NNU: What They’ve Been Up to Lately and Should You Join?

We are sure you have all heard of the NNU at some point or another whether it was on a sign at a rally or in the media. But have you taken a look at what they do? Let’s take a deeper dive into what the NNU is, what they have been up to lately, and whether you should join their cause.

About National Nurses United

NNU, if you didn’t know, is the acronym for National Nurses United, the largest union and professional association of registered nurses. They operate with the goal to unify nurses to take action on many campaigns. 

The NNU mission according to their website includes:  

• Advance the interests of direct care nurses and patients across the U.S.
• Organize all direct care RNs “into a single organization capable of exercising influence over the healthcare industry, governments, and employers.”
• Promote effective collective bargaining representation to all NNU affiliates to promote the economic and professional interests of all direct care RNs.
• Expand the voice of direct care RNs and patients in public policy, including the enactment of safe nurse to patient ratios and patient advocacy rights in Congress and every state.
• Win “healthcare justice, accessible, quality healthcare for all, as a human right.”

These campaigns have been their mission since their establishment in 2009. Over the years, they have made a lot of headway. The NNU has brought nurses together, sponsored some great nursing legislation, has contributed to regulatory safety practices for patients and nurses, and more. 

Recent Topics of Concern for National Nurses United

The NNU has continued to be effective throughout the years, with their more recent endeavors including topics such as: 

• COVID 19
• RN to Patient Ratios
• Workplace Violence Protection
• Medicare for All
• Racial Justice
• Environmental Justice

In these topics they have been educating, organizing, supporting legislation, and speaking out making waves in numbers which is why you will often see them in the media.

Current NNU Supported National Legislation

Here are some of the recent legislation that the NNU supports: 

• Protecting the Right to Organize 
• Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Care Act
• The Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (H.R. 1195)
• Medicare for All Act of 2021
• Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity, and Reliability (WATER) Act
• VA Employee Fairness Act
• Tax on Wall Street Speculation Act

Learn more about each of these acts and what they are pushing for by clicking on the links above. 

These are just some of the national legislation measures that the NNU supports. They are also involved in state-level legislation as well such as the California patient ratio laws in which the success was largely attributed to NNU support. 

So, should you join the NNU? 

Joining National Nurses United

You can join National Nurses United regardless if you are retired or still in direct patient care. As a direct-care member, you will work towards common goals with other members, stay up to date with what is happening in the healthcare space, and gain access to their continuing education classes. The annual membership fee is only $50 and you just have to sign up online. The retiree membership is set up a bit differently, but interested parties can find more information and sign up through the website as well. 

As you can see, it’s easy enough to join, but the question of whether you should join specifically is quite dependent on where you stand and what your desires are. If you feel passionate about the causes that the NNU supports and are willing to be active, then joining might be for you. There is power in numbers if you feel deeply about wanting to make a change. However, you should always assess your own thoughts and values before joining any professional organization or union. And as always, do your research!

Are you a part of National Nurses United? What has been your experience? Let’s chat!

References: https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/