National Nurse Magazine PPC Column

Group of nurses outside, smiling, holding banner "Our Patients, Our Union, Our Rights"

The Professional Practice Committee column in National Nurse magazine covers all aspects of the PPC, an elected committee of staff nurses with the authority to document unsafe practices and the power to make real changes. The PPC is a key part of contracts negotiated by California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, the largest affiliate of National Nurses United.

The Power of the ADO

Documenting unsafe conditions protects your license and your patients. The Assignment Despite Objection (ADO) is an independent documentation system that the Professional Practice Committee uses to track and document unsafe conditions — everything from short staffing and missed breaks to unsafe floating and more. “You have to fill out the ADO, otherwise patient care is compromised,” says Michelle Kubota, an RN for 25 years at Seton Medical Center in Daly City, Calif.

March 26, 2026

Communicating Wins

It’s important to let members know about PPC wins, but it can be challenging to get the word out. “The most effective way to publicize wins is multiple ways — newsletters, rounding, tabling, WhatsApp, Facebook — all the things,” says Monte Wright, RN at Kaiser San Jose and member of the Professional Practice Committee at his facility. “But no matter which technology you leverage, nothing replaces face-to-face communication.”

January 13, 2026

Knowledge is Power

Rounding is an opportunity to talk to people face-to-face in their unit, distribute information, and organize. Members of the Professional Practice Committee often round on the same day as their monthly meeting. “Information is power. During rounding we can encounter issues in real time,” said Erin Oberson, RN in the labor and delivery unit at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, Maine. “Without rounding, we would not have found out about charge nurses in a few units being asked to do additional documentation about staffing.”

November 3, 2025

Being Visible

Member outreach is a key element of internal organizing, whether nurses have been unionized for a few years or for decades. “Visibility is our tool,” says Kristine Kittleson, RN and member of the Professional Practice Committee at Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin in Austin, Texas. “Texas is a right-to-work state. The union is us. We have to be visible to keep our membership up, to keep up with recruitment.”

July 9, 2025

Building Your Power

Engaging members is the key to a strong PPC. The elected nurse members of the PPC represent every major nursing unit and meet regularly to stay informed about what is happening hospital wide. “Everyone should feel like they have a voice. Once you get members engaged, you can accomplish so much.” says Brenda Langford, RN. A registered nurse for nearly 30 years, Langford is a member of the PPC and the chief nurse representative at Chicago’s John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County.

April 11, 2025

Never Giving Up

Cook County nurses won a months-long battle to get the retention retroactive pay they won in a contract extension. Don’t give up,” said Brenda Langford, RN, PPC member, chief nurse representative at Chicago’s Stroger Hospital, and an NNOC board member. “It does take time to win a campaign, and it can take multiple campaigns to hold management accountable."

December 20, 2024

Winning Big

UCLA’s PPC stopped the practice of doubling patients in single-occupancy rooms. Nurses on the PPC know that speaking up and holding management accountable is what makes change possible. “The PPC makes sure management in the hospital is following policies and practices promised to us,” said Cuadra. “We also help and support nurses if they face any injustices when they stand up for patients.”

September 19, 2024

Where the Action Is

The Professional Practice Committee meeting is where the action is. “It’s where we discuss all issues that affect our ability to provide safe patient care to our patients such as nursing practice, safety, and staffing, among others,” said Dahlia Tayag, RN, PPC member at the University of California, San Diego Medical Center and chief nurse representative at the Hillcrest campus. “It’s where we brainstorm possible solutions and provide recommendations to hospital leadership.”

June 5, 2024

The Heart of the Union

When Mission Hospital nurses in Asheville, N.C. voted to join National Nurses Organizing Committee in September 2020, Kerri Wilson, an RN in the telemetry unit, knew she wanted to be part of the Professional Practice Committee. “When I learned about the different committees under the union, the PPC really stuck out to me as the leading committee to make changes in the hospital,” said Wilson. “Early on, I decided that I wanted to be a part of that.”

March 29, 2024