Letter: Nurse Week raises public awareness

Monday, April 16, 2001 | 9:59 a.m.

The current nursing shortage is making it difficult to deliver quality care to patients in Southern Nevada and driving nurses out of the profession as a result. Something needs to be done.

I write to congratulate University Medical Center, Valley and Desert Springs hospitals for recognizing the current nursing shortage and helping us to do something about it. All three hospitals have agreed to participate in the Nevada Service Employees Union's Nurse Alliance "Stand For Patients" campaign by allowing the Nurse Alliance to place collection boxes in their hospitals.

The Nurse Alliance is collecting old nursing shoes with stories as a way to draw attention to the current nursing shortage. During Nurse Week, May 5-12, nurses will deliver these shoes to Carson City and appeal to legislators to take action to correct this situation.

Unfortunately, there is one hospital that was offered the opportunity to participate and declined to do so. Sunrise Hospital refused to let the Nurse Alliance place their collection boxes in their hospital. Why the hospital with the most vacant nursing positions in Las Vegas does not care to join the effort to raise the public's consciousness about the nursing shortage is beyond us.

The shortage is a significant problem affecting the community and the nursing profession. It will only grow worse unless we take some action to improve working conditions for nurses. This Nurse Week we hope to take the first step and make some positive changes, with or without Sunrise's help.

CHRISTINE SAWYER AND THOMAS BEATTY

Editor's note: Sawyer is a registered nurse and chair of the Nurse Alliance, while Beatty is executive director of the Nevada Service Employees Union.