ANA is disturbed about reports of employers retaliating against nurses and other healthcare workers for raising legitimate concerns about their personal safety while caring for patients with COVID-19. Reports of intimidation, firing, ostracizing, and more are unacceptable.

Institutional support for nurses is a non-negotiable necessity in the workplace. Ongoing, transparent, and effective communication between nurses and employers about nurses’ ability to provide patient care safely is essential. Nurses’ voices must be heard and valued at all levels of a healthcare organization.

ANA has expressed concerns to the U.S. Department of Labor and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). We appreciate OSHA’s efforts to remind employers that retaliation against healthcare workers is illegal. Nurses who are experiencing acts of retaliation from their employer are urged to file a whistleblower complaint online here or call 1-800-321-OSHA. We urge OSHA to act quickly to address whistleblower complaints related to the COVID-19 pandemic.