Million Nurse March, Thursday, May 12, 2022

Greetings MNA Members,

The entire month of May 2022 has been dedicated to nurses across the country as Nurses Month. During this time the Maryland Nurses Association (MNA) is excited to celebrate the difference that nurses make. All month long you can expect to see events— both big and small— that will shed light on the nursing profession.

On May 12th in Washington, DC, we anticipate that thousands of nurses will join forces to participate in spreading awareness. This event, known as the “Million Nurse March”, aims to highlight the challenges experienced in the nurse’s workforce such as low staffing, workplace violence, and the need for increased wages. While MNA is not directly associated with any planned marches or those that organized them, our members know that MNA always supports nurses, their rights, and those that advocate for them. As the voice of nurses in Maryland, we will always use our voice and our platform to reinforce this support, on this day and every day that follows.

Given the importance of these activities, you will receive related updates as we receive them. Through this communication you can expect that MNA:

1. Acknowledges the marches taking place across the country, including in the capitol, Washington, DC.

2. Understands that the effort of these events are in support of rights and a form of advocacy that directly effects our members.

3. Realizes that these demands are being brought to the doors of congressman as well as state legislators.

4. Validates the ongoing frustrations about safety, pay and workplace environment that are presently affecting the nursing profession.

5. Encourages all nurses to act by joining advocacy teams that support nurses.

As MNA continues to track these important events, we invite our members to do the same. We urge you to continue to emphasize the importance of advocacy to your colleagues and peers in hope that, as a joint force, we can advance the nursing profession and improve the lives of nurses and patients everywhere.

Remember that where the needs of the world and your talents cross, lies your vocation. Thank you for all that you do and continue to do every day. It does not go unnoticed.

Dr. Christie Simon-Waterman

MNA President