Michael Jackson, a San Diego RN and board member of National Nurses United, the largest U.S. organization of nurses, won unanimous election Wednesday as president of the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN).

Registered nurses will mark International Nurses’ Day with two actions in the District of Columbia aimed at protecting patients and caregivers.

85% of RNs agree that the quality of patient care in Massachusetts hospitals is suffering due to unsafe patient assignments including 61% of RNs who are aware of patient complications and 50% who are aware of patients who have been injured or harmed because hospitals are forcing nurses to care for too many patients at one time.

Leading nurse and healthcare union organizations in 11 countries across the globe are holding coordinated actions during International Nurses’ Week to highlight the global efforts to improve patient care protections, oppose cuts in health care services, and stop the erosion of nurses’ workplace and living standards that are under attack in many countries.

University of Chicago Medical Center registered nurses Tuesday night voted by a strong majority to approve a new four-year agreement with the hospital that they say will strengthen patient care protections at the hospital.

From Eureka in the north west corner of California to Apple Valley in the south, registered nurses who work at St. Joseph Health System hospitals will mark national nurses day May 6 with calls for safer patient care at their hospitals.