Registered nurses to march and rally in Washington to press for landmark patient safety legislation

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May 12 2010

Up to 1,000 registered nurses from Maine to California will march and rally in Washington, DC, today to press the case for moving beyond insurance reform to improving the quality of care in U.S. hospitals and other healthcare settings.

The march and rally culminates a two day event, hosted by the nation's largest nurses' union and professional association, National Nurses United, to press for landmark patient safety legislation now in Congress, including a bill that would establish new national patient safety standards.

March and Rally Details: Wednesday, May 12

March Begins at about Union Station, 10:15 a.m.
March Route:
West on Massachusetts Ave NW
South East on Columbia Monument Drive
South on Delaware to Constitution Ave NE
West on Constitution Ave to Upper Senate Park

Rally Begins after March, approximately 10:45 a.m.
Upper Senate Park
Followed by Legislative Visits, Capitol Hill

In addition to the march and rally, the nurses will meet this morning, at 8 a.m., at the Washington Hilton, International Ballroom, 1919 Connecticut Ave, for final planning for the legislative action.
Speakers on Tuesday will include U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. Legislators scheduled to speak on Wednesday at the rally and conference include U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer (Ca), Al Franken (Mn), and Bernie Sanders (Vt), and U.S. Representatives Judy Chu (Ca), Donna Edwards (Md), Keith Ellison (Mn), Al Green (Tx), Raul Grijalva (Az), Dennis Kucinich (Oh), Barbara Lee (Ca), Jan Schakowsky (Il), Chellie Pingree (Md), Anthony Weiner (NY), and Lynn Woolsey (Ca). The event coincides with National Nurses Week which centers around the May 12 anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, often considered the founder of modern nursing.