Friends of nursing win congressiond seats in fall election H The Nurses Coalition for Action In Poll- tics (N-CAP) reported political gains in the fall election. Of national candidates it endorsed, 83Y0 won. The organization also doubled con- tributions over 1980 to a total of $19O,OOO.

Among the 34 congressional newcomers backed by N-CAP. four have particularly out- standing records on nursing issues, according to staff member, Pat Ford-Roegner. They are Ron Coleman of Texas, Jim Moody of Wiscon- sin, Lane Evans of Illinois, and Bob Wise of West Virginia. Women with strong nursing records who won are Barbara Boxer, Califor- nia, and Marcy Kaptur, Ohio.

There were disappointments as well. N-CAP believes nursing lost a good friend in Harrison Schmitt, defeated senator from New Mexico. As chairman of the Senate Appropriations Labor-Health & Human Services Subcommit- tee, he had been a strong advocate of educa- tion and research funding for nursing. A deci- sion on the new chairman had not yet been made in mid-November.

The defeat of Harriett Woods in the Missouri Senate race “hurt bad,” Ford-Roegner said. “She is really good on our issues, and local nurses had worked very hard on her behalf.” The winner was incumbent Sen John Dan- forth. The two women already in the Senate have not been strong backers of nursing or women’s issues, she noted. They are Paula Hawkins of Florida and Nancy Kassebaum of Kansas.

Women now hold 23 of the 535 seats in the

US House and Senate. The percentage of women in state legislatures is up slightly from

Money spent by campaigners generated a great deal of controversy in the election. Once again, physicians were near the top of the big spender list. The American Medical Associa- tion donated $2.38 million to candidates, sec- ond only to the realtors’ political action commit- tee.

12% t0 14%.

H Some600 Pennsylvanla nurses rallled at Harrisburg Nov 15 in protest of a bill that would have diluted qualifications for RN members of the state board of nursing. AORN also sent a telegram in opposition. Later that week, the bill passed the state house of representatives but with amendments favorable to nursing.

Previously, the governor has appointed RN members from a list of ten names submitted by the Pennsylvania Nurses’ Association (PNA). The bill as originally introduced would have taken away that prerogative. Any nurse with five years of experien-o matter how far in the past-woukl have been eligible for the board.

Under the amended version, three of the five RN members must have master’s degrees in nursing, and five years of experience must immediately precede appoinment. PNA will no longer nominate members but nevertheless believes the new language is a satisfactory compromise.

“We feel we were successful,” said Deborah Saline, PNA public relations director. The as- sociation believes the master’s degree is im- portant because board members must hear cases, take disciplinary action, interpret the nursing practice act, and approve qualifica- tions for nursing educators, who are expected

100 AORN Journal, January 1983, Vol37, No 1

to have master’s degrees. All PNA nominees since 1953 have had master’s degrees.

In addition, nurses were concerned that watered-down qualifications would have made it easier for special interest groups outside of nursing to control appointments to the board.

Gertie DeCenzo, RN, AORN Legislative Committee member who lobbied for the changes, was worried about the effect‘s on nursing education. A weaker board might not have been able to resist pressure to lower standards, she felt.

Leading the rally on the capitol steps was Eunice Cole, RN, president of the American Nurses’ Association. Afterward, nursesfanned out to visit with their senators and represen- tatives. DeCenzo said she learned a great deal from the experience and hoped to visit the capitol at least once or twice a year to work on nursing issues.

Physicians and patients don’t com- munlcatevery well about informed consent for medical care, a new national study has found. Informed consent is more a form to be signed than a sharing of information.

The findings are from a national survey of physicians and the public by Louis Harris and Associates and were analyzed by the Presi- dent‘s Commission for the Study of Ethical Problems in Medicine. Among the conclusions summarized in Hospital Week were:

When patients refuse treatment, the rea- son is more likely to be too little information or poor communication rather than too much in- formation.

0 Patients about to have risky procedures receive much more information than patients having more routine procedures (probably be- cause the physician is more concerned about legal liability).

0 Physicians tend to make decisions unilat- erally without discussing them with patients.

0 More than two-thirds of the public think physicians should discuss the cost of treat- ment, but only 38% of physicians do so.

Making changes in attitudes and tech- niques of physicians is more likely to improve patients’ participation in informed consent than lawsuits.

The study did not directly address nurses’ roles in informed consent. A staff member acknowledged such research is needed “be-

cause no one knows exactly how much they are involved.” Since the special commission is scheduled to go out of existence, she said such a study would have to be done by univer- sity researchers.

Patricia Patterson Associate Editor

Learn to fight back at legislative seminar

A state legislature fails to renew a nursing practice act, and the board of nursing is almost lost.

A state senator proposes allowing licensed practical nurses to become RNs after “on-the-job’ training.

dismantled in a reorganization effort. The board of medicine is left intact.

These are all real situations. Could this happen in your state? Will you be ready?

You can learn to fight back at AORN’s precongress seminar, the Nuts and Bolts of Legislation. The meeting will be held Thursday and Friday, April 7 and 8 at the Hyatt Regency, Houston. Congress will be April 10 to 15 in the same city.

influencing legislation. Opening the workshop will be Jane Hickie, an Austin, Tex, attorney with considerable experience in local, state, and national campaigns. She is a member of the University of Texas School of Nursing Advisory Committee. Virginia Haggerty, RN, also an attorney, will speak about nurses’ experiences with a sunset review. She is executive director of the Florida Nurses Association. Julie Sochalski, RN, of Michigan will discuss her experience with political organizing in her congressional district. She also has taken a group of students to Washington, DC, to lobby for the Nurse Training Act.

A registration form for this seminar is in the Congress brochure sent to all members early last fall. Advance registration postmark deadline is Feb 21.

nonmembers.

A state official orders a board of nursing

Leaders will offer practical advice on

The fee is $75 for members and $100 for

104 AORN Journal, January 1983, Vol37, No 1