National Nurse

Graduate Students At Wilmington University Study Office of the National Nurse Initiative

2009-11-02T02:57:00.000-08:00

University of Wilmington MSN Nursing Students

Graduate and undergraduate nursing students from around the nation continue to enthusiastically study and support the Office of the National Nurse. Cathy Petrucci, a graduate nursing student attending Wilmington University (Delaware), presented a five-minute "infomercial" about the Office of the National Nurse proposal to her Politics and Policy class. She shared the National Nurse web site and blog, and also browsed through the links. Cathy stated there was very positive reception overall. Here are the conclusions that she wrote:

Recommendation and Summary

"Disease prevention and health promotion must be the priority for every healthcare provider. A National Nurse is the ideal person to lead this initiative since these two principles are fundamental to the profession of nursing. The Office of the National Nurse would be a unifying force for all nurses, elevate our influence and prominence, better utilize the expertise of nurses, and serve a vital function in our current climate of healthcare reform. The title of National Nurse would “provide the authority, impetus, and recognition needed to capture the public’s attention, encourage prevention, and raise awareness of a national push for health promotion efforts (Mills et al., 2008).

The impetus of this grass-roots movement is just what nurses need to unify around our core values. This is an unprecedented movement and clearly has captured the attention of America’s nurses. The collective voices of nurses are calling for change, and there is nothing but good to be attained by this initiative."

Reference:
Mills, T., Scanlon, K., & Sullivan, S. (2008). Nurses and the public say it is time for a change. Topics in Advanced Practice Nursing, 9(1).

Cathy Petrucci, RN, BSN, OCN
Current MSN student at Wilmington University, Wilmington, DE

Halloween Haunted Hospital Teaches Kids Importance of Prevention

2009-10-26T03:54:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, October 31st, the Portland Community College Chapter of the National Student Nurses Association will be transforming the Nursing skills lab into a frightful Haunted Hospital on Halloween! The cost is $4 per child.

The purpose of the Haunted Hospital is a community outreach project aimed at teaching kids about the importance of practicing safety and developing healthy habits to prevent accidents and disease and to promote health.

Come out and begin your Halloween celebration by visiting this fun and spooky hospital.

Trick or Treat bags, donated by the Northwest Health Foundation, will be given to the first 400 visitors! Bring a can or box of non-perishable food for a $1.00 discount on admission. The food will be donated to the Oregon Food Bank to help combat hunger this winter for needy Oregonians

The event serves to help raise money for the PCC SNA chapter by providing the necessary funds and resources to continue community outreach efforts of that students participate and organize all year long.

It has been found that Americans rank prevention as their most important health priority and overwhelming support increasing funding for prevention programs to reduce disease and keep people healthy. The PCC NSNA Chapter believes that nurses should be at the forefront of that movement and when student nurses are out promoting health in the community they become a part of that exciting change!

For more information email teri@nationalnurse.info

Americans Called to Serve

2009-10-21T05:25:00.000-07:00

Last week President Barack Obama joined former President George H. W. Bush on stage at Texas A & M University to celebrate volunteerism and civic involvement. Now the AARP is helping to reinforce this message.

AARP announced that beginning this week TV audiences will see Prime Time Television programs encouraging community volunteerism. More than 100 popular TV shows representing several major networks will participate in this strong television promotion October 19th through October 25th. Well known celebrities will provide public service announcements and many television program scripts will also incorporate the idea of giving back.

AARP states, "Viewers will be encouraged to find volunteer opportunities in their communities at the Entertainment Industry Foundation's iParticipate website as well as the website for Create the Good, AARP's community service program that is cross-promoting with iParticipate.

AARP has more than 9 million volunteers, donors and activists, age 50 and older, involved in community service. The joint promotion is a way for the two organizations to pursue a common goal-showing Americans how easy it is to make a difference."

This public emphasis on volunteerism will serve to encourage nurses (active, retired, and those in student programs) to consider volunteer activity. Strengthening volunteerism is a major goal for creating the Office of the National Nurse. A National Nurse could offer guidance for effective nurse involvement at many levels to replicate successful prevention programs and address health disparities.

Hitting the Road in Las Vegas for an Office of the National Nurse

2009-10-19T00:40:00.000-07:00

Pictured left to right: Gina Rybolt RN (http://www.codeblog.com/), Kim McCallister RN (http://www.emergiblog.com/), and Terri Polick RN (http://www.nurseratchedsplace.com/)

Vice President Terri Polick of the National Nursing Network Organization sent in this report from Blog World Expo 09 that took place last week in Las Vegas, Nevada. Johnson and Johnson and Medpages sponsored the medblogger track at the conference where bloggers from around the world gathered to talk about the hot topics that are currently being discussed in the medical blogosphere. The establishment of the Office of the National Nurse was one of those hot topics, and Terri reported she was able to communicate the important role blogs have played in spreading the word about the Office of the National Nurse initiative.

The title of Terri's panel discussion was “Blogging for Change.” During the discussion moderator Dr. Val Jones from Get Better Health, asked each panelist to share a post from their own personal blog that they were most proud of. Terri told the audience that her favorite post, hands down, was her interview with Dr. Howard Dean. Terri went on to say that Governor Dean strongly supports the establishment of the Office of the National Nurse. Dr. Dean understands that a National Nurse is an important step in helping to keep our nation well by promoting wellness and prevention.

Blogs continue to be an important tool for any grassroots organization. The campaign for an Office of the National Nurse is no exception.

A National Health Care Advocate for All Americans

2009-10-12T00:55:00.000-07:00

Every day nurses play essential roles in the lives of their patients. One of our most important roles is as teachers. We give people the tools to make healthy decisions. Yet, the benefits of preventative medicine and education have been largely ignored over the past years, and the support nurses and patients need to properly carry out prevention has not been there. We need a National Nurse to be a national advocate for our patients and for nurses so that we can help develop a healthier America. A National Nurse would provide valuable insight that comes from men and women who are at the beside more often than any other health care provider, people who hear patient needs on a daily basis. Statistics show that prevention is key in health promotion.

A recent study of obesity in America titled F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America 2009 shows that “[e]xperts estimate that more than a quarter of America’s health care costs are related to obesity.” and “[t]hat an investment of just $10 per person per year in proven community-based disease prevention programs could save the country more than $16 billion annually within five years. This is a return of $5.60 for every $1.” In the next few years, patient care will need to become more prevention based than treatment based if we are to meet our Healthy People 2010 and 2020 goals. A National Nurse will be essential to successful health care reform in America that truly benefits all by making healthier Americans and decreasing health care costs. A National Nurse would be a national health care advocate for all Americans.

Submitted by Beth Ann Nyssen RN, BSN
Portland, Oregon

MammaCare Says Yes to Office of the National Nurse

2009-10-05T03:55:00.000-07:00

Thank you to the MammaCare Organization for their recent endorsement of the Office of the National Nurse initiative. One of our dedicated supporters, Cathy Coleman RN, BSN became the very first MammaCare trained nurse in the country in 1980. The MammaCare Organization recommendations remain the most published and best practice standard for manual breast examination.

September 14, 2009

Dear Teri,

There is convincing evidence that American health-care reform can be dramatically advanced by deploying our greatest and most trusted national health resource, America's nurses. No other Western nation has the magnitude of skilled health-care professionals ready to serve its needs. No other Western nation needs a trusted, national public heath resource more than we do.

Establishing the Office of the National Nurse would be a brilliant and practical first step in publicly acknowledging America’s nurses as the nation's most dedicated and available health-care resource. This act would give life, substance, and a trusted human face to our emergent national health-care system. If affirmed, the Office of the National Nurse will organize, enlist, and assure the deployment of nurses to serve the US health needs that have languished for generations.

Our work at MammaCare provides a compelling example of the commitment by corps of nurses with little regard for gain or profit. As you know, the National Cancer Institute supported the development of MammaCare, the quality-standard program for medical practitioners to learn proficient, evidence based breast examination. Nurses represent, by far, the greatest number of participants in this rigorous, life saving program with little or no compensation. As a result each day literally thousands of US women receive proficient clinical breast examinations (CBE's) performed by trained hands belonging to RN's.

The reason I feel compelled to write this letter is our constant observation of the high standards nurses hold for clinical performance and patient care irrespective of personal gain. It would be fortunate to now recognize and enlist this superior and benevolent public health resource in a central role of American health-care reform.

M.K. Goldstein, Ph.D.
Chairman and Senior Scientist
MammaCare Organization

Why Doesn't the U.S. Have an Office of the National Nurse?

2009-09-28T00:57:00.000-07:00

Why Doesn't the U.S. Have an Office of the National Nurse? asks American Journal of Nursing editor in chief emeritus Diana Mason in a recent article she posted at AJN Off the Charts?.

Mason describes the scene, a public hearing hosted by the Institute of Medicine Initiative on the Future of Nursing. Leading off the session were two nurses, Ann Keen, Member of Parliament and Parliamentary Undersecretary for Health Services, who chairs the British commission; and Jane Salvage, the lead secretariat for the commission and a former contributing editor for AJN. While being interviewed by Mason, Keen and Salvage, both said they didn’t understand why American nurses were not supporting the call for a CNO for the United States. They went on to express support for elevating a nurse to be on par with the Office of the Surgeon General.

Mason concludes, "Our colleagues across the pond are convinced that it makes a difference to have a national CNO who is visible, proactive, collaborative, and savvy. Keen urged nurses to “have courage and take your agenda forward.” While our current priorities should probably be ensuring that Congress passes health care reform legislation this year and that any legislation includes enabling language to improve access to advanced practice nurses, we’ll soon need to focus on how to transform the care we provide to emphasize health promotion and care coordination. Let’s do it with courage and include the notion of a national chief nurse."

Susan Sullivan, NNNO Board Member, left this comment: "The grassroots group of nurses that has been working for over 3 years to establish an Office of the National Nurse in the US remains focused and determined. They continue to be optimistic because support for having a National Nurse is overwhelming when the vision is shared with nursing organizations across all areas of practice.

Opposition arose based on misinformation on the role and details of the proposal. The excellent work done by ANA and other professional nursing organizations will be supported and enhanced by having a National Nurse. Surely support for enhancing nursing’s role in improving the nation’s health would not be adversarial to any group familiar with the issues of nursing advocacy. Nurses, unite, and support having a National Nurse, because both the nursing profession and the nation will benefit."

H1N1 Flu Pandemic Illustrates Need for Office of the National Nurse

2009-09-21T00:27:00.000-07:00

Continued cutbacks in school nurses raises concerns for H1N1 response. With the threat of H1N1 flu facing schools this fall, the role of school nurses will be pivotal as communities gear up to respond to H1N1. Yet few states or school districts meet the CDC recommended ratio of having one school nurse for every 750 students, and each school nurse often must serve several schools. The National Association of School Nurses found from its own 2007 survey that the ratio was much higher; 1,151 students per nurse.

USA Today recently highlighted the plight of America's school nurse in their report, School Nurses In Short Supply. The article acknowledges that when swine flu appears in schools, it is likely that the school nurse will discover it. Yet nationwide, only an estimated 45% of public schools have a full-time nurse on staff. If public schools who have a part-time nurse are added in, this figure jumps to 75%. Still this leaves 25% of schools with no nurse at all.

The actual impact H1N1 will have on school children is yet to be determined. School nurses anticipate being needed to coordinate screening, plan for mass immunizations, and teach prevention including proper handwashing and cough etiquette.

The pending H1N1 scenario presents a good example of how having a National Nurse would benefit our nation. A National Nurse could provide focused guidance and attention on this crisis; engaging nurses able to volunteer to partner and offer assistance to their local schools, and encourage nurses to participate in immunization clinics as these become available in their own communities.

President Obama Values Nurses Role in Healthcare Debate

2009-09-14T01:01:00.000-07:00

Kudos to the American Nurses Association for applauding and supporting President Barack Obama's commitment to ensuring that all Americans have access to quality, affordable health care. In his focused comments to nurses made the day after his historical speech last week to Congress regarding health care reform, President Obama alluded to how nurses can help in reaching healthcare reform. Speaking at a press conference accompanied by nurses and the leadership of the American Nurses Association, President Obama said "because nurses touch many lives” and “people trust you” we can continue to do our jobs and use nursing’s credibility to cut through the public confusion and falsehoods regarding “some government takeover of healthcare.”

The President asked that nurses help clarify proposed changes and explain why "now is the time to act." He confirmed that "saving money now spent on things that don’t improve quality, will allow spending more on things that do improve quality, for example like paying nursing instructors more money to train more nurses that we need.”

These statements by President Obama recognizing the credibility of nurses, also seem to strengthen the premise that trusted, knowledgeable nurses could be very effective change agents for furthering prevention efforts in our nation. Thus, as we tackle how to reform healthcare for the future, the goal of having a National Nurse to spearhead prevention efforts by nurses continues to make sense. The time for change is here and that includes implementation of the Office of the National Nurse initiative.

Nurses: Largest Sector of the Healthcare Workforce

2009-09-07T02:11:00.000-07:00

Pictured left to right: AFT National President Randi Weingarten and NNNO President Teri Mills MS, RN, CNE

National Nursing Network Organization's President Teri Mills had an opportunity to speak directly with AFT National President Randi Weingarten during AFT's Back To School Tour '09 last week when Weingarten visited the campus of Portland Community College. AFT represents 1.4 million members of which 40,000 are nurses. Weingarten expressed great appreciation for what nurses contribute each and every day to keeping our nation healthy. Nurses represent the largest sector of the healthcare workforce and have played an integral role in healthcare reform activism this past year.

AFT National endorsed the Office of the National Nurse initiative when a resolution passed UNANIMOUSLY out of their national convention in August, 2006. The resolution urges Congress to enact legislation to create the Office of the National Nurse. Covering the AFT Back to School Tour 09 Blog, Annette Licitra writes:

AFT Portland Community College members never do two things: They never let up and they never give up. Take these three examples on display during the AFT Back-to-School Tour '09:

Nurse educators Linda Eby, Maurge Dulaney and Teri Mills are bound and determined to get more, more, more for aspiring nurses: more access to nurse education, more instructors and more seats in classrooms. Forget limitations—these resolute AFT members have visions and plans for partnerships with other institutions, growth in their program that trains nursing and medical assistants to become registered nurses, and expanded clinical opportunities. They think big and they'll win big.

Mills (and AFT Member and NNNO Secretary Alisa Schneider MSN, RN) are helping the union pursue the Office of the National Nurse akin to the Office of the Surgeon General. Her idea has won our members' endorsement as an AFT resolution, and she'll win over Washington, too.

Weingarten and Mills share a lighter moment during the tour of Portland Community College Nursing Simulation Lab

NAHN's Commitment to Hispanic Nurses and Community

2009-08-31T07:10:00.000-07:00

Pictured left to right: Maria Elena Ruiz PhD, RN, FNP-BC (NAHN OR Chapter President) and Angie Millan MSN, RN (President Elect NAHN National Organization 2010-2012)

Last week, the Oregon chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses was pleased to have Angie Millan MSN, RN (President Elect NAHN National Organization 2010-2012 and current President, NAHN-Los Angeles Chapter) as an honored guest at their monthly meeting. OR Chapter President Maria Elena Ruiz PhD, RN, FNP-BC began with an inspiring presentation, "Listening to the Voices of Latino Nurses in Oregon: Findings from the Leadership Development Workshops-Latino Nurses in Oregon Speak Out". It was clear from Dr. Ruiz's findings that Oregon Latino nurses are committed to uniting and providing the necessary support, role modeling, and mentoring necessary to empower each other, in addition to lending a voice for Latino issues.

A good portion of the meeting was spent on discussion of health promotion events geared toward the Latino population in Oregon and Los Angeles, CA. Ms. Millan shared that the upcoming annual nursing conference planned in LA would include speakers from the March of Dimes to help educate nurses about what services are available that would be beneficial to children and families they are caring for. The IX Annual Bi-national Health Week taking place October 2-15, 2009, a large scale multi-national health campaign targeted at the Latino community to promote physical activity and healthy eating habits, was also discussed. The goal is to bring awareness and focus to some of the most critical health issues and health disparities that have a significant impact on this under-served group.

The National Association of Hispanic Nurses endorsed the Office of the National Nurse initiative earlier this year. The Board of Directors of the National Nursing Network Organization is honored to have their support. Here is a statement from the letter received from President Norma Martinez Rogers Rogers PhD, RN, FAAN, "The National Nurse would provide a visible nurse leader to advocate for enhanced prevention efforts for all communities. Further, we recognize the potential of having a National Nurse who would be able to meet with health care leaders to highlight health disparities and bring forward new ideas."

Questions About the Vision for an Office of the National Nurse

2009-08-24T01:47:00.000-07:00

The National Nursing Network Organization would like to answer some questions we have heard in regards to the Office of the National Nurse initiative . Please also visit our Frequently Asked Questions for more information about the proposal.

How would having a National Nurse actually help nurses become volunteers for prevention in their own communities?

This is a very important question, because engaging trusted healthcare providers will help shift our nation to initiate and value prevention. The answers may lie in the value of having a highly visible and trusted public figure leading prevention, a National Nurse, who will publicly encourage, acknowledge and reward volunteer contributions. The National Nurse will not only guide prevention and suggest focus campaigns, but will evaluate outcomes and publicly recognize successful programs and deserving volunteers.

We know shortages already exist in many health occupations, so is it realistic to think there will be a pool of volunteers?

Each healthcare provider will determine if, how and when they are able to participate. Nurses, no matter how busy, are nurturing altruistic persons. Nurses often step up to the plate when needed, as evidenced in disasters. Continued invitations from the Office of the National Nurse to seek nurse volunteers will result in more engagement for prevention. Also, the National Nurse will encourage the involvement of recent retirees and students, which will boost the potential pool of volunteer manpower in every community. Students will benefit from varied opportunities for learning, observations and hands-on experiences during community outreach efforts. Retirees can make significant contributions and will be able to remain professionally active, utilize their vast knowledge of resources, and receive continuing education to maintain active licensure. In some community prevention programs, modest stipends might be provided through grant funding to participating providers.

What kinds of activities will a National Nurse encourage volunteers to do?

Nurses and other providers can contribute to their community prevention programs in many ways. Often they can join existing networks to strengthen effective programs specifically targeted to at-risk populations. They can strengthen education and outreach of established national associations such as the American Red Cross or the American Heart and Diabetes Associations. Some may prefer to work directly where needed with the local schools and colleges attended by their children. Others may become active volunteers for their health department or a Medical Reserve Corps unit. Others may choose to become politically active at the policy level to improve health and environmental conditions in their community. Others may serve on the Board of a local community based organization, or participate in organizing screening programs or community health fair events. As the Office of the National Nurse accumulates data on best practices, the information will be relayed to encourage replication of effective programs.

U Penn Graduate Students Advocate for An Office of the National Nurse

2009-08-17T01:49:00.000-07:00

Pictured left to right: Grace Paik BSN, RN; Melissa Moore BSN, RN; and Timothy Sowicz BSN, RN

U Penn graduate nursing students Melissa Moore BSN, RN; Grace Paik BSN, RN, and Timothy Sowicz BSN, RN chose to complete a poster presentation on the Office of the National Nurse initiative for their health policy project. In addition, Moore, Paik and Sowicz also wrote an op/ed, "Can One Nurse Empower a Profession"; they contacted their state legislators; and they attended a Lobby Day meeting with representatives from the PA Coalition of Nurse Practitioners and the PA State Nurses Association. The PA Coalition of Nurse Practitioners endorsed the Office of the National Nurse initiative earlier this summer.

Timothy Sowicz shares, "This year long legislative project that my classmates and I worked on to promote the Office of the National Nurse has given me insight into the need for the shift that must occur in our health care system: Disease prevention and health promotion must be the priority for every provider! A National Nurse is the ideal person to lead this initiative since these two principles are fundamental to the profession of nursing."

These students join their peers from universities and colleges around the country who have studied the ONN initiative. This list includes but is not limited to UC Irvine, University of Michigan, University of San Francisco, Concordia University (Portland, OR), George Mason University, Portland Community College, Molloy College (NY), Mt Wachusett Community College (Gardiner, MA), CA State University Long Beach (CA), and OR Health Sciences University.

Heart Smart In the Park

2009-08-10T03:31:00.000-07:00

Last week the Portland Community College chapter of the National Student Nurses Association, demonstrating their dedication and support for an Office of the National Nurse, led a healthy heart promotion activity with 23 elementary school children ranging from 5-9 years old who were attending a summer camp in a local park. The students chose the heart to focus on because starting healthy habits during childhood can help to prevent heart disease as an adult.

The students chose three activities to get their teaching points across:

1. A demonstration of the HEART pumping BLOOD to the LUNGS to pick up OXYGEN to be delivered to the body. The students drew large pictures on poster board or cardboard of the HEART, BLOOD CELL, LUNGS, O2, and then had the children act out those: the "blood cell" walked from the "heart" to the "lungs" and picked up an "O2" who then delivered the "O2" to the body and go back to the "heart".

2. Circulation demonstration: Here the kids identified what activities make the heart pump stronger (i.e. playing XBOX or riding a bike...etc.). The children were taught how to take their pulse, then the students had them get up and dance with the assistance of music through a PA system. They took their pulse immediately after this activity and reported what happened to their pulse! The student nurses then demonstrated how a blood pressure is taken.

3. The third booth helped the kids to identify foods that are Heart Smart: Here a discussion took place on how/why some foods are bad for heart and some foods are good. Then the kids played a "What's better game....."
A. French Fries? or B. Apples?
Pictures of foods were held up and the kids shouted out which one is better. Every child who participated received a copy of this handout along with a goodie bag that included age appropriate materials from the American Heart Association.

Governor Howard Dean Supports Proposal for a National Nurse

2009-08-03T05:39:00.000-07:00

Few can rival Governor Howard Dean (VT) when it comes to achieving meaningful health reform. During his tenure as Governor of Vermont, he oversaw the expansion of Dr. Dynasaur, a program in Vermont that makes universal health care available for children and pregnant women in the state. The program resulted in the uninsured rate in Vermont dropping to 9.6%, half the national average and helped reduce rates of child abuse and teen pregnancy by 50%.

Since his return to the private sector, Governor Dean has remained committed to establishing quality, affordable and accessible health care for all Americans. Governor Dean has authored a book, Howard Dean’s Prescription for Real Healthcare Reform. Dean states, “America must shift from an illness-based healthcare system to a wellness-based model. We must develop a healthcare system that is based on wellness and prevention rather than illness intervention.” These statements are in synch with the Office of the National Nurse initiative.

The Vice-President of the National Nursing Network Organization, Terri Polick RN, interviewed Governor Dean last week.

Ms. Polick:
Preventive healthcare is a key component in the healthcare reform debate. What are your thoughts on a proposal that would make the Chief Nurse Officer of the United States Public Health Service the National Nurse? In your opinion, would establishing the Office of the National Nurse have any impact on health promotion or on healthcare reform?

Governor Howard Dean:
“As a lot of people know, I am a huge supporter of the Office of the National Nurse, and since Congress has been slow to act, I am hoping some changes can be made directly by HHS while we await more complete action by Congress.”

Governor Dean joins over 75 prominent national and state organizations and leaders who have endorsed the Office of the National Nurse initiative and we thank him for his support.

Congratulations Dr. Regina Benjamin

2009-07-27T05:03:00.000-07:00

Important news! President Obama has nominated Regina Benjamin, MD to be our nation's next Surgeon General. Her acceptance comments indicate a strong personal commitment to enhance prevention to improve health outcomes.
Benjamin said the position would be more than just a job.

"My father died with diabetes and hypertension. My older brother died at age 44 of HIV-related illness. My mother died of lung cancer because as a young girl she wanted to smoke, just like her twin brother could. My family's not here with me today, at least not in person, because of preventable diseases. While I can't change my family's past, I can be a voice in the movement to improve our nation's health care and our nation's health for the future."

These personal experiences yield an attitude strongly supportive of prevention. If approved, her agenda as Surgeon General will likely be very aligned with those who support creating a National Nurse to help drive prevention efforts.

Dr. Benjamin graduated from Xavier University, Morehouse School of Medicine and the University of Alabama School of Medicine, and her medical training was paid for by the National Health Service Corps, a federal program in which medical students promise to work in areas with few doctors in exchange for free tuition. She has received numerous awards and recognition for her outstanding career and untiring efforts to provide care in her home community of Bayou la Batre, Alabama (a small shrimping village along the gulf coast). Dr. Benjamin converted her medical office into a small rural health clinic there dedicated to serving the large indigent population in her community.

Her extraordinary dedication and self-sacrifice have already won Dr. Benjamin national recognition. In 1995, she became the first African-American woman, and the first person under 40, to be elected to the American Medical Association (AMA) Board of Trustees. Dr. Benjamin also serves on the Board of Physicians for Human Rights.

Dr. Benjamin is a 1998 Mandela Award Winner, a former Kellogg National Fellow, has been featured as ABC Television's Person of the Week, and in 1996 was chosen by CBS This Morning as Woman of the Year.

The Board of Directors of the National Nursing Network Organization wishes the very best to Dr. Benjamin during her Senate confirmation hearings, scheduled later this year.

NNNO Sends Letter to Congressman Waxman

2009-07-20T02:25:00.000-07:00

Health care reform remains this summer's hot topic in Congress and throughout the nation. Below is the letter that the NNNO wrote to Congressman Henry Waxman, Chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee in support of the Division C (public health) provisions.

July 9, 2009

Dear Congressman Waxman and Distinguished Members of the Energy and Commerce Committee,

The Board of Directors of the National Nursing Network Organization proudly stands with you in your recognition of the integral role prevention has within our public health system. We agree with many who have testified and written letters affirming that our healthcare system has failed to provide Americans, beginning with school age children, messages of prevention aimed at keeping them well.

In addition to providing the necessary funding to replicate successful programs of prevention, we urge you to closely examine the Office of the National Nurse initiative.

The National Nursing Network Organization proposes there be an Office of the National Nurse (ONN) established with a highly visible national nurse spokesperson to encourage prevention efforts by communities, families and individuals. The ONN would serve to mobilize interested nurses, students and retirees to become activists for prevention and health promotion in their local communities. It is proposed that the United States Congress enact legislation to initially create an ONN by designating the existing Chief Nurse Officer (CNO) of the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) to serve in this unique nursing leadership role. This would avoid unnecessary cost and duplication of services (Mills & Schneider, 2009).

Nurses, as both providers and consumers, see all too often how our healthcare system is faltering with increasing epidemics of chronic preventable diseases. Poor health literacy and continuing health disparities will be better addressed with a shift to focus on prevention in our communities. Eighteen other countries do better than the US at reducing preventable deaths (Dunham, 2008) and the US ranks 29th among all industrialized countries in infant mortality (Harris, 2008). Every year 1.3 trillion dollars is spent on managing the impact of the 7 most common chronic diseases, most are preventable (DeVol, 2007).

These figures speak volumes about our healthcare system, a system that is based on sick care not health care. A philosophical and cultural shift to focus on wellness at the national level and reinforced by nurses in every community would go a long way in promoting health, reducing costs and saving lives. Growing epidemics of obesity and diabetes resulting from dietary intake and sedentary lifestyles can be curbed only with a concentrated effort, inspired nationally and implemented locally.

The intent of creating an ONN is to have nurses, under the leadership of a National Nurse within the USPHS, support health promotion and deliver interventions to prevent illness in their own communities. By delivering broad-based, educationally sound messages on the national level and then reinforcing them in local communities, improvements in health literacy and the ability to reach across a broad and diverse population will be realized. Such health enhancing actions would be accomplished through involvement to strengthen existing service delivery such as the Office of the Surgeon General, the Medical Reserve Corps, the American Red Cross and others.

Nurses are well positioned to initiate this much needed shift in that they are 2.9 million strong, traditionally serve as advocates for those in need and are highly trusted by the public. They are the largest segment of the healthcare workforce, span all cultures, are present in all communities, and are skilled at assessment, education and implementation of evidence based interventions. Add to this number the thousands of student nurses in all levels of nursing programs and hundreds of active retired nurses who maintain licensure, and there is a huge resource pool from which to draw volunteers and contributors for community health promotion.

With guidance from the ONN, sanctioned by Congress to spearhead prevention, available nurses would be encouraged to participate with existing health organizations (American Heart Association, Diabetes Association, Cancer Society, MRCs) local schools, and community organizations with programs that can add a focus on delivering health promotion information. Nurse volunteers would engage community partners to introduce, emphasize and reinforce prevention concepts and establish best practices to change behaviors. Some key focus areas would include exercise, better nutrition, tobacco cessation, and mental health issues. The goal is to create a culture of prevention to improve health outcomes through national social marketing and local activism. Nursing efforts can promote both healthier behaviors and environments at both the systems level and the community level, as well as with families and individuals.

In a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation September 2007 newsletter, Dr. Susan Hassmiller, Senior Program Officer, states, "Nurses have a pivotal role in promoting preventive care since they spend more time with patients than any other health care professional. By educating and counseling patients about the importance of simple preventive measures, nurses can have a significant impact on improving health and extending lives. The health care system needs to empower and encourage nurses for them to be effectively engaged in this role." This statement represents the foundation of the proposal for an Office of the National Nurse.

Nurses realize our healthcare system is in serious trouble and needs revision. Dozens of nursing organizations recognize the strong merit in the vision of a National Nurse to shift us to prevention and have endorsed this proposal. Nurses know preventive medicine is better than reactive medicine. In addition, the Office of the National Nurse would enhance recruitment and integrate Nursing’s Agenda for the Future (American Nurses Foundation, 2002) that called for an improvement of the image and value of the nursing profession. The activities of the ONN will help fulfill this objective by portraying leadership for this key role in nursing, and allowing youth to view both hospital and community nursing as a nationally respected and valued careers.

We appreciate and support your endeavors to include prevention and wellness funding in health care reform legislation that will ultimately save lives and alleviate unnecessary suffering.

Respectfully,

Teri Mills, RN, MS, CNE
President, National Nursing Network Organization
teri@nationalnurse.info
Office of the National Nurse

Terri Polick, RN
Vice-President, National Nursing Network Organization
magiccarpet54@mac.com

Alisa Schneider, RN, MSN
Secretary, National Nursing Network Organization
alisa.schneider@gmail.com

Susan Sullivan, RN, PHN, MSN
Board Member, National Nursing Network Organization
susanSPHN@aol.com

References:

American Nurses Foundation. Nursings Agenda for the Future. (2002). Washington D.C.

DeVol, R., et. al (2007) An unhealthy America: The economic burden of chronic disease-charting a new course to save lives and increase productivity and Economic growth. Retrieved June 1, 2009 from http://www.milkeninstitute.org/publications/publications.taf?function=detail&ID=38801020&cat=ResRep

Dunham, W. (2008). France best, U.S. worst in preventable death ranking. Reuters. Retrieved June 1, 2009 from http://http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN07651650

Harris, G. (2008). Infant deaths drop in U.S., but rates still high. The New York Times. Retrieved June 16, 2009 from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/16/health/16infant.html?_r=1

Mills, T., & Schneider, A. (2009). The office of the national nurse. Journal of nursing law, 13, (1), 13-18.

Join the National Nurse Campaign On Facebook

2009-07-13T05:27:00.000-07:00

The National Nurse Campaign is now available to Facebook users. If you belong to Facebook, one of the most frequently used social network in the world, we encourage you to join us. Participants are able to connect and interact with other members, and this is a powerful tool for any political campaign.

Our growing group already has hundreds of supporters from 33 states (Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin), the District of Columbia, as well as three additional countries (British Columbia, Ireland, and Japan).

If you are already a Facebook member, please consider adding the National Nurse Campaign to your Wall and asking your friends to join. Be sure to refer them to the National Nurse home page so they can read first hand information about the Office of the National Nurse initiative.

F Is For Fat

2009-07-06T00:43:00.000-07:00

Once again, there is ominous news that underscores the need for a National Nurse to lead prevention efforts. Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) have released the sixth annual edition of the report, F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies Are Failing in America 2009. The report contains rankings of state obesity rates, reviews federal and state government policies aimed at reducing or preventing obesity, and provides recommendations for addressing obesity within health reform.

Basically, the report finds that in the past year adult obesity rates increased in 23 states while no state saw a decrease. In addition, the percentage of obese and overweight children is at or above 30 percent in 30 states. These statistics definitely present more rationale for establishing a National Nurse to lead prevention. This is because nurses incorporate interventions geared towards wellness into their plan of care and have proven siuccess in delivering health promotion every single day. The trust Americans have in nurses will also be useful as our nation tries to develop strategies to combat this costly epidemic.

“Reversing the childhood obesity epidemic is a critical ingredient for delivering a healthier population and making health reform work,” said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A., RWJF president and CEO. “If we can prevent the current generation of young people from developing the serious and costly chronic conditions related to obesity, we can not only improve health and quality of life, but we can also save billions of dollars and make our health care systems more efficient and sustainable.”

Key recommendations in the report for addressing obesity within health reform are closely aligned with the concept of National Nurse activities for prevention and include:

*Ensuring every adult and child has access to coverage for preventive medical services, including nutrition and obesity counseling and screening for obesity-related diseases, such as type 2 diabetes;

*Increasing the number of programs available in communities, schools, and childcare settings that help make nutritious foods more affordable and accessible and provide safe and healthy places for people to engage in physical activity; and

*Reducing Medicare expenditures by promoting proven programs that improve nutrition and increase physical activity among adults ages 55 to 64.

With leadership provided by an Office of the National Nurse, many nurses, including students and retirees, will advocate locally for such programs and services. Many will volunteer to assist with screening and counseling for improved nutrition, or advocate for safer environments to increase physical activity, and support delivery of evidence based interventions in their local communities. Nurses are already positioned in every community and can begin efforts to address the continuing needs.

“Our health care costs have grown along with our waistlines,” said Jeff Levi, Ph.D.,executive director of TFAH. “The obesity epidemic is a big contributor to the skyrocketing health care costs in the United States. How are we going to compete with the rest of the world if our economy and workforce are weighed down by bad health?” Surely having a National Nurse for prevention is a good start and should be a key part of any national strategy.

Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners Endorses Office of the National Nurse

2009-06-29T02:52:00.000-07:00

Thank you to the Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners for their recent endorsement for the Office of the National Nurse initiative.

June 4, 2009

RE: Office of the National Nurse (ONN) Endorsement

Dear Ms. Mills,

The Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners (PCNP) is pleased to support your efforts and endorse the Office of National Nurse. PCNP represents the interest of over 6,800 nurse practitioners (NP) throughout Pennsylvania. Our organization is committed to improving access to care and removing barriers to practice for advance practice nurses. The NP profession takes pride in its expertise and focus in the areas of health promotion and disease prevention, By directing our legislative initiatives on issues that advance the cause of safe, quality patient care, we strongly believe our contributions will have a positive impact on the health and wellness of our state and country. We believe and strive to support that our health care system should serve everyone and utilize nurses to the full extent of their education and clinical expertise.

PCNP supports the concept of creating an Office of the National Nurse and feels this position will further support the mission of PCNP. We believe that elevating the Chief Nurse Officer of the U.S. Public Health Service to full-time status and renaming this position as the National Nurse is a way to promote the visibility of nurses in the national health care debate and give nurses another voice at the federal policy table.

Thank you for all of your efforts and we wish you continued success with your initiative.

Sincerely,

Patricia Schwabenbauer, MSN, CRNP
PCNP President

Susan Schrand, MSN, CRNP
Executive Director

United State of Nursing

2009-06-22T09:22:00.000-07:00

Thank you to ADVANCE reporter Shelby Evans for her accurate synopsis of the Office of the National Nurse initiative. Evans' article the "United State of Nursing" describes the vision for a National Nurse in these paragraphs:

"The mission for the proposed office is to establish symbolic national leadership by elevating the current USPHS post (Chief Nurse Officer) to a level of high visibility to the nursing profession and the public, to complement the work of the U.S. Surgeon General, to promote involvement in the MRC to improve the health and safety of the community, and to incorporate proven evidence-based public health education in implementing prevention strategies.

The importance of the prestige implicit in the concept of a national nurse is part of the reason the campaign seeks to grow the office from the current USPHS chief nursing officer role. The position already is aligned to work directly with the office of the Surgeon General and is reputable among public health nursing leadership."

To read the story in its entirety click here.

Journal of Nursing Law Publishes ONN Manuscript

2009-06-16T02:03:00.000-07:00

Volume 13, Number 1, 2009 of Journal of Nursing Law includes a manuscript, "The Office of the National Nurse", written by NNNO President Teri Mills MS, RN, CNE and Secretary Alisa Schneider MSN, RN. An abstract is now available on line accompanied by instructions on how to order the full text electronic version.

Editor in Chief Suzanne Edgett Collins, RN, MPH, JD, PhD and Assistant Editor Diane Kjervik, JD, MSN, RN, FAAN eloquently write in their editorial, "Mills and Schneider, as founders of the movement to establish an Office of the National Nurse, address the challenging crises that our national health system faces and promote the establishment of the an Office of the National Nurse. They argue that the Office of the National Nurse is a fundamental, necessary change in the traditional thinking about professional nursing's role in health promotion and disease prevention on a national level."

Collins, C. & Kjervik, D. (2009). In a time of challenge and change, nurse attorneys provide leadership (Part II). Journal of Nursing Law. Volume 13, (1), pp 3.

New Poll Finds Disease Prevention is Top Priority for Americans in Health Reform

2009-06-08T13:40:00.000-07:00

The following press release provides more evidence as to why we need an Office of the National Nurse. The public supports prevention and is willing to pay for it.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 8, 2009

New Poll Finds Disease Prevention is Top Priority for Americans in Health Reform

Media Contacts: Liz Richardson 202-223-9870 x 21 or lrichardson@tfah.org or Laura Segal 202-223-9870 x 27 or lsegal@tfah.org

Washington, D. C. – Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) released a new public opinion survey today which finds that Americans rank prevention as the most important health care reform priority, and overwhelmingly support increasing funding for prevention programs to reduce disease and keep people healthy.

In the poll, conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research and Public Opinion Strategies, 70 percent of Americans ranked investing in prevention between an eight and 10 on a scale of zero to ten, where zero means not at all an important health care priority and 10 means very important. Forty-six percent rated prevention as a 10 out of 10. Overall, prevention was rated higher than all other proposals, including providing tax credits to small businesses and prohibiting health insurers from denying coverage based on health status.

“This survey underscores what I have been saying from the outset: If we pass comprehensive health reform that extends coverage but does nothing to reform our broken system by emphasizing prevention and public health, then we will have failed. And we do not intend to fail,” said Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA). “We know that prevention and wellness efforts are a key to reducing costs within a reformed health care system. And they will be a centerpiece of the reform effort underway on Capitol Hill.”

“This report shows that the American people believe prevention and wellness are the cornerstones of a high performing health care system. And they’re right,” said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont). “Today, we spend nearly $800 billion on health problems that are directly linked to lifestyle and poor health habits each year—about one third of our total health care spending. Simply put, that’s too much. Reforming our system to focus on prevention will drive down costs and produce better health outcomes. That’s why it is so important that we pass comprehensive health care reform this year.”

“This poll gives hard evidence that Americans know what works and are ready for government to invest in their health,” said Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR). “They’re looking to government to reform the system so that everyone is covered, and prevention and wellness come first. I agree with the majority of Americans that these are cost-effective solutions that will improve quality of life, prevent disease, and most important save lives.”

“For too long, health care has focused on treating people after they become sick instead of trying to help them stay healthy in the first place,” said Jeff Levi, PhD, Executive Director of TFAH. “This poll shows the American public strongly believes it’s time we shift from a sick care system to a true health care system that stresses disease prevention.”

“Our country will never contain health care costs until we place a higher priority on public health and prevention programs, said Congresswoman Kay Granger (R-TX), Co-Chair of the Congressional Study Group on Public Health. “An investment of just $10 per person per year in proven community-based programs could save this country more than $16 billion annually within five years. And, this new poll shows that a majority of Americans not only recognize the importance of prevention, but support spending a greater percentage of our health care dollars on prevention rather than on treating people after they become sick.”

“Any health reform effort must make a serious commitment to prevention and wellness. Not only does the science say we need to target disease before it strikes, but the American people are saying it too – loud and clear,” said Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Health Care Task Force. “Prevention is America’s top health reform priority because it will not only lower disease rates across the population, eliminate health disparities and better ensure equality, it also saves us precious health care dollars as we prevent disease and not just treat it.”

More than three-quarters of Americans (76 percent) support increasing funding for prevention programs that provide people with information and resources and creating policies that help people make healthier choices. Investing in prevention is popular across the political spectrum, with 86 percent of Democrats, 71 percent of Republicans, and 70 percent of Independents supporting investing more in prevention.

“This poll shows that Americans from coast to coast and across the political spectrum are overwhelmingly in favor of investing in disease prevention,” said Al Quinlan, President of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research. “More than three-quarters of Americans believe the country should invest more in keeping people healthier, and by a nearly four-to-one ratio, they support putting more emphasis on preventing disease rather than treating people after they become sick.”

“We know that strategic investments in disease prevention programs in communities can result in a big payoff in a short time -- reducing health care costs, increasing the productivity of the nation’s workforce, and helping people lead healthier lives,” said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A. president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

While Americans believe that prevention will save money (77 percent agree with the statement that “prevention will save us money”), they strongly support prevention regardless of its impact on costs. Rather, they point clearly to keeping people healthy as the best reason to invest in prevention, with 72 percent agreeing with the statement that “investing in prevention is worth it even if it doesn’t save us money, because it will prevent disease and save lives.” Additionally, 57 percent agree more with the statement “we should invest in prevention to keep people healthier and improve quality of life” than the statement “we should invest in prevention to lower health care costs” (21 percent).

“We gave Americans a list of proposals being considered to reform health care, and investing in prevention trumped them all,” said Bill McInturff, Partner and Co-Founder of Public Opinion Strategies. “It’s clear that Americans see the value of prevention for reducing disease, improving quality of life, and lowering health care costs.”

“Spiraling health care costs and poor outcomes will only get worse in the absence of employer action and intervention,” said Robert J. Gould, Ph.D., president for Partnership for Prevention. “Through Partnership for Prevention’s Leading by Example initiative, we’re seeing a growing number of corporations support healthy behaviors through worksite-based programs. One of our members – Dow Chemical Co. – reports that its workplace wellness program saved the company more than 9,000 absentee days last year and contributed value equal to seven cents per share of company stock. Smart businesses pay for prevention, because prevention pays.”

Americans believe the nation needs to put more emphasis on prevention (59 percent) rather than thinking there needs to be more emphasis on treatment (15 percent), by nearly a four to one ratio. This represents a significant shift toward prevention over the last two decades -- in 1987, only 45 thought there should be greater emphasis on prevention.

The poll, which reflects the responses from 1,014 registered voters, was conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research and Public Opinion Strategies from May 7 to 12, 2009, and is available at http://healthyamericans.org. The margin of error was +/- 3.1 percent.

Trust for America’s Health is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority. http://healthyamericans.org.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation’s largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. For more than 35 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. Helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need—the Foundation expects to make a difference in our lifetime. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org.

Attention Graduate and Undergraduate Nursing Students and Faculty of SON

2009-06-07T04:05:00.000-07:00

Pictured is the front and back page of a tri-fold brochure. You are welcome to make copies to distribute to others.

The National Nursing Network Organization continues to hear from graduate and undergraduate nursing students who are studying the ONN initiative and wish to obtain more information. We have recently had conversations by phone, email, and through Facebook with students attending George Washington University, George Mason University, University of Pennsylvania, and UC Irvine. Nurse educators and students from coast to coast believe that the ONN initiative is proactive, timely, sensible, and cost effective with benefits that could be far reaching for the nation.

Many are requesting that we explore the possibility of putting on a teleconference during the summer and/or fall that students and others could participate in without having the expense or burden of travel.

We have discussed this with those who work in the ITV at Portland Community College and they are enthusiastic about providing this opportunity. ITV is a state of the art educational videoconferencing system integrating several technologies and using equipment that is easy to operate.

• Turning on the system simply requires use of a remote control unit to activate a projector. The host has constant, live, visuals of every site.
• Pushing a button activates microphones in front of the participants. Participants at the sites see the presenter, other participants, electronic notes, graphics, videos, and other selected images on a large screen.

Alisa and Teri presented to nursing students from Santa Barbara City College (CA), Mt. Wachusett Community College (MA), and Portland Community College (OR) two years ago and this was very well received.

Please teri@nationalnurse.info if you are interested in participating in an ITV teleconference about the ONN initiative and we will put plans into motion to make this happen.

To Better Inform You-The Office of the National Nurse Initiative

2009-05-29T11:59:00.000-07:00

The NNNO Board of Directors has recently heard from many nurses and interested stake holders who are just learning about the Office of the National Nurse Initiative. We encourage everyone to read the article, Nurses and The Public Say It's Time for Change that was published in Medscape Nurses last July. There is also a Frequently Asked Question link on our Home Page.

Here is a brief explanation of the Office of the National Nurse Initiative:

The National Nursing Network Organization (NNNO) recognizes the current window of opportunity to strengthen the delivery of prevention education and highlight the nurse's role in our healthcare system. We are excited to hear leaders of the Public Health and Prevention subgroups for healthcare reform share this vision. The NNNO proposal for an Office of the National Nurse brings nurses to the forefront as the deliverers of the message of prevention to every American.

In a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation September 2007 newsletter, Susan B. Hassmiller, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, Senior Program Officer, states, “ Nurses have a pivotal role to play in promoting preventive care since they spend more time with patients than any other health care professional. By educating and counseling patients about the importance of simple preventive measures, nurses can have a significant impact on improving health and extending lives. The health care system needs to empower and encourage nurses for them to be effectively engaged in this role.”

 The ONN initiative is focused on strengthening the work of existing groups such as the Office of the Surgeon General, the American Public Health Association, Medical Reserve Corps and community agencies through a more robust and modernized nursing leadership presence. Nurses are well positioned to provide this much needed change as they are 2.9 million strong, the most trusted of all health professionals, span all cultures, and are accomplished health educators.

The tenets of the National Nurse proposal are as follows:  

1. The Office, led by the National Nurse, is a federal position within an established health care agency. We are recommending that the Chief Nurse Officer of the USPHS head the Office of the National Nurse, as this is a position that currently exists and is funded, but needs to be modernized with job responsibilities shifted to primarily focus on the national and local delivery of wellness, health promotion, and illness prevention education to all Americans.

2. Enhanced community systems utilizing nurses and other healthcare providers as volunteer educators. Volunteers mobilized under the guidance of the USPHS through existing systems such as the Medical Reserve Corps would focus on delivering health promotion information in their communities. Education activities would focus on strengthening current successful practices with the goal of improving health outcomes by teaching and promoting healthier living. These efforts would also seek to reduce health disparities, which is consistent with the Surgeon General's priorities and Healthy People 2020 goals.

The original legislation to establish the National Nurse that was introduced by Rep. Lois Capps (CA-23) in the 109th Congress amassed the bi-partisan support of 42 co-sponsors. The complete list of endorsers with a link to HR 4903, the National Nurse Act of 2006, can be found at http://nationalnurse.blogspot.com. Revised future legislation will ask that Congress elevate the CNO position to full time and bestow the title National Nurse to provide the necessary visibility, prominence and legitimate power to focus the country's attention on prevention.

Supporters are committed to having an Office of the National Nurse to meet the following goals:

• Establish national leadership for prevention by elevating and strengthening the Chief Nurse Officer of the USPHS to make this existing position more visible to the nursing profession and the public.
• Enhance the collaborative relationship with the U.S. Surgeon General's office.
• Promote nurse involvement in the Medical Reserve Corps to improve the public health and safety of the community.
• Strengthen the use of evidence-based successful prevention strategies at the community level.
• Become a prominent recognized national symbol of professional nursing to enhance recruitment and support policies that strengthen nursing education and practice.

 
As the National Nursing Network Organization board members continue to connect with different nursing organizations and stakeholders, they receive positive feedback from those who are just now learning about this grassroots nursing effort to promote prevention in healthcare. Many state and national organizations have already endorsed this proposal and it has been written about in numerous publications and presented at several state and national conferences/conventions.

Visit http://nationalnurse.org/endorsements.shtml for endorsing organizations. Resolutions urging Congress to enact legislation for an Office of the National Nurse have unanimously passed in the New York State Assembly and the Massachusetts, Oregon, and Vermont State Legislatures.

To learn more and to receive newsletter updates about this exciting grassroots nursing movement, please email teri@nationalnurse.info