FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 6, 2000

CONTACT:
Joan Meehan-Hurwitz, 202-651-7020
Cindy Price, 202-651-7038
www.needlestick.org/
rn=realnews@ana.org
www.nursingworld.org/rnrealnews

Washington, DC -- Leaders of the American Nurses Association (ANA) praised President Clinton and Vice President Gore for their support of groundbreaking legislation that will protect nurses and other health care workers from needlestick injuries. ANA President Mary E. Foley, MS, RN, and Massachusetts Nurses Association President Karen Daley, MPH, RN, who became an outspoken proponent of such legislation after she contracted HIV and hepatitis C from a needlestick, joined President Clinton for the bill signing ceremony in the Oval Office this morning.

The legislation was passed by Congress after a long campaign to educate the public and lawmakers by the ANA and its constituent member associations. Members of the House approved this legislation on Oct. 4 and the Senate passed it on Oct. 26.

The Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act was introduced in the Senate by Sens. James Jeffords (R-VT), Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Michael Enzi (R-WY) and Harry Reid (D-NV) and in the House by Reps. Cass Ballenger (R-NC) and Major Owens (D-NY). This legislation, which drew strong bipartisan support, provides for needlestick protections under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

"Nurses across the nation are rejoicing today," said Foley. "For so long we have advocated for this legislation, knowing the impact it would have on nurses across the country. This legislation will save countless lives."

Registered nurses (RNs) and other health care workers face the risk of needlestick injury every day -- exposing themselves to potentially lethal bloodborne pathogens such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C. To prevent these types of injuries, ANA has been active in advocating for needlestick prevention legislation that will protect health care workers from the approximately 800,000 needlestick injuries that occur in the United States annually.

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The American Nurses Association is the only full-service professional organization representing the nation's 2.6 million Registered Nurses through its 54 constituent associations. ANA advances the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Congress and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.

2000 press releases

Other past press releases: 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996

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