What Is the AACN Advocacy Statement?

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) is the largest specialty nursing organization in the world. The AACN represents more than 500,000 nurses trained to care for critically ill patients. The AACN also works with other organizations to advocate for better health care practices. The AACN's advocacy statement features three major initiatives that focus on ensuring the safety of nurses as well as the patients in their care.

History

• The AACN was established in 1969 to help educate nurses working in newly developed intensive care units. Intensive care units (ICUs) were developed in the 1950s in response to a growing population of serious illness, including heart disease and polio. Following the addition of ICUs, patient survival rates increased dramatically, proving the need for specialty care units. The AACN was founded due to the efforts of nurses with the support of physicians who understood the need for nurses with specialized skills. The AACN advocacy statement was designed to establish a standard by which nurses can lend their voices to promote changes in health care and establish safe practices.

Healthy Environments

• The first initiative in the AACN advocacy statement focuses on healthy work environments. The AACN advocates the link between a healthy work environment and patient safety. According to the American Journal of Critical Care, creating a healthy work environment for nurses is crucial to maintaining an adequate workforce for patient safety. In 2005, the AACN released a landmark publication, specifying standards necessary to establish and maintain healthy work environments. Skilled communication, collaboration, effective decision making, appropriate staffing, recognition and authentic leadership are listed by the AACN as ingredients necessary for a successful work environment and effective nursing practices.

Palliative Care

• Nurses in all practice settings are concerned with providing quality end-of-life care to patients. The AACN supports integrating palliative care into all clinical and educational settings. Patients need adequate care for end-of-life issues, such as pain relief, emotional support and treatment for physical conditions. For many years, nurses have been responsible for dying persons and their families, playing a vital role in providing compassionate, responsible and ethically sound care. The AACN maintains that nurses have invaluable experience and deserve to be a part of legislation governing end-of-life care. The AACN offers free online tutorials on palliative care and has joined national organizations dedicated to improving health practices for dying people and their families.

Staffing

• The third priority identified in the AACN advocacy statement is staffing and workforce development. The AACN advocates that staff levels be dependent on nursing competency and the patient's unique needs. Factors that affect the ability to maintain a safe staff-to-patient ratio are health insurance regulations, aging nurses and nursing shortages. The AACN advocacy statement supports the need for adequate staffing despite the factors impacting patient care today and supports efficient nursing practices that ensure optimal outcomes for nurses, patients and their families.