose abortion, which may help heal the President’s relations with feminists. Overall, Harris is expected to act less independently of the White House than Califano. Now that the Nurse Training Act has finally passed both Houses of Congress, attention turns to funding. Because the bill was not passed in time to be included in the normal appropriationsdecisions,funding will continue at the current level under a continuing resolution. This funding level will continue until (and if) Congress gets around to passing a supplemental appropriation. The Washington office of the American Nurses’ Association (ANA) reports they nave been working especially hard for increased money for research. Research funds are essential to providing nursing with the documentation it needs to support a wide variety of positions and goals. In deliberationswith HEW officials this year, AORN leaders have realizedthe importance of data on the effects and outcomes of professional nursing intervention. OR nurses must be able to prove they make a difference in patient care. This is only one example of the many issues in nursing that require scientific study. Increasingly, nurses are realizing that research is a hallmark of a profession. Now they need to convince their legislators of its importance, too. Watch for news of debate over health manpower funding this fall and winter. Authorizations for all federal health manpower legislation, including the Nurse Training Act, are due to be renewed in 1980. Deliberationsprobably will begin in health subcommittees in the House and Senate this fall. Federal funding legislation for all health professions will be comprehensively overhauled for the first time since 1976. HEW has said it would like to reduce capitation grants to schools and instead concentratefunding in NationalHealth Service Corps scholarships and loan programs.
council for professional standards review organizations (PSROs) is more likely to be approved by Congress this term than last. Rather than being introduced as a separate bill, as it was in the 1977-1978 Congress, the measure has been attached to a major bill. The amendment was added to HR 934 (S 505),the Medicare-Medicaidreform bill sponsored by Sen Herman Talmadge (D-Ga). The Talmadge bill, which proposes saving money by reforming the two massive federal health programs, has been favored by the American Medical Association as an alternative to President Carter’s cost control bill, which would place a mandatory lid on cost increases. As part of a major health bill, the PSRO measure stands a better chance of passingthan it would on its own. R N s are not presently included in any of the PSRO decision-making bodies.
Patricia Allen Assistant editor
Health care research fell0wships available The Hospital Research and Educational Trust (HRET) will award 12 fellowships totaling $108,000 in 1980 to support problem-solving projects dealing with the organization and delivery of health care. HRET is an affiliate of the American Hospital Association. Two Edwin L Crosby Memorial Fellowships and ten W K Kellogg Foundation Fellowships of $9,000 each will support six-monthprojects. Among criteria for selection of fellows will be the quality, timeliness, and potential usefulness of the proposed project. Other criteria includethe applicant’sbackground and potential as a health care administrator, teacher, or investigatorwith a primary interest in improving health care management. Preferencewill be given to those early in their health care careers. Application forms and information are available from the Hospital Research and Educational Trust, 840 N Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, Ill 60611. Deadline for receipt of applications is Dec 3, 1979. Awards will be announced March 17, 1980.
INursing representation on the national
AORN Journal, October 1979,V o l 3 0 , No 4
617
Operating Room Nurse Day is opportunity to visit legislators Has your state legislator or congressman ever met an OR nurse outside the hospital? Nov 14 would be a good time to make sure he does. The date has been selected by the AORN Board of Directors as Operating Room Nurse Day, following a recommendationfrom the 1979 House of Delegates. The delegates realized that educating the public is important to the future of operating room nursing. Lack of public understandingof what OR nurses do is a major problem in the proposed revision of the Medicare rule that would allow technicians to circulate. Why not take your legislatorto lunch that day or pay him a visit at his office. Your state legislators have offices in your state capitol, and they visit their local districts frequently. Your congressman also has an office in the home district. It is important to make an appointment in advance. A small, informal lunch with representative OR nurses might be the best way to get to know your legislator. Nurses should meet in advance to anticipate questions and gather information. Even though the lunch is informal, you should be prepared with solid information and articulate responses to questions about nursing and health care. Keep in mind that cost containment and national health insurance will be of interest to lawmakers. Another possibility is inviting your legislator to visit your OR suite, where he can see in action the importance of the nurse's role. Again, this type of activity requires careful
616
s
planning and scheduling. You will want to inform your hospital administrator, community relations director, and department administrators, depending on the organization and policies of your hospital. Plan your visit so the legislator has an opportunity to see how nurses practice. You may want to show him patient teaching facilities and assessment forms and have him visit an OR, if that can be arranged. It is important for lawmakersto learn about the circulating and coordinatingduties of the OR nurse. Your local chapter president has many other ideas for recognizing Operating Room Nurse Day. Promotion packets prepared by the Na.tional Committee on Education were mailed to chapter presidents in August. W Patricia Roberts Harris was quickly confirmed by the Senate July 27 as the new secretary of the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, replacing Joseph Califano. But it was not immediately known how far down into the bureaucracy the new Secretary's influence would reach. As when any new administrator is hired, many of the top officialsin HEW were expected to resign or be replaced. Whether this would include Leonard Schaeffer, head of the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) was not known. HCFA is the agency that oversees HEW rules and regulations, including the proposed Medicare rule revision that would allow OR technicians to circulate. Harris, a lawyer and former secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, does not have a background in health care nor does she have a great deal of experience working with Congress. On broad policies, her views are likely to be similar to
AORN Journal, October 1979,Vol30, No 4
Califano’s, since both were closely tied to the Johnson administration in the 1960s. An exception is abortion. Califano, a Catholic, was personally opposed to abortion, and his policies reflected that. Harris does not oppose abortion, which may help heal the President’s relations with feminists. Overall, Harris is expected to act less independently of the White House than Califano. Now that the Nurse Training Act has finally passed both Houses of Congress, attention turns to funding. Because the bill was not passed in time to be included in the normal appropriationsdecisions,funding will continue at the current level under a continuing resolution. This funding level will continue until (and if) Congress gets around to passing a supplemental appropriation. The Washington office of the American Nurses’ Association (ANA) reports they nave been working especially hard for increased money for research. Research funds are essential to providing nursing with the documentation it needs to support a wide variety of positions and goals. In deliberationswith HEW officials this year, AORN leaders have realizedthe importance of data on the effects and outcomes of professional nursing intervention. OR nurses must be able to prove they make a difference in patient care. This is only one example of the many issues in nursing that require scientific study. Increasingly, nurses are realizing that research is a hallmark of a profession. Now they need to convince their legislators of its importance, too. Watch for news of debate over health manpower funding this fall and winter. Authorizations for all federal health manpower legislation, including the Nurse Training Act, are due to be renewed in 1980. Deliberationsprobably will begin in health subcommittees in the House and Senate this fall. Federal funding legislation for all health professions will be comprehensively overhauled for the first time since 1976. HEW has said it would like to reduce capitation grants to schools and instead concentratefunding in NationalHealth Service Corps scholarships and loan programs.
council for professional standards review organizations (PSROs) is more likely to be approved by Congress this term than last. Rather than being introduced as a separate bill, as it was in the 1977-1978 Congress, the measure has been attached to a major bill. The amendment was added to HR 934 (S 505),the Medicare-Medicaidreform bill sponsored by Sen Herman Talmadge (D-Ga). The Talmadge bill, which proposes saving money by reforming the two massive federal health programs, has been favored by the American Medical Association as an alternative to President Carter’s cost control bill, which would place a mandatory lid on cost increases. As part of a major health bill, the PSRO measure stands a better chance of passingthan it would on its own. R N s are not presently included in any of the PSRO decision-making bodies.
Patricia Allen Assistant editor
Health care research fell0wships available The Hospital Research and Educational Trust (HRET) will award 12 fellowships totaling $108,000 in 1980 to support problem-solving projects dealing with the organization and delivery of health care. HRET is an affiliate of the American Hospital Association. Two Edwin L Crosby Memorial Fellowships and ten W K Kellogg Foundation Fellowships of $9,000 each will support six-monthprojects. Among criteria for selection of fellows will be the quality, timeliness, and potential usefulness of the proposed project. Other criteria includethe applicant’sbackground and potential as a health care administrator, teacher, or investigatorwith a primary interest in improving health care management. Preferencewill be given to those early in their health care careers. Application forms and information are available from the Hospital Research and Educational Trust, 840 N Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, Ill 60611. Deadline for receipt of applications is Dec 3, 1979. Awards will be announced March 17, 1980.
INursing representation on the national
AORN Journal, October 1979,V o l 3 0 , No 4
617