HCR: Been There, Done That

By Maureen ‘Shawn’ Kennedy, AJN editor in chief

I was doing some research in the AJN archives and came across an editorial written in November 1993 by Virginia Trotter Betts, then-president of the American Nurses Association. “The Best Buy in Health Care” (click through to the PDF option; article will be free until July 18) reads like it was written with the Institute of Medicine’s Future of Nursing report in mind. Here’s an excerpt for those who don’t have access to the AJN archives (a shameless plug: subscribers have full access to ALL the issues of AJN, back to the very first issue in 1900—a treasure trove of nursing history):

“But we must also face the fact that such reform will require significant changes in nursing. Nurses will have to operate with greater autonomy and deliver care to a broader clientele. To foster enhanced roles for nurses as case managers and team leaders, nursing administrators must alert the work environment to offer a continuum of care on site and off site. Nurse educators will need to offer innovative programs, curricula, and clinical placements that prepare nurses for careers characterized by critical thinking and maximum flexibility. Nurse researchers will need to add more health care system, economic and policy studies to their repertoire.”

And another:

“Nurses want to do more in a reformed system to facilitate access at a reasonable cost.  We want to do what we are educated to do – provide […]

2016-11-21T13:14:18-05:00January 18th, 2011|career, health care policy, nursing perspective|0 Comments
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Placenta Facebook Photos: Nurse and Mommy Tribes See Student Expulsion Differently

Will patients trust that when they are anesthetized they will be treated respectfully? Will hospitals and other clinical agencies be less inclined to host students for fear of litigation over privacy? I imagine at the very least, all nursing schools are now quickly developing social media policies. The American Medical Association has one and the American Nurses Association is, I’m told, developing one.

2016-11-21T13:14:21-05:00January 12th, 2011|career, Ethics, healthcare social media, nursing perspective, students|14 Comments
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An NP Prepares: Calling All Nurse Mentors

Well, I’m here to tell you, from the evidence gathered in my own laborious, and mostly fruitless, job search, that archaic ideas about the ease of finding a position as a nurse are dead wrong.... A seasoned professional or trusted peer is crucial in providing helpful advice, guidance, and inspiration.

2016-11-21T13:14:23-05:00January 7th, 2011|career, students|4 Comments
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Career Change in 2011? Ask the God of Gates, Doors, and Beginnings

Bust of the god Janus, Vatican museum, Rome

By Peggy McDaniel, BSN, RN, infusion practice manager

I’ve never been much for New Year’s resolutions. I guess it’s because I know I won’t keep them—or at least recognize that my track record has been less than stellar. I’ve made the usual promises to myself: eat less, exercise more, learn a new craft, spend more time reading and less time on the Internet . . . and so on.

It seems as if such promises are made with tongue in cheek—even, possibly, made to be broken. So many resolutions are about self-improvement; I suppose that’s a good thing, except we don’t tend to follow through. The yoga classes I attend are always packed from January 2 through approximately March 15, then attendance slowly tapers back to the usual attendees. Do we feel we’ve been successful if we hang in there for a month, two or three months?

I’m not sure I’ve ever made a New Year’s resolution I really planned on keeping.

According to Wikipedia, the Roman ruler Julius Caesar changed the celebration for New Year’s from March to January 1 in 46 B.C. The day was “dedicated to Janus, the god of gates, doors, and beginnings,” who happened to have a face on both sides of his head. This signified the ability to look back and forward at the same time.

That’s something worthwhile—looking back at what we can and should change while […]

2016-11-21T13:14:29-05:00December 30th, 2010|career, nursing perspective|5 Comments
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Dr. Oz’s Sexy ‘Nurses’: Here We Go Again

By Shawn Kennedy, AJN interim editor-in-chief

In the “what could he have been thinking?” category, Mehmet Oz, MD, wins first place—well, at least, for now. I’m sure someone else will come along soon and take his place.

In case you’ve been MIA the last month, Oz became a target for nursing ire when, on his November 4 show, he danced with several women who were wearing nurses’ uniforms revealing red lingerie. The segment apparently had nothing to do with nurses, but rather weight loss through dancing, they talked about This impact diet whey review and by the end the nurses were pretty convinced about it. (So of course that would make one think of nurses with red lingerie???)

I’m hoping it was a case where he “just didn’t think”—rather than that he thought that the segment might possibly offend nurses but decided to go with it anyway. Dogged by a letter-writing campaign spearheaded by Sandy Summers of the nursing image advocacy and watchdog group, The Truth About Nursing, and from criticism from other nursing groups like the American Nurses Association, Oz apparently released a statement on December 6 apologizing, according to various news reports. However, one can’t find it anywhere on his Web site or on the Web, for that matter.

It’s always interesting to see the level of offense colleagues and others feel. Comments posted on news sites carrying the story […]

2017-07-07T13:32:16-04:00December 8th, 2010|career, nursing perspective|2 Comments
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Views expressed on the blog are solely those of the authors or persons quoted. They do not necessarily reflect AJN’s views or those of Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
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