Nursing Practice in Our Current Moment & Some Cuts Don’t Heal

This is a two-part, in-person CE Class from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (6 hours of CE credits). If you're a UC nurse, an extra hour will be available from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Participants must be in attendance all day to receive the full 6 CEU CE credits, even if they have taken one of the classes prior to the sign-up date. This continuing education course examines the relationship between federal decision-making and the science-driven practice of nursing. Participants will explore how regulatory agencies, such as the CDC, CMS, OSHA, FDA, and others, provide essential services and uphold science-based standards that guide nursing care and protect patient safety. This course provides foundational context on how regulatory bodies function, why they matter to nursing practice, and how changes within these institutions shape the conditions under which nurses provide patient care. Through case studies and scientific analysis, participants will investigate how efforts to limit, restructure, or override regulatory authority can jeopardize patient safety. Participants will consider how deregulatory agendas can threaten evidence dissemination, public trust, workplace safety, and patient outcomes. This course will examine how nurses can continue to fight for our patients and profession in the wake of recent federal funding cuts to Medicaid and other vital health care and public health programs. We will analyze how these dramatic cuts could accelerate the hospital closure epidemic, significantly increase health care costs, and create further barriers to care. We will investigate how hospitals may respond to these potential changes and how that response could affect patient care. This course will conclude by exploring how nurses can use the tools of public policy and collective action to protect our patients and heal our broken health care system. CE courses are free to National Nurses United members. If you’re interested in organizing a union at your facility, we can help.