Joint Statement--Ebola: Specialty Nursing and Leadership Organizations Commit to Partnership

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American Association of Critical-Care Nurses; American Organization of Nurse Executives; Emergency Nurses Association

Oct 20, 2014, 01:10 ET

ALISO VIEJO, Calif., Oct. 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, the American Organization of Nurse Executives and the Emergency Nurses Association have issued a joint statement about specialty nursing and leadership organization collaboration related to Ebola Virus Disease, on behalf of their 150,000-plus combined nurse members.

Joint Statement—Ebola:
Specialty Nursing and Leadership Organizations Commit to Partnership

Recent events leading to the transmission of the Ebola virus from a patient to two critical care nurses punctuate the importance of the vital partnership that must be diligently fostered between our bedside clinicians, nursing leadership and hospital administrators.

Nurses in our nation's emergency and critical care settings are the front line professionals who provide and coordinate continual care for the sickest patients in our health care system. While the Ebola virus is new to this country, the complications that can be associated with the virus—such as organ failure, shock and sepsis—are frequently managed by our more than 150,000 combined nurse members. This is what our nurses do every day. Their colleagues in nursing administration are stewards entrusted to ensure that hospital resources and systems optimally support the important work of nurses and their multidisciplinary care partners.

To live our value of true partnership, we have called upon the members of our three organizations:

to pledge their commitment to collaborate in identifying resource and system gaps that have potential to harm patients or caregivers;
to work together, with urgency, to put solutions in place that will prevent the spread of this disease; and
to sustain this collaboration to fulfill our promise to patients and their families that they will receive excellent care.

About the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses: Founded in 1969 and based in Aliso Viejo, California, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) is the largest specialty nursing organization in the world. AACN joins together the interests of more than 500,000 acute and critical care nurses and claims more than 235 chapters worldwide. The organization's vision is to create a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and their families in which acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution. For more information, visit the AACN website at www.aacn.org

About the American Organization of Nurse Executives: The American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) is the national professional organization for nurses who design, facilitate and manage care. With more than 8,500 members, AONE is the leading voice of nursing leadership in health care. Since 1967, the organization has provided leadership, professional development, advocacy and research to advance nursing practice and patient care, promote nursing leadership excellence and shape public policy for health care. AONE is a subsidiary of the American Hospital Association (AHA). For more information, visit the AONE website at www.aone.org.

About the Emergency Nurses Association
The Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) is the premier professional nursing association dedicated to defining the future of emergency nursing through advocacy, education, research, innovation, and leadership. Founded in 1970, ENA has proven to be an indispensable resource to the global emergency nursing community. With more than 41,000 members worldwide, ENA advocates for patient safety, develops industry-leading practice standards and guidelines, and guides emergency healthcare public policy. ENA members have expertise in triage, patient care, disaster preparedness, and nearly all aspects of emergency care. Additional information is available at www.ena.org.

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SOURCE American Association of Critical-Care Nurses; American Organization of Nurse Executives; Emergency Nurses Association