A O R N J O U R N A L

Legislation

FEBRUARY 1984, VOL 39, NO 2

Your place in election year politics

0 Have you said to yourself, “This is the year I’m going to be more active in politics?” The fall elections seem far away, but the process of selecting candidates is well underway. How can you participate? Here are some ideas.

Register to vote. Did you know that one in 44 voters is a registered nurse? Join the 91% of nurses already registered. Do it now, so you ’11 be eligible for spring primaries and caucuses. You’ll find registration desks at many shopping centers and other public places. If you don’t encounter one, call your county clerk to find out where to register.

Join a political party. “But I’m an inde- pendent,” you reply. “I vote for the person, not the party. ” Joining a political party won’t change that; you still may vote for whomever you please. But in some states, you must be a party member to vote in primaries or attend cau- cuses where candidates are chosen. Nurses sea- soned in politics say that joining a party is the best first step toward greater involvement.

How do you join? Look in the phone book under the party of your choice. Call. They’ll sign you up.

Help select candidates. Some states hold primaries to select candidates andor convention delegates; others hold caucuses; some do both. To find out what system is used in your state, call your state election office, League of Women Voters, or party office.

If your state party holds precinct caucuses, this is an excellent place to get involved. Each legislative district is divided into areas called precincts-the smallest political unit. Precinct

caucuses are neighborhood meetings where del- egates to the district or county convention are chosen. If you do attend, don’t be surprised if you are elected as a delegate. Many caucuses are not well attended, giving you a chance for instant involvement.

Work for a candidate. There’s no better way to learn about politics or to be remembered later. Pick a candidate you admire, and call the campaign office. (Directory assistance will have the number, or you can call the party headquar- ters.) Offer your help. You may be asked to make phone calls, canvas the neighborhood, stuff envelopes-or even draft the candidate’s position on health care. While you’re working, introduce yourself to other workers. Let them know you’re a registered nurse.

Contribute to a political action committee (PAC). PACs endorse candidates and help them get elected, particularly through financial con- tributions. The Nurses’ Coalition for Action in Politics (N-CAP) is nursing’s PAC. With every election, N-CAP collects more money and gains in influence. You can contribute by writing

N-CAP 1101 14th St NW Washington, DC 20005 (202) 789- 1800

N-CAP will be announcing its endorsements for national candidates before the fall election.

Some 33 states also have nursing PACs. Call N-CAP or your state nurses association to find out how to contact your state PAC.

Do you want to learn more about presidential politics? The League of Women Voters has a

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A O R N J O U R N A L FEBRUARY 1984, VOL 39, NO 2

new publication entitled Choosing a President. To order, write the League at 1730 M St NW, Washington, DC 20005, or phone (202) 429- 1965.

0 The American Nurses’ Association (ANA) is gearing up for election year politics with a new project called “Nurses: Visible in Politics” (N:VIP). A national agenda for health policy is part of the project.

‘‘There are 1.7 million nurses in this country. That’s power,” said ANA President Eunice Cole. “Now we want to organize that power and channel its energy into getting what we want from people who can supply it.

“I’m talking about politicians, who, when elected or returned to Congress, can help us promote the passage of legislation that ensures the health and welfare of all citizens.”

The agenda is a summary of positions ANA has taken in recent years in seven categories: access to care, financing health care, funding basic human needs, funding nursing education and research, human rights, economic and gen- eral welfare of nurses, and reducing health hazards.

For example, under access to care, ANA advo- cates increased federal funding for maternal and child health care, health insurance for the unem- ployed and their families, and reform of Medi- care without limiting access to health care or increasing the financial burden on beneficiaries.

For more information on the project, contact the ANA Washington Office, 1101 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20005. Orcall (202) 789-1800.

ANA has received an 18-month federal grant to study the relationship between diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) and nursing re- sources. DRGs are the government’s new method for paying hospitals for Medicare pa- tients. Rather than being reimbursed for their costs, as they have been, hospitals will be paid a flat rate according to patients’ diagnoses. The system, which will be phased in over four years, went into effect Oct 1.

ANA researchers will be looking at the sever- ity of illness designations within specific DRGs

as measured by nursing care hours. If appropri- ate, ANA may then recommend to the govern- ment refinements or revisions in the DRGs.

The study will be conducted by ANA’s Center for Research and two consultants, Mary Anne Swain, PhD, assistant to the vice-president for academic affairs, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and John Thompson, RN, professor of health administration, Yale University, New Haven, Conn.

0 Five groups of nonphysicians will have access to hospital privileges under new legisla- tion passed by the District of Columbia. The law provides that hospitals may not discriminate against nurse-midwives, nurse anesthetists, nurse practitioners, clinical psychologists, and podiatrists when considering applications for privileges. The measure is believed to be the first in the country to include all five groups.

The law provides that no facility may deny an application for privileges without following cer- tain procedures designed to protect the applicant. These include the right to a fair hearing and access to records documenting the decision.

The Ohio legislature was considering a bill to prevent discrimination against nurse-midwives in the granting of privileges. The measure was “having its problems,” said Janice K Lanier, RN, of the Ohio Nurses’ Association, because the medical society is concerned it would “open the door” to a host of other groups.

The Medicare program and the Joint Commis- sion on Accreditation of Hospitals (JCAH) are moving to expand their standards governing clin- ical privileges. In proposed new Medicare rules, a new, more flexible definition of “medical staff” would allow hospitals to grant privileges to nonphysicians. JCAH was also considering opening up its language on privileges in the new version of the hospital accreditation manual.

PATRICIA PATI-ERSON LEGISLATIVE CONSULTANT

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