Hello all,
Nurses are Professionals! Welcome …well I was sort of just letting this site fade away because I’ve been busy with other things such as various teaching projects, participating in webinars, and finally doing some writing that’s long overdue. However, events this last week have sparked a great deal of anger in me and I feel compelled to engage in the huge fight we as nurses find ourselves engaged in.
The current US government administration has made some pretty poor and reprehensible decisions this year since taking office last January. I’m not one to hide my political stance and feelings, but I do believe it’s not always the best to bring them into our professional lives. Well recently, nurses have been deemed not professionals by Trump and the government; in particular the Department of Education. This was an act to remove nurses from eligibility for student loans for advanced degrees. This at a time when healthcare for their American constituents is being threatened by this administration’s lack of support and interest. Also at a time when the uncertainty of healthcare affects and is affected by nurses.
Backbone of Healthcare
There has been a shortage of nurses across the country for many years and it continues today. The Pandemic raised awareness of the nursing profession and touted us a HEROS! But it also scared away so many new prospects and caused many nurses to burnout and rethink their choices. That era was incredible! And now vaccines are being condemned and banned, or difficult to find and receive. That’s going to open us to another pandemic!
We need to remind the country and the politicians that nurses are the backbone of healthcare! Without nurses, healthcare will suffer, patients will suffer, health status will suffer, the economy will suffer, the country will suffer! We nurses need to stand tall and FIGHT for our status as PROFESSIONALS! We need more and more nurses as we move forward and opportunities for them cannot be truncated because we have a president seeking revenge!
Pandemic Heros
Nurses were touted as Heros during the pandemic while the blame for its spread and death toll was blamed on President Trump during his first term. The majority of nurses are women and that president FEARS and HATES women. (But apparently likes little girls???). He has sought “revenge” on everyone who has supposedly “done him wrong” at any point in his life. The entire purpose of his second term is to seek revenge. How professional!
We MUST stand up and FIGHT for ourselves and our colleagues, and future nurses! WRITE a postcard to your Congress Person and Senators! Phone calls may be easier, but phone lines can be shut down and no one in this administration is tallying the calls and their purpose. Websites are barely functional. POSTCARDS have made a difference! They are physical and in large numbers are readily noticed, seen and can be most annoying!
POSTCARD CAMPAIGN
Take a moment to find your representatives’ addresses (Congress and Senate), and write NURSES ARE PROFESSIONALS! on the message side. Sign and drop in the mail! Plan postcard writing parties and invite your colleagues and friends. We can use all the help we can get from fiends and family even if they aren’t nurses! You can purchase a pack of 10 postcards with the Forever postage already printed on them. Postcards are a minimum of 3.5 X 5 in. and the postage is 61 cents.
If you are so inclined, write a physical letter to your representatives. Here’s all the information you need to write a professional letter to them.
Join in with your colleagues at work, find your local branch of nursing associations, follow social media nurse leaders. Join in the FIGHT and help us secure our professionalism before this administration completely destroys it!