AMERICAN NURSES ASSN: LAUNCHES NATIONAL LABOR CAMPAIGN

      The American Nurses Association's board of directors has
 approved a "bold plan" to strengthen the association's role as a
 comprehensive voice for nurses -- an explicit response to efforts
 by national trade unions to recruit nurses.  The plan, approved
 during the ANA board's December meeting, includes multi-million
 dollar increases in funding for core programs focused on
 improving the present and future work lives of registered nurses. 
 The ANA noted that some of its state affiliates have voiced
 concerns about "nurses joining non-nurse unions and have called
 upon ANA to target resources to mount a national labor agenda." 
 "AFT, CWA, SEIU and UFCW cannot speak as nurses or for nurses and
 their patients and families.  Only nurses can represent nurses,"
 said ANA Executive Director Geri Marullo, MSN, RN.
      MULTI-FACETED EFFORT
      In addition to focusing on workplace advocacy and a national
 labor agenda, the ANA board dedicated "significant resources"
 toward membership partnerships, quality initiatives, the ANA's
 federal legislative program and the "Nursing's Blueprint for
 Action" in a changing health care environment.  According to the
 group, the ANA will build on past and current efforts,
 maintaining the momentum of gathering quality-related data and
 effectively using that data to advocate not only for quality
 patient care, but for the nursing profession, as well. 
 Additional resources for Nursing's Blueprint for Action will be
 used to articulate what the future health care system should look
 like and strategize how to achieve that system.  "Ultimately, the
 successes of ANA and the [state nursing associations] will be
 reflected locally, nurse by nurse, patient by patient, in the
 outcomes of individual lives.  ANA is only as strong as its
 members, and as the membership grows, so, too, will nursing's
 strengths," said ANA President Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN
 (release, 12/15).
      INTERIM LEADERSHIP
      The ANA board also announced yesterday that Argene Carswell,
 JD, RN, has been appointed interim executive director effective
 January 1.  Carswell will take the ANA helm when Marullo returns
 to Hawaii to pursue new career opportunities.  Carswell currently
 serves as the ANA's deputy executive director for leadership
 services, subsidiaries and support services; previously she
 served as deputy executive director of the California Nurses
 Association (ANA release, 12/15).