One of the directions that this project points to is forming connections and alliances with consumers – working together with people in many different sectors to improve health and well-being for all. Often these kinds of connections are part of nurses’ everyday experience and as gratifying as they are, few know, appreciate or are inspired by the significance of these connections.  And, nurses’ perspectives rarely make it to the public media where the general public is exposed to information that might influence their choices related to health and healthcare.

So I was quite excited to learn about the American Academy of Nursing teaming up with the “Choosing Wisely” campaign of Consumer Reports to produce two consumer brochures:

Monitoring your baby’s heartbeat during labor: There are two ways to do it, and most women have a choice, which explains the choices women have related to fetal monitoring, and ways to make labor and birth easier.

and

Hospital Hazards Four practices that can harm older people, which addresses the hazards involved with bed rest, physical restraints, interrupted sleep, and urinary catheters.

Even the titles of these brochures implies an important nursing perspective!  Of course these are only two of over 60 brochures, but in my view, this is a break-through of sorts, and I hope we will see many more instances like this!  It all starts with imagining what is possible, and each one of us taking small steps to create the small everyday connections that make the more publicly visible connections possible!