Expand benefits, including disability coverage and pension plans. Foster professional growth and development through provisions for in-service training, tuition reimbursement, and educational leave. Enhance the quality of patient care through the creation of practice councils, labor management committees, and other special focus groups. If you want a voice in the decisions that affect your professional practice and the quality of care you provide, then you need to be at the table where these decisions are made. This is difficult to do as an individual nurse, but nurses can build a collective voice and collective power to negotiate their priorities.
Nurses can have a seat at the table through collective bargaining .
Organizing is a process that takes time and expertise. That is what ANA and the State Nurses Associations can offer you. Support ANA and your SNA will listen to the concerns of nurses at your facility and help pinpoint those issues that most need to be addressed. Your SNA will help launch an effective campaign to organize nurses and will provide support and guidance throughout the process. Once the election process is completed, the SNA will negotiate a contract reflective of your priorities and concerns.