Nursing roots and activism---educators fail the grade

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Politics, Policy and Nursing

http://www.pghhospitalnews.com/030302Politics.htm

[sjoe]

"If all nurses stand together for what is important to us, we will have a loud voice and will be heard. If not, we are saying that we are willing to let others make decisions and policies that govern our work as nurses and our everyday life as health care consumers."

That about sums it up.

However nurse educators, both in nursing schools and healthcare facilities, see themselves as beholden to hospitals and facilities which provide clinical placements and often funding for scholarships, etc. In order not to offend these institutions by sending them "activist" nurses as employees (who are likely to "stir the pot") and thereby risking negative feedback from hospitals, etc., nursing students and nurses are short-changed in the areas pointed out in the article.

Unfortunately, nurses' subsequent organizational education then comes from groups that might be excessively negative toward these institutions, and are often poorly-equipped to evaluate them, such as some unions, internet chat rooms/BBs, or informal kvetch sessions.

In the short term, the institutions get what they want--compliant employees--but in the long term, everyone loses.

[jnette, ASN, EMT-I]

True sjoe... but if we all continue to EXPECT everyone else to do something and do nothing ourselves, things will never change.

I've often wondered what would happen if EVERY nurse did just ONE thing ...( just ONE, now!)...that she/he expected others to do in terms of activism, speaking up/speaking out, ...how much things could change.

If ya don't use it, ya lose it.

[pickledpepperRN]

Just a few ideas

For Arizona nurses:

http://cna.igc.org/saznc/

For all caregivers who are not RNs:

http://www.cheu.org/

For al patient activists:

http://www.geocities.com/dansegypsy/health.htm

Enviormentally responsible healthcare:

http://www.noharm.org/

For California RNs:

http://cna.igc.org/cna101/nursingpractice.htm

http://www.calnurse.org/

For RNs:

http://www.calnurse.org/cna/calnurseapril02/raded.html

http://216.239.53.100/custom?q=cache:ijV01wr8pM0C:www.calnurse.org/cna/pdf/nejms53102.pdf+AARN&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

[funnygirl_rn]

Originally posted by jnette

True sjoe... but if we all continue to EXPECT everyone else to do something and do nothing ourselves, things will never change.

I've often wondered what would happen if EVERY nurse did just ONE thing ...( just ONE, now!)...that she/he expected others to do in terms of activism, speaking up/speaking out, ...how much things could change.

If ya don't use it, ya lose it.

Gotta agree...but...there will always be others who do not speak up...or wish to remain somewhat subservient or compliant..who won't say or do anything to help our profession. I do what I can with anything that I care about.

[funnygirl_rn]

Originally posted by jnette

True sjoe... but if we all continue to EXPECT everyone else to do something and do nothing ourselves, things will never change.

I've often wondered what would happen if EVERY nurse did just ONE thing ...( just ONE, now!)...that she/he expected others to do in terms of activism, speaking up/speaking out, ...how much things could change.

If ya don't use it, ya lose it.

Gotta agree...but...there will always be others who do not speak up...or wish to remain somewhat subservient or compliant..who won't say or do anything to help our profession. I do what I can with anything that I care about.