Last week I sat in on the Education, Healthcare, and Pension Committee on Capitol Hill. One of the panelists, Ms. Turner, an ICU nurse with over 30 years of experience and serves as the president of National Nurses United rose before Congress to deliver an important message that demanded immediate attention. I found myself captivated with what she had to say, explaining that hospital systems routinely understaff wards to save costs, pushing nurses into “dangerously high patient loads” that heighten risks of complications and unfortunately death. She made it clear throughout her testimony that we aren’t simply facing a “nursing shortage,” but a staffing crisis born from choices.
Her testimony captured the entire room, even the senators leaned forward as she spoke. She called for urgent reforms such as ending policies that let employers ignore labor rights, and advocated for passing legislation like the PRO Act to restore real protections for workers. For nurses, the stakes aren’t just safer workplaces where people don’t have to fear coming in everyday, but about the patients lives and the dignity of the people we depend on when we are at our most vulnerable.
While listening I realized how thin the boundary is between care and collapse. The system that forces caregivers to bleed out under pressure cannot hold and needs to be reformed. Strong labor laws are not just policy, they are an integral piece to show that we care for the ones that care for us when we need it.
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