The Nurses' Bill Of Rights: Do You Know Your Rights?

Course overview

The American Nurses Association (ANA) held a Nursing Staffing Summit in Washington, D.C., in 2000. In a survey preceding the summit, 75 percent of nurses reported the quality of nursing care at their facilities had declined because of inadequate staffing and decreased nurse satisfaction. Over 200 summit attendees identified the need for a document to detail what nurses need and deserve in order to do the best for their patients. This need served as the impetus for development of the Nurses' Bill of Rights, which was formally approved by the ANA Board of Directors on June 26, 2001. The Nurses' Bill of Rights is a statement of professional rights rather than a legal document. It establishes an informal covenant between nurses and their employing institutions to help guide development of organizational policy and to focus discussions between nurses and employers on issues related to patient care and working conditions. Nurses can advocate more effectively for the rights of patients if they have critical information about their own rights. Not every nurse is familiar with the Nurses' Bill of Rights and this module provides an overview about them.