A film created to spark meaningful conversations about nursing.

With support from a state-funded grant, the R3: Resilient Nurses Initiative has embarked on a project to further its mission of promoting renewal, resilience, and retention in the nursing profession—a short film. In collaboration with the Dracopoulos-Bloomberg iDeas Lab at the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, the team created Harnessing the Promise of Nursing.

The film includes interviews with a diverse array of Maryland nurses

The film aims to spark meaningful conversations that help nurses reconnect with their power, purpose, and value—ultimately strengthening and sustaining the nursing workforce.

Featuring interviews with Maryland nurses across generations and practice areas, the film offers a diverse range of voices and perspectives. It seeks to shift outdated narratives about nursing by highlighting both the profession’s challenges and its profound rewards. Through this lens, the film explores strategies for building a more sustainable future for nurses.

‘Capturing authentic, first-person experiences.’

A central theme of the project is the importance of nurses using their own voices to shape the story of their profession. By capturing authentic, first-person experiences, the film reclaims the narrative—centering it on pride, agency, and the essential role of nurses in health care. It also explores the generational, experiential, and cultural differences that influence how nursing is perceived and practiced today.

The nurses featured in the film reflect on key questions such as:

  • What challenges you as a nurse?
  • What rewarding experiences have you had?
  • What sustains you?
  • What one word do you use to describe nursing?

‘Shifting the narrative’ in nursing.

We invite nurses everywhere to use this film and its companion facilitation guide to start conversations about what it means to be a nurse in today’s world—and how we can evolve the way nursing is seen, supported, and valued. Narratives have the power to shape perspectives, guide relationships, and influence mindsets. When repeated, they frame our reality. Through this project, we aim to spark a grassroots movement to shift the narrative of nursing to one grounded in wisdom, resilience, and a new vision for the future.

Here are some of the responses from nurses who have viewed the film:

“It’s time for nurses to renew through being seen and understood.”

“I think everyone from students to executive level leadership nursing and non-nursing should see this film!”

The film and facilitation guide are free and publicly available online. Whether used in classrooms, professional development sessions, or informal group discussions, they are valuable tools for students, practicing nurses, and those considering a career in nursing. Visit the R3 website to access the film and begin the conversation.

Cynda Hylton Rushton, PhD, RN, FAAN, founder: R3: Resilient Nurses Initiative of Maryland

Mary Golway,  MSN, RN, NPD-BC, program administrator