Today, Senator Moore and Becker College held a nursing symposium focusing on addressing the nursing workforce shortage through the legislative process. The purpose of the symposium was to provide an opportunity for an open discussion on the range of approaches to addressing the nursing workforce shortage with national speakers and various organizations. 

This year’s symposium featured a keynote address by Senator Moore, a forum discussion featuring representatives of professional nursing associations, nurse educators, practicing nurses and students. Judith Tuori of Becker College, Janet Hale of UMass Graduate School of Nursing, Susan L. Krupnick, president of Massachusetts Association of Registered Nurses (MARN) also participated. In addition, the symposium included a segment that specifically focuses on developing a strategy for action in addressing the nursing shortage. The Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) was invited to participate in the symposium but declined the invitation.

Read the Senator's remarks or view the presentation from this morning. Adobe Acrobat required. Download the free reader

The Massachusetts Nurses Association continues to show a preference for playing politics over having a serious debate about patient care. That's too bad, because the issue of severe shortages in the nursing field needs such a debate – to put it in teen lingo– like, yesterday. 

``Whatever'' seems to be the best response the MNA can come up with, turning to ad hominem attacks against one of the more thoughtful lawmakers on health care issues, Sen. Richard Moore (D-Uxbridge). A political cartoon on the MNA's Web site depicts Moore as a puppet of the hospital industry, a sophomoric attack that's as childish as it is unfair. 

Read the complete editorial here.

Updated 11/08/2005 09:00 AM EDT