The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) is closely following recent changes in federal policy and regulations and monitoring areas that need our advocacy. Based on our analysis, we are prioritizing the changes that will have the most immediate and profound impact on our community of acute, progressive and critical care nurses and the patients and families they care for.
While the situation is dynamic, as policy changes continue to unfold, current concerns include:
- Layoffs across Health and Human Services (HHS) agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which decrease our capacity to help safeguard the nation's health
- Decisions to alter federal agency webpages in response to executive orders and not based on the best available evidence, as such information is foundational to patient care
- Regulatory changes that allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) access to medical facilities, which could negatively impact our nurses’ work environments and disrupt patient care
- Executive orders to end federal resources and influence private sector programs that advance Diversity, Equity and Inclusion/Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEI/DEIA) goals
- Cancellation of meetings and delays in funding and other decisions at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that will stall scientific work that guides patient care
- The Executive Order to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO), which may have a future impact on our nursing community as implementation of this order depends on additional steps
We encourage our community members to seek reliable sources of information about policy and regulatory changes and to avoid amplifying misleading messages. AACN’s values and the Code of Ethics for Nurses compel us to fully understand and anticipate the implications of policy on our practice, patients and work environments and to advocate accordingly.
Please email us at advocacy@aacn.org with your questions or concerns.