Categories

• The seven rights are divided into two categories: those that deal with workplace expectations and those that affect work environments.
  
  

Workplace Expectations

• Workplace expectations include the right to fair compensation for work performed, the right to practice in environments that allow nurses to meet professional and legal standards, and the right to negotiate terms of employment (either individually or collectively).
  
  

Work Environments

• Nurses have the right to work environments that are safe, facilitate ethical practice, allow them to practice according to professional and legal standards, and encourage them to speak freely and advocate for their patients.
  
  

Significance

• The Bill of Rights has been used to address issues such as mandatory overtime, unsafe staffing levels, and health/safety issues such as use of needlesticks and latex allergies.
  
  

Benefits

• These professional rights benefit patients by reinforcing the nurse's responsibility to advocate for his patients, make ethical decisions about the care he delivers, and promote patient safety in his workplace.
  
  

Benefits