As a community of exceptional nurses with firsthand knowledge of how government policies impact the lives and health of our patients, AACN has been, and continues to be, committed to our mission, vision and values. We are equally committed to working with any administration and Congress as they consider options to reform healthcare.
Rest assured that as healthcare reform continues to unfold, AACN will work relentlessly to achieve our vision of a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and families and, when we are more likely to achieve that vision through collaboration, we will work in coalition with other nursing and professional organizations. In the spirit of true collaboration, we have recently offered our expertise to help our elected officials craft laws and regulations that promote wellness and affirm our position that we support affordable access to quality care.
AACN represents a large and diverse community of nurses with varied perspectives about the changes needed in our healthcare delivery system. One thing remains certain, as acute and critical care nurses, we rely on AACN — and each other — for knowledge and influence to help us fulfill our promise to patients and their families.
At the same time, we never underestimate the power that one person or small communities of people can have. Many of the proposed changes to healthcare reform may take place at the state, not federal, level. We encourage you to use your voice as a private citizen to influence the decisions of your legislators. AACN's website can help you get started.
AACN's vision of a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and families where nurses make their optimal contribution remains our absolute guide, from which we will not waver. We will continue to be relentless in championing healthy work environments as an essential element of that vision. We will continue to put patients and families and the nurses who care for them at the center of all we do.
Sincerely,
Clareen Wiencek, PhD, RN, ACHPN, ACNP
AACN President