FROM THE ALABAMA STATE NURSES ASSOCIATION
Montgomery, Ala — According to the most recent report from NSI Nursing Solutions, Inc., hospitals across the Southeast account for some of the highest nursing turnover rates in the United States.
As the voice of Alabama’s nurses, the Alabama State Nurses Association (ASNA) believes the alarming rates of nurse turnover and its impact on patient care calls for action from our elected officials.
The ASNA is composed and governed by nurses of all specialties and has appealed to state officials during the pandemic to help hospitals retain and recruit nursing staff. As of this point, staff nurses have received little to no help from the billions of dollars in COVID relief funds sent to Alabama.
Accolades of heroic service and praise for our nurses is deserved and often expressed by patients, family members, health care management and public officials. Yet, tens of millions in COVID relief funding has been allocated for prisons and other community projects with “only a distant” relationship to actual COVID relief.
Nurses have reported in ASNA surveys that they serve (often at significant risks) because they care about their patients. Although it’s “not about hazard pay or raises,” they feel overlooked for the sacrifices they have made and continue to make for our citizens.
Low staffing levels and a high turnover rate have only increased the burden on faithful nurses who have served through the pandemic.
ASNA is currently in discussions with the Alabama Hospital Association and key Legislators to appropriate a significant level of the State’s billion dollars in federal COVID relief funds to help nurses and frontline healthcare workers.
Nurses who want to add their voice to this and other advocacy efforts should join ASNA at www.alabamanurses.com
