The New Jersey State Nurses Association, along with physicians and U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D - NJ), are calling on federal officials to change legislative language related to gun violence research by the CDC, according to a news release.
"One thing we would like to see happen is the removal of language that bans the CDC from doing a study and research on how gun violence is a public health crisis and how it's impacting the healthcare system," Norma Rodgers, BSN, RN, NJSNA president, said in a statement. "As healthcare providers, we need data in order to help the communities we live in. We need that data to put programs in place to make sure people are healing as a whole—it's not only the victim, it's the family and the community they live in."
The Dickey Amendment — part of the Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act of 1997 — is a central issue in funding gun violence research. For the last decade, Congress has attached language to the legislation banning the use of funding to "advocate or promote gun control," according to The Hill. This language, along with cuts to the CDC budget, has essentially prevented the CDC from conducting gun violence research, according to the report.
Judith Schmidt, NJSNA CEO, agrees that it is a language issue, since the nurses are only advocating for a study.
“This is not about gun control at all, this is about research only. In the medical community, we have pieces of data about gun violence; no one has done a comprehensive study on the impact of gun violence on healthcare,” Ms. Schmidt said. “We want the CDC to do the research so healthcare professionals can have data and facts to work with. Part of the mission of the CDC is to do research on healthcare issues that affect communities in the United States. We believe gun violence is one of those issues.”
Ms. Rodgers said a CDC study would pinpoint where the public health issues created by gun violence truly are. According to the union, Rep. Pallone and physicians have joined the NJSNA in its call for the CDC to study gun violence.
NJNSA plans to continue working with the American Nurses Association and other members of the healthcare community to change legislative language on gun violence research.