News on Nursing in the Media
August 2007 -- Recently the University of Michigan Health System has run one-minute radio advertisements featuring men describing why they became nurses at "U of M." The ads seem to be directed at recruiting nurses and nursing students to the school, though they may also be part of the University's massive ongoing capital campaign. We applaud the ads' focus on attracting men to the profession. The "nurses" come off as articulate, substantial people. And nursing is presented as work with real meaning. Sadly, the ads focus on generalized, emotional angel imagery. We hear about the nurses setting up a summer camp for disabled kids, getting smiles and looks of wonder, loving what they do and not looking at it as a "job," "helping" kids fight cancer, "inspir[ing]" and being inspired. These are good things. But nowhere do listeners get a sense of what nurses actually do for patients--that they have advanced training, that they are clinical and research leaders, that they save lives and improve clinical outcomes in a tangible way. The ads may attract nurses to U of M, and they may serve the school's overall campaign strategy. But the "virtue script" message the ads send to the public about nursing is, at best, uninspired. more...
August 15, 2007 -- Today The Gulf News reported that nurses in the United Arab Emirates had "lodged a complaint against two major water companies" after finding contaminants in bottled water. Nasouh Nazzal's "Nurses open water bottle to find cockroach" reports that following the nurses' water safety complaints, government inspectors investigated the companies, found many violations, and imposed fines. We thank The Gulf News for reporting on the UAE nurses' admirable public health advocacy, which shows what nurses can do when they speak out. more...
The Center is happy to speak about how the media affects public understanding of nursing at your conference, graduation, grand rounds, banquet or other event. Please click here for more information.
Have you seen our action page?
Please see the many activities we believe are necessary for nurses to undertake for the nursing shortage to resolve on our action page. Get involved!
Activity at the Center's chapters is starting to heat up. Please get involved with your local chapter--or if there isn't one in your area, let us know if you would like to start one! Contact us to talk about starting a chapter.
Canadian chapters
Ghana chapter
U.S. chapters
Kent (OH)
Lehigh Valley and Allentown (PA)
What do Center for Nursing Advocacy chapters do? We encourage meetings every month or two. At the meetings, members brainstorm and work together to improve media coverage of nursing around the world--but most especially within their home media markets. For instance, members work to get coverage for nursing achievements, events, problems, or issues facing patients or the community. And they discuss giving organized feedback to media entities for nurse-related products they have created. See more on our chapter mission and activities page.
Invest in your future
The Center promotes better understanding of nursing, so nurses can do their work. But just like nurses, we need financial support to do our work. The long-term sustainability of the Center depends on it. If you appreciate our work, would you be able to chip in to help us continue? Our current situation requires that key staff donate many hundreds of hours to the Center every year, at great cost to themselves and their families. Please do your part to help us out. Thank you!
The Center's global media monitoring, analysis and advocacy is a huge challenge. It takes extensive research, writing, communication, and Internet efforts. We must pay for office equipment, supplies, transportation, Internet products, insurance, postage and telephone costs. Our office is donated by our staff. And our staff can undertake only a small part of the work that needs to be done to improve nursing's image.
So we urge you to make a donation to help us continue and expand our work. Just click here to learn about the great gifts you can receive for joining or renewing your Center membership, including our cool t-shirts and the Archie McPhee nurse action figure! It's quick and easy! And because the Center is a 501(c)(3) charity, your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.
Thank you for all of your support over the past year. You are the reason we've had a real impact on public understanding of nursing worldwide. Together, we can strengthen nursing, and give patients the kind of health care they deserve in 2007 and beyond!
Sandy Summers, RN, MSN, MPH
Executive Director
The Truth About Nursing
203 Churchwardens Rd.
Baltimore, Maryland, USA 21212-2937
office 1-410-323-1100
fax 1-410-510-1790
ssummers@truthaboutnursing.org
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Educate the world that nurses save lives!
