Nurses will tell legislators they need to address unsafe conditions at the bedside to keep nurses in the profession, a message supported by the annual "State of Nursing in Massachusetts" survey to be released May 6

BOSTON, May 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hundreds of nurses and healthcare professionals will flood the State House on May 8, marking National Nurses Week with a Day of Advocacy focused on protecting patients, healthcare workers, and essential healthcare services. They will be joined by Kristine Lilly, one of the most accomplished athletes in women's soccer history, a teamwork expert, and an advocate for pay equity in women's sports.

The Massachusetts Nurses Association will also release its annual "State of Nursing in Massachusetts" survey ahead of Advocacy Day, on Monday, May 6. This survey, conducted by Beacon Research, features interviews with 500 nurses from across the Commonwealth. It will provide critical insight into care quality and nursing practice challenges, and the legislative solutions nurses say will ensure safe, accessible patient care.

The MNA Advocacy Day event, featuring more than 250 frontline nurses and healthcare professionals, will feature a speech by Lilly at the Grand Staircase and remarks by nurses focused on MNA-filed legislation that would help ensure there are enough healthcare staff for safe patient care, address workplace violence and workplace injuries, and provide the resources in our communities to preserve essential healthcare services. Editor's Note: See below for local opportunities for nurse interviews.

"I am excited to join hundreds of MNA nurses and healthcare professionals as they urge their elected officials to protect patients, workers, and essential healthcare services," Kristine Lilly said. "They need to be safe and supported in providing patient care."

MNA Advocacy Day Details
Date: Wednesday, May 8, 2024
Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The speaking portion will be from 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. at the Grand Staircase. After the speaking portion, nurses will meet with legislators in their offices.
Location: State House, Boston, MA
Local Media Opportunities: Nurses are coming from across Massachusetts to participate in Advocacy Day. Buses will bring nurses to the State House from:

• 241 King Street, Northampton. Bus Departs: 6:45 a.m.

**Overflow Stop- Framingham Park & Ride 1672 Worcester Road, Framingham. Bus Departs: 8:00 a.m.

• 11 E. Central St, Worcester. Bus Departs: 7:30 a.m.

• 60 Route 6A, Sandwich. Bus Departs: 7:30 a.m.

• 1 Market Street, Lawrence. Bus Departs: 7:30 a.m.

• 340 Turnpike St., Canton. Bus Departs: 7:30 a.m.

"The message nurses will carry to the State House will be that Massachusetts has plenty of nurses – more RNs per capita than almost any other state – and has added 45,000+ RNs since 2019, yet unsafe conditions are driving nurses away from the bedside," said MNA President and ICU nurse Katie Murphy. "New nurses are rapidly leaving the profession because their concerns are not being addressed. State officials must do more to protect patients and nurses and preserve essential healthcare services."

Kristine Lilly Background

Lilly is the only person to have played in five FIFA Women's World Cups. The Medfield, MA resident is also the only player to play for the U.S. in four different decades and is both the youngest and oldest player to score a goal for the United States. Lilly played midfielder for the United States Women's National Soccer Team for over twenty-three years. This included five FIFA World Cups and three Olympic Games, where she won two gold medals and one silver.

Lilly was inducted into the US Olympic Hall of Fame in 2012 and the US Soccer Hall of Fame in 2014. She was named U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year three times during her career. Lilly was also a key figure in the fight for gender equity and equal pay in women's soccer. She is the author of two books, Powerhouse: 13 Teamwork Tactics that Build Excellence and Unrivaled Success, and Girls Soccer My Story: Kristine Lilly.  An expert on effective teamwork, she consults with organizations, providing lessons gleaned from her remarkable career as a professional athlete.

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Founded in 1903, the Massachusetts Nurses Association is the largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its 25,000 members advance the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Legislature and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.

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SOURCE Massachusetts Nurses Association