Ohio Nurses Association

09/29/2025

💙 To every nurse and health professional carrying the weight of the world: you are seen, you are valued, and you are not alone. This work takes a great deal of mental, physical, and emotional effort. It’s okay to feel exhausted. It’s okay to not be okay.

📱 Need support? Call or text 988 to connect with the Su***de & Crisis Lifeline. Free, confidential, 24/7. 🔗Find more help through the AFT Trauma Counseling Programs & Services.https://www.aft.org/benefits/trauma

Let’s keep showing up for one another. Let’s keep fighting for change together. ✊

09/28/2025

📢 ONA represents Insight Hillside’s health professionals, and we are demanding answers. Since July, Insight has offered only vague promises about reopening Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital, leaving staff and the community in the dark. 🏥❓

Rick Lucas, BSN, RN, CCRN, ONA’s President & Executive Director, says while Insight Trumbull’s potential opening brings a glimmer of hope, Insight’s silence on Hillside is unacceptable. Nurses and health professionals, the very people who built Hillside’s reputation for excellent care, must be included in reopening discussions. 💪

It’s time for transparency, respect, and partnership. The future of Hillside depends on it. 💙

WARREN — Pending state approval, Insight Health System said Friday it will reopen its Warren facility. One union official ...

09/27/2025

The Ohio Nurses Association recognizes that the opening of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center's new patient tower is both an exciting expansion for our community and a serious challenge for the nursing workforce. 🏥💙

With hundreds of new patient beds comes a steep increase in the need for nurses and health professionals. This expansion arrives at a time when hospitals across Ohio, including OSUWMC, are already struggling to fill vacancies and retain experienced staff.

✅ The success of this new tower depends on more than recruitment. It requires:
-Retaining experienced nurses
-Valuing frontline voices
-Providing safe staffing to prevent burnout & turnover

ONA is ready to collaborate with OSUWMC leadership to strengthen recruitment and retention efforts. With genuine partnership and open dialogue, we can meet this challenge head-on and ensure the new tower not only expands capacity but also raises the standard of care for every patient. 💪

Ohio State University invests $14 million to nearly double its College of Nursing enrollment over the next decade.

09/26/2025

🍹 Cheers to a great night for the PSNA in Akron! 🎉 These ONA members came together for Nurses Nite Out, sharing laughs, good food, and fellowship. Family and friends joined in too, making it an unforgettable evening of community and connection. 💙

09/26/2025

Big thank you to our newest weekly top engagers! 🎉
You’re the ant’s pants! 🤟💟

Maryann Traverse Molloy, Helen Riley, Elizabeth Milburn, Tammy Robertson

09/26/2025

🛑 Violence has NO place in our hospitals. 🚨
Nurses and health professionals should never have to fear for their safety at work, but too often, they’re threatened, yelled at, spat on, or even physically attacked. 🏥💔

Rick Lucas, BSN, RN, CCRN, ONA’s President & Executive Director, shared that violence is increasing, and many incidents go unreported because staff don’t feel supported. Enough is enough!

Health professionals heal our communities. They deserve safety, respect, and protection, not fear. 💪💙 It’s time for safe staffing, stronger security, and zero tolerance for workplace violence. ✊

Ohio Nurses Association President Rick Lucas explains some of the violent assault issues faced by nurses in hospitals and medical centers.

09/25/2025

Kelli Hykes, ONA's Director of Government Relations and Political Advocacy, testified yesterday before the House Health Committee as an interested party on HB 440.

Nurses are the most trusted professionals for a reason, and strong accountability, including background checks, helps us keep it that way. What matters is making sure policy protects patients without creating unnecessary barriers for nurses committed to safe, high-quality care. 💙

This bill clarifies, at the request of the FBI and Ohio Attorney General, when background checks for nurses must be done and the responsibility of BCI to provide information to the BON.

09/24/2025

🎉 Happy Surgical Technologist Week! 🎉
We’re shining the spotlight 🔦 on some of our incredible surgical technologist members, OSU East Scrubs! 👏💙 Your skill, precision, and dedication keep patients safe and surgeries running smoothly every single day. 🏥 Thank you for all that you do; you truly make a difference! 💪❤️

09/23/2025

📢 Last Wednesday, September 17, more than 500 Ohioans took to the streets and marched to the Ohio Statehouse demanding fair maps and fair elections! 🗳️💪 Democracy works best when every voice is heard and every vote counts. ✊

Fairness at the ballot box and fairness in healthcare go hand in hand. Our healthcare system only works when every patient has access to safe, quality care. That means fair elections AND safe staffing. Nurses and health professionals know: when powerful interests silence our voices, whether at the ballot box or at the bedside, communities suffer.

💥 The fight for fairness isn’t over; together we rise for our democracy and for the care every Ohioan deserves! 🙌

09/22/2025

🍁 Happy First Day of Fall! 🍂 As we welcome crisp air, let’s also embrace a season of change in health care. Just like fall reminds us of balance in nature, nurses are calling for balance in our workplaces: safe staffing levels and an end to workplace violence. 💪 Every nurse deserves to care for patients in a safe, supportive environment. Here’s to a season of strength, unity, and positive change for nurses and our communities. ❤️

09/21/2025

To every health professional, this work takes so much from you mentally, physically, and emotionally. It’s okay to feel exhausted. It’s okay to not be okay. 💙

📱If you need support, call or text 988 to connect with the Su***de & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential, and available 24/7.

🔗You can also find resources through the AFT Trauma Counseling Programs and Services. https://www.aft.org/benefits/trauma

We must build a system that not only asks for your care but also cares for you. Let’s keep showing up for one another. Let’s keep fighting for change, together. ✊

09/20/2025

📢 ONA represents nurses and health professionals at Insight Hillside, and we demand real answers.

Since July, we’ve received only vague promises about Hillside’s future; and the silence is unacceptable. ❌🛑 Our community deserves transparency, and the nurses and health professionals who built Hillside’s reputation deserve a seat at the table.

Insight Trumbull’s potential opening offers a glimmer of hope, but Insight must include front line professionals if they are serious about reopening Hillside.

Together, we can rebuild trust and restore excellent care for the community. 💪❤️

WARREN — Pending state approval, Insight Health System said Friday it will reopen its Warren facility. One union official ...