WASHINGTON, June 25, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In the
wake of the Orlando, FL, massacre,
the American Nurses Association (ANA) issued a declaration today
calling for sensible gun control measures, including one that lifts
a ban on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from
studying gun violence. ANA held its annual Membership Assembly this
week in Washington, DC. ANA is the
premiere professional association representing the interests of the
nation's 3.6 million registered nurses (RNs).
"Now is the time to enact meaningful gun control legislation at
the state and federal level to protect society," said ANA President
Pamela F. Cipriano, PhD, RN, NEA-BC,
FAAN. "We all must join with other members of our community
and at every level of civil society in dialogue and action to
address the underlying issues that result in hate and motivate
unspeakable acts of violence."
The declaration follows ANA's Lobby Day on June 23, when almost 300 nurses from across the
country went to Capitol Hill to share their perspectives and
concerns about key nursing and health care issues, including safe
nurse staffing, access to home health care, and gun violence.
The declaration reads (in part):
- WHEREAS, in recent years, our country has endured unspeakable
acts of violence with the common thread in each of these
mass-casualty tragedies being easy access to guns.
- WHEREAS, the easy access to guns and inadequate access to
mental health services contributes to an unsafe environment.
- WHEREAS, at an alarming rate, registered nurses and other
health professionals, in emergency departments, hospitals and
clinics across the country, are called upon to care for victims of
mass shootings, homicides, suicides, and accidental shootings.
- WHEREAS, ANA commends the nurses and entire health care team at
Orlando Regional Medical Center and the other receiving facilities
for their dedication and professionalism during this tragic
event.
- WHEREAS, of grave concern to ANA are all human rights
violations, including hate crimes. The Code of Ethics for
Nurses with Interpretive Statements calls on nurses to respect all
cultures, value systems, sexual orientation or gender expression
and act to change those aspects of social structures that detract
from health and well-being.
- WHEREAS, since 1994, ANA has considered gun violence to be a
public health issue with subsequent policy action calling on the
need for limits on the availability of handguns, a ban on assault
weapons, and a waiting period and background check of
purchasers.
The American Nurses Association (ANA) is the premier
organization representing the interests of the nation's 3.6 million
registered nurses. ANA advances the nursing profession by fostering
high standards of nursing practice, promoting a safe and ethical
work environment, bolstering the health and wellness of nurses, and
advocating on health care issues that affect nurses and the public.
ANA is at the forefront of improving the quality of health care for
all.
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SOURCE American Nurses Association