The Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA) is leading the way!
WSNA joins lawsuit to restore access to federal health resources
Actions
May 24 “Report for Duty Rally” – Washington DC and Nationwide
Nurses SHIFT Change – Grounded in Humanity. Guided by Ethics. Driven by Science. Committed to Social Justice. Report for Duty Rally, May 24, 2025 – Washington, DC and nationwide
The Report for Duty Rally is a national day of action led by the Nurses SHIFT Change, bringing together nurses, healthcare professionals, students, and community allies to advocate for a just, compassionate, and equitable healthcare system. On May 24, 2025, in Washington, D.C. and cities across the country, we will show up, speak out, and stand together for the future of healthcare, grounded in humanity, ethics, science, and social justice. Join us!
Nanette Massey calls out racism in cancer care
Nanette D Massey, who was an inspiration for, and has worked with “Overdue Reckoning on Racism in Nursing” for over 3 years, has written an article in NABJ Black News and Views that describes the appointment of two Black women to the top administration of Roswell Park cancer center in Buffalo, New York, as a result of a report that detailed widespread racism toward Black nurses, doctors and other staff.
In the article, Nanette describes the situation that the report revealed at Roswell Park, and the changes that the institution is taking to begin making the needed changes. Nanette’s own work has focused on raising the awareness of white people to the widespread realities of racism, and supporting any and all action to bring about change. In the Black News and Views article, she acknowledges the work we are doing in our “Overdue Reckoning” project, including our current October series focused on actions needed by white nurses. Nanette cites Lucinda Canty’s remarks about the systemic ways in which hospitals are designed to sustain racism:
The experiences of Lucinda Canty Ph.D., one of the authors of “An Overdue Reckoning On Racism In Nursing” and an associate professor of nursing at UMass Amherst, add more logs to this fire.
“Hospital systems,” said Canty, ”were never designed for Black people, as patients or employees. Segregation of hospitals ended with the civil rights movement of the 1960’s.That’s not too long ago. The structures are still in place in the form of leadership, policies, or procedures, all designed so that people of color cannot thrive. When racial issues come to light there is no accountability.”
Nanette Massey, September 27, 2023
All of us who are nurses and who want to make change can take action anywhere we live and work. We cannot do everything that is required, but each of us can do something. Join in on our Saturday discussions for the remaining Saturdays in October! Here are topics we are planning to kick off discussions for the rest of October –
Oct. 14 – Dismantling white privilege – “What is your experience of remaining silent while people of color speak?”
Oct. 21 – DEI is not enough — “What happens when you attend the dance, but are not asked to dance?”
Oct 28 – Blueprints for action – “What antiracism actions are we committed to take on an individual, group, and structural level?”
You can learn more about Nanette, and the work that she is doing on her website, including information about her in-person workshops in upstate New York, webinars, and writing. Nanette is a highly skilled and compassionate facilitator, and without her inspiration, our work would not have evolved as it did! Connect with her now!
More Evidence – Now We Need Action!
Ms. Frankie Manning shared with us an article published on the web on May 30, 2023. The article is titled “‘A target on my back’: New survey shows racism is a huge problem in nursing.” It gives ample evidence of one of the most pernicious and seemingly intractable and systematic patterns that sustain racism – the subtle and explicit ways that we are all complicit in simply not recognizing and addressing it. Those of us who have been participating in “Overdue Reckoning on Racism in Nursing” over the past 3 years are all too familiar with stories and situations reflecting what is in this article. Time and again – situations in which nobody acknowledges the blatant expressions of racism, denies the reality, and places insurmountable barriers in the way of making change.
This article reminds me of a comment that we heard when we were first announcing “Overdue.” More than one white nurse said to us something along this line: “I hope that this is not just going to be a complaining session.” Our response to this was along this line: “We intend to listen and hear any and all complaints – until we pay attention and start to see the reality, and talk about it we will never see change.”
The “Target on my back” report explains how many nurses of color have simply given up, assuming that it is hopeless for white nurses to ever come to terms with the racism that they participate in and enable. The energy and courage that it takes for nurses of color to even begin to address the issue is overwhelming and destructive. Looking at this reality as vividly portrayed in this article is disheartening, but it is also a wake-up call, and a reminder, that we must do better. We white nurses need to do more than offer cheap apologies – we need to examine the harm that is still happening around us every day, and engage in the deep, authentic and sincere processes of forgiveness, which leads to change.
Nurse ethicist Marsha Fowler has offered insight into the harm of “cheap forgiveness” – and outlines the process of forgiveness as follows:
Forgiveness is a process containing several essential and sequential elements: contrition, confession, penitence, repentance, forgiveness, then reconciliation, meaning, to grieve, to acknowledge, to regret, to turn around, to let go/my sins let go, to be restored. This is the movement that is forgiveness.
https://nursology.net/2023/04/04/cheap-forgiveness/
So on this Juneteenth day of 2023, I am sending a call, an invitation, to my white colleagues to examine what we need to do, and can do, to engage in processes of forgiveness, and processes of building genuine reconciliation and partnership. At the same time I send deep appreciation to my colleagues of color who have joined us in this journey of reckoning with racism in nursing. Lucinda Canty has led us from the beginning, and many more have joined us, for which we are all grateful.
We are all on a journey, with each of us in different places on this journey. As Lucinda says, I will not lie – this is not an easy journey. But I believe that in embarking on our journeys, we are beginning to create real change.
Nurses’ Letter of Declaration Against the Russian War in Ukraine
Contributors: Marsha Fowler,
Deborah Kenny & Elizabeth Peter
Introduction
Soon after Russia invaded Ukraine, it became apparent that immediate action is needed, as innocent lives continue to be lost. We nurses are in a perfect position to do so. Nurses have a large, trusted, and strong voice to advocate for the Ukrainian people and issue a call to action for legislators to put an end to these amoral acts. Sometimes during war, civilian collateral damage is unfortunate and inevitable, but Russia’s targeting of healthcare facilities, churches, schools, and other non-military objectives clearly represents war crimes. To assist all nurses in this advocacy, Dr. Marsha Fowler (US) crafted the attached letter with further input from Dr. Deborah Kenny (US).
Please download and distribute widely the attached letter via your professional social networks and organizational channels. Send to your state Congressional representatives or other leaders representing your individual country. Please tailor for your own country as necessary. Distribute it to nursing students to show them how to advocate through policy action. Together nurses can have a tangible and significant impact on the global health and wellbeing of all individuals. Nurses can be a compelling force for good in the world. Call upon your respective nations governments to take swift and decisive action to end these war crimes against humanity.
US nurses: We encourage each nurse to contact your own Congressional legislators (or legislative body members) and the White House. Congressional members can be found through https://www.congress.gov/members. Additionally, nurses can flood the White House switchboard at (202) 456-1414. It is staffed by live volunteers who tally calls. Call the White House to express your concern and you may use the letter as a template.
Download Letter in PDF format
Download Letter in Word format
Letter
Attn: President Biden, Vice President Harris, Sec. Blinken, Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Schumer, Congress, Chairman Milley, Secretary–General Guterres, President von der Leyen, President Roberta Metsola, Director–General Ghebreyesus:
We write to express our profound concern regarding the unjustified, unprovoked, and illegal invasion of Ukraine. Those who sign below represent nurse-leaders, many specializing in bioethics and, as such, we hold dear human life, health, well-being, human solidarity, dignity, freedom, and social justice as core values of our profession. These core values of the nursing profession, affirmed by the fields of bioethics, ethics, and social ethics, are themselves desecrated in Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine. Our concerns and requests are several:
We call upon the United States and the UN and its member nations to hold President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia accountable for multiple and egregious violations of the Hague Regulations of 1907, the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and its associated Additional Protocols, and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Under Mr. Putin’s command, the Russian military have committed numerous violations of these regulations, conventions, protocols, and statutes. In particular, we draw your attention to violations of Geneva Conventions that specifically require:
- respect for “hospital and safety zones and localities so organized as to protect from the effects of war, wounded, sick and aged persons, children under fifteen, expectant mothers and mothers of children under seven.”
- respect for neutralized zones
- protection of civilian hospitals
- that “Persons regularly and solely engaged in the operation and administration of civilian hospitals, including the personnel engaged in the search for, removal and transporting of and caring for wounded and sick civilians, the infirm and maternity cases, shall be respected and protected.
- that “Convoys of vehicles or hospital trains on land or specially provided vessels on sea, conveying wounded and sick civilians, the infirm and maternity cases, shall be respected and protected in the same manner as the hospitals provided for…”
Moreover, we express our outrage at the multiple violations of virtually every regulation under Article 51 of the Additional Protocol of the Geneva Conventions on the Protection of the Civilian Population. These have been made visible to the public through multinational war correspondents. The Hague and Geneva Law identify many of these violations as war crimes, e.g., the illegal use of thermobaric blast weapons against civilians and civilian sites.
We call upon the United States and the UN and its member nations to investigate, document, retain evidence, and try Mr. Putin for the commission of war crimes, genocide, crimes of aggression, and crimes against humanity, consistent with the evidence that is obtained, including but not limited to:
- Intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population as such or against individual civilians not taking direct part in hostilities;
- Intentionally directing attacks against civilian objects, that is, objects which are not military objectives;
- Intentionally launching an attack in the knowledge that such attack will cause incidental loss of life or injury to civilians or damage to civilian objects or widespread, long-term and severe damage to the natural environment which would be clearly excessive in relation to the concrete and direct overall military advantage anticipated;
- Attacking or bombarding, by whatever means, towns, villages, dwellings or buildings which are undefended and which are not military objectives;
- Making improper use of a flag of truce, of the flag or of the military insignia and uniform of the enemy
- Intentionally directing attacks against buildings dedicated to religion, education, art, science or charitable purposes, historic monuments, hospitals and places where the sick and wounded are collected, provided they are not military objectives;
- Pillaging a town or place, even when taken by assault;
- Employing weapons, projectiles and material and methods of warfare which are of a nature to cause superfluous injury or unnecessary suffering or which are inherently indiscriminate in violation of the international law of armed conflict. (From: Article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court)
While sanctions do not stop material aggression, harm, and damage to life, infrastructure, and environment, we call upon the United States and the UN and its member nations to place, consistently tighten, and maintain sanctions against Mr. Putin and his government so that he is economically and forcibly constrained in his action.
Mr. Putin has waged an unprovoked and unjustified war on a sovereign, democratic nation and has indicated his intent to carry through to the end his invasion until he achieves the full surrender, submission, and subjugation of the Ukrainian people. He has thus indicated that he will not negotiate withdrawal, rendering diplomatic solutions null. He has also indicated that sanctions will not affect his plans for Ukraine. Past statements have indicated his general contempt for Ukrainians and that Ukraine has no right to exist as a country. His invasion and wanton killing in Ukraine are genocidal. And, there is no indication that he will stop with Ukraine, following as it does his military actions in Syria, Chechnya, Georgia, Crimea—including the razing of Grozny.
We call upon the United States and the UN and its member nations, to intervene with increased humanitarian aid both, for the Ukrainian nation and its refugees, and to increase aid to refugee-receiving nations and conflict adjacent nations.
In addition to increased governmental aid, we ask that a central website be established for Americans (and in other nations) with links to authenticated governmental or non-governmental organizations, where donations can be specified for and directed toward aid to Ukrainians and/or Ukraine resistance and Ukrainian refugees.
We call upon the United States and the UN and its member nations, to markedly increase aid to the Ukrainian citizenry to increase their capacity for resistance to Russian invasion.
We support increasing the supply of rations/food, protective gear, field first aid and medical supplies, communications equipment, and those supplies necessary to support the resistance of the Ukrainian people. In addition, we also support the provision of arms, weapons, munitions, armored vehicles, armored fighting vehicles, planes, surveillance equipment, drones, classified surveillance information, cybersecurity expertise, and more.
We call upon the United States and the UN and its member nations, to provide for the medical and nursing needs of the Ukrainian populace, and nurses (and physicians) giving care under wartime conditions.
This war follows upon the heels of the Covid pandemic which had already strained medical and nursing resources in Ukraine. We ask our nation and the UN and its member nations to increase its provision of medical and nursing resources including but not limited to clothing, birthing kits, hygiene kits; cleaning, disinfecting, and sterilizing supplies and equipment; medical and surgical supplies and instruments; head lamps; tourniquets, bandages, and wound care kits; nutrition support for infants, children, and adults; blankets, towels, diapers, isolettes, bassinets, medications, antibiotics, and infusions; disposable scrubs; ambulances, and stretchers. In addition, nurses and physicians are living in hospitals in Ukraine and need personal support with food, warm clothing, ground cold-barrier foam for sleeping, blankets, clothing, and personal care items.
We call upon the United States and the UN and its member nations, to provide the necessities and comforts for the particularly vulnerable in Ukrainian society.
Many of the women, children and elderly persons have had to take cover in underground stations, basements, subway tunnels, and bunkers. We ask that our nation coordinate with NGOs and the International Red Cross to increase the donation of such things as clothing, shoes/boots and socks, blankets, ground-insulating foam rolls, food; child education and amusement kits and comfort toys; hygiene kits; feminine hygiene supplies, reading materials, communications tools; candles and flashlights and batteries, head lamps; supportive religious items; warm clothing, and other necessities.
We call upon the United States and the UN and its member nations to create collaborative and coordinated structures that can support the work of volunteer nurses and midwives who enter conflict zones to ameliorate the excess demands that fall upon the nursing and midwifery work of nationals in conflict zones.
The world is never free of war. War places even greater demands upon both military and civilian nurses and midwives. We call for the creation of an international structure and system of coordination and support for nurse and midwife volunteers who are willing to serve in conflict zones. The remarkable Médecins Sans Frontières, is a model that could be extended to an international cooperative and collaborative system of organizations and agencies, that are materially supplied by their nations of origin or international donations.
We are, collectively, horrified both at the invasion and the conduct of this war. As Mr. Putin appears to accept no diplomatic solution other than utter surrender and accession of the Ukrainian nation and its people into Russia, we ask our nation, and the UN and its member states, to do all in their power to force an end to this war, to maintain the sovereignty of the Ukrainian nation and its populace, to aid the Ukrainian resistance, to bring aid to the people of Ukraine and its refugees, to aid refugee–receiving nations, and to harden other nations against Russian expansionism, invasion and cyberattack.
In affirmation of the dignity of human life; the value of health, well-being, respect, and freedom; the hallowed nature of the natural environment, and our commitment to justice and peace as nurses and bioethicists, we humbly submit these requests and urge stringent intervention to halt this unjustified war, to punish war crimes, and to restore Ukraine and the Ukrainian people to sovereign status.
Sincerely,
NurseManifest 