Ohio Nurses Association

11/20/2025

See below. 😕

Scammers are spoofing our number! If a call from us doesn't feel right, it probably isn't. Call the OBN and report it! 614-466-3947.

11/20/2025

📣 March on the Boss Day reminds us that speaking up matters.

Today, the OSU anesthesia technicians stood united in calling for incentive pay that reflects the months of their extended workloads, unfilled positions, and unwavering dedication to patient safety.

Our work has never stopped; our voices shouldn’t either.

11/20/2025

🛑 Nurses & Health Professionals Deserve Safety FULL STOP. 🛑

Last night at OSUWMC, nurses, health professionals, and supporters gathered to demand what should never be controversial: a safe workplace.

“We’ve been saying for years that we need additional security support,” said Rick Lucas BSN, RN, CCRN, ONA President & Executive Director. I’ve been fighting this fight with them for near a decade.”

“It’s time for them to take us serious. When we tell you we’re not safe and we need security at the bedside, we need security at the bedside.” 💬🗣️

💙 Thank you to every nurse, health professional, union sibling, and community ally who showed up, stood up, and spoke up. Your voices are powerful. Your safety is non-negotiable.

👥✨ Together, we’re building a future where every health professional can do their job without fear, and every patient receives care in a safe environment.

Ohio State Wexner Medical Center nurses rallied Wednesday for stronger protections after one of their own was attacked on the job earlier this month. https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/ohio-state-university/ohio-state-wexner-nurses-rally-for-stronger-protection-in-the-workplace/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_NBC4

11/20/2025

Nurses, union members, and community supporters gathered outside The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center last night ✊💙, calling for stronger safety measures and real accountability after a recent violent incident involving a nurse.

Nurses shared powerful stories, demanded action from hospital leadership 🚨, and stood united in saying violence is NOT part of the job. Supporters from across the community showed up in solidarity ❤️, making it clear that health professionals deserve safe workplaces, and patients deserve safe hospitals.

Together, we’re raising our voices 📣, standing shoulder to shoulder 🤝, and pushing for meaningful change.

Ohio State University Nurses Organization OSUNO

11/20/2025

🌟 Thank you to everyone who showed up last night for the Nurses & Health Professionals Deserve Safety. Patients Deserve Protection Rally at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center! 🌟 Deep gratitude to Melissa Cropper, Ohio AFL-CIO Ohio Federation of Teachers, for joining us, and a shout-out to the SBWorkersUnited members who came out in force. Your support means everything. 💙✊

Last night, nurses, health professionals, and community allies came together to demand what every worker deserves: safety, respect, and real accountability.

This is what looks like. 💪✨
This is how we protect one another.
This is how we win.

Meanwhile, OSU leadership continues to fail the very people who keep The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center running. 🚫 Their refusal to take meaningful action on workplace violence puts staff and patients at risk, and we will not be silent about it.

Our message is clear OSUWMC:
🔥 Protect your workers. Protect your patients. Do your job. 🔥

Thank you again to everyone who stood with Ohio State University Nurses Organization OSUNO and ONA last night. We keep going. We keep fighting. And we won’t stop until OSU steps up and ensures a safe workplace for all. 🩺❤️✊

11/20/2025

✊ On March on the Boss Day this morning, we advocated for fairness. The OSU anesthesia technicians have taken extra call, covered unposted shifts, supported major transitions, and maintained safe and efficient care, all while waiting months for positions to be filled. It’s time for incentive pay that reflects the work.

11/19/2025

🚨 TONIGHT: Nurses & Health Professionals Deserve Safety. Patients Deserve Protection. 🚨 Tell OSU Leadership NOW: https://ow.ly/TJtY50XumbQ

Violence against health professionals is a healthcare crisis. When trauma is ignored or minimized, it puts patients, staff, and the entire community at risk. It’s time for OSU leadership to take real accountability, strengthen safety measures, and ensure that violence against our care team is never brushed aside again.

Join OSUNO and ONA TONIGHT, November 19, from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Spirit of Women Park on the OSU campus. Speakers begin at 6:30 PM EST. Stand with us. Raise your voice. Demand action.

11/18/2025

We’re proud to announce that ONA has partnered with Moral Injury of Healthcare to help shine a brighter light on moral injury and workplace violence affecting healthcare professionals every day.

Dr. Wendy Dean and Dr. Matt Ramsey, hosts of the 43cc Podcast, speak openly and honestly about these issues, and they want to hear from YOU.

We know that many of you have already reached out to share the weight of what you’ve been experiencing. We see you, and we are committed to helping you share your voice and your story in a safe, supported way.

If you’ve experienced workplace violence and feel ready to share your story, you can record a 60–90 second voice memo here:
👉 https://www.43ccpodcast.com/contact43cc

Not sure how to begin? Try starting with one of these prompts (identify your role, NOT your name or institution):
• What happened, and where were you?
• How did you feel in the moment?
• Did you have support afterward?
• How did you feel six months later?
• What was it like to return to work?
• If you pursued legal action, what was that like?
• How often have you witnessed these incidents in your career?
• How has it impacted your career?
• Why do people outside healthcare need to know this is happening?

Your voice matters. Your story matters. And together, we can make real change.

11/18/2025

The Ohio Nurses Association is applauding the introduction of two major bills, HB 521 and HB 535, aimed at tackling Ohio’s hospital staffing crisis.

“These bills represent the answer to the question we hear every day from Ohio nurses, Ohio health professionals, patients, and families: What can be done about chronic understaffing in hospitals?” ~ Rick Lucas, BSN, RN, CCRN, President & Executive Director

HB 521 sets statewide nurse-to-patient ratios, protects whistleblowers, and invests in the future of nursing through a new loan-to-grant program.

“This is about saving access to care in rural Ohio.” ~ Rick Lucas

HB 535 strengthens staffing committees by ensuring that direct-care nurses make up over half of each committee, giving frontline nurses real decision-making power.

“This bill gives nurses a real seat at the table, not as advisors, but as partners in making patient safety decisions.” ~ Rick Lucas

📢 Together, these bills represent a comprehensive, bipartisan effort to fight burnout, improve patient safety, and ensure quality care across Ohio.

Ohio's hospital staffing crisis is being tackled head-on with two new bipartisan bills, aiming to set safer nurse-to-patient ratios and give nurses a stronger voice in staffing decisions. According to

11/17/2025

🏥🚨 Cincinnati may start charging nursing homes for non-emergency lift assists — and we all know why.

This is what happens when profit-driven administrators deliberately understaff their facilities and leave residents without the care they deserve.

Call it what it is:
⛔️ A failure of administrators who put profits over people.
⛔️ A failure of staffing driven by corporate greed.
⛔️ A failure of basic harm prevention because leadership refuses to invest in safe care.

If nursing homes had real, enforceable safe staffing standards, residents wouldn’t be left waiting for firefighters to do the work that on-site staff should be available to handle. This isn’t a one-off problem — it’s another 🚩 red flag that the system is breaking because leadership won’t take responsibility.

And while these greedy executives skate by without consequences, frontline healthcare workers are the ones being indicted, blamed, and criminalized for systemic failures they didn’t create.

Residents deserve better. Care teams deserve better. And it’s long past time to hold the people making the decisions — not the people doing the work — accountable.

Cincinnati firefighters respond to approximately 1,600 'lift assist' calls annually, costing taxpayers at least $1 million per year for what city officials call routine, non-emergency situations.

11/17/2025

🎉🌍 Happy International Students’ Day! 🎓
💡 This is the PERFECT day to apply for a 2025 Ohio Nurses Foundation Scholarship!
⏰ Deadline: January 15, 2026

Today, we celebrate students’ talent and determination, especially Ohio’s future nurses who are shaping tomorrow’s healthcare. 🙌 Every year, ONF supports nurses and nursing students who are driving the future of healthcare forward. 🩺💫

If you’re a nursing student or a dedicated nurse pursuing your educational goals, now is the time to take the next step. 📚💙

🔗 Explore all scholarships & applications: https://ow.ly/orcN50XmMSj
🎖️ Scholarship recipients will be honored at the Nurses Choice Awards this spring! 🌸👏

11/16/2025

In healthcare, you give so much of yourself. You show up through long hours, emotional moments, and the weight that isn’t always visible to others. Stress, exhaustion, and burnout are real challenges, but you don’t have to face them alone. 💞

🫂 Let’s lift each other up.
A quick message, a genuine check-in, or a simple “I’m here for you” can mean more than we realize.

📱 If you need someone to talk to:
Call or text 988 to reach the Su***de & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7, free, and confidential.

🔗 Looking for more support?
The AFT Trauma Counseling Programs & Services can help: aft.org/benefits/

💖 Your well-being matters.
Caring for yourself is just as important as caring for others.