Legislative report

Tennessee Nurse, Spring, 2008 by Meredith Sullivan

The Tennessee Nurses Association has worked diligently this session to advance the practice of nursing and improve health care in Tennessee. Session highlights this year include a public policy forum sponsored by the University of Memphis on the nursing shortage in Tennessee, testimony in the Senate General Welfare Committee about physician supervision and walk-in clinics, and Governor Phil Bredesen funding the Graduate Nursing Loan Forgiveness program in the proposed budget. At this point, TNA leadership has met with most members of the General Assembly to discuss these and other issues of importance to nurses across the state.

This year's legislative goals include the following:

1. Amend the statute to allow advance practice nurses to own an LLC with a physician

2. Pass a joint resolution creating a legislative committee to study nursing faculty salaries

3. Acquire funding for the Graduate Nursing Loan Forgiveness program

4. Expand scholarship opportunities for nurses, particularly if they commit to serve in rural areas or have an associate's degree and seek a bachelor's degree

5. Increase the ratio of school nurses to students.

We need your help to ensure TNA's success in accomplishing these objectives. The relationships you have with your own state representative and senator are crucial. We will call upon you through Legislative Alerts to contact your respective legislators when their support is needed to pass or defeat a bill. If your legislator knows who you are prior to this call, it maximizes our ability to fulfill TNA's mission. Please take the time to meet with your legislator in your district to guarantee they know you when you call and request their support of TNA. To find contact information for your legislator, please visit www.legislature.state.tn.us and select Members under either Senate or House. The legislative website also allows you to watch committee meetings, email legislators directly and track the status of legislation.

Each week, TNA distributes a written summary of major happenings on the Hill during the week and the bills calendars for the upcoming week. A list of all active bills and their status is provided. Additionally, Legislative Alerts will be sent to all TNA members to rally support for or against bills of significance to the TNA membership.

Please mark your calendar now for the TNA Legislative Summit and "Nurses Day on the Hill" scheduled for Wednesday, April 2, at the War Memorial Auditorium. For more information on this event, contact TNA at tna@tnaonline.org.

I look forward to meeting you then and continuing to work on your behalf. If you have any questions or concerns, then please feel free to contact me.

by Meredith Sullivan, TNA Lobbyist