The Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA) is leading the way!
WSNA joins lawsuit to restore access to federal health resources
Inspiration
In AJN Now! “Activism is an Essential Nursing Role”
The October issue of the American Journal of Nursing includes an article titled “Activism is an Essential Nursing Role!” This article has been brewing for at least a decade, conjured up by Shawn Kennedy, now Editor Emerita of AJN, and me (Peggy Chinn), now Editor Emerita of Advances in Nursing Science (ANS). As nursing journal editors, we had experienced blow-back from readers who objected not only to “political” content in our journals, but also claimed that “politics” is not an appropriate concern for nurses. Shawn had taken a strong editorial stance related to gun violence as a public health issue, for example, and had received threats to discontinue subscription to the journal as a result of this stance. In ANS, we maintained a strong reputation of publishing politically controversial topics but when one of the articles published in the journal addressed explicitly the militarization of nursing education, we also received threats from readers that they would not only not subscribe, but would cease to use ANS content in their reading lists!
Shawn and I had several opportunities to share our experiences and our mutual commitment to continuing to advocate for nursing’s responsibilities to protect the the health and well-being of all , even when it required taking a “political” stance in our journals. We presented the topic for discussion at several nursing editor’s meetings (INANE), and maintained our intention to publish an article on the topic! Finally, once we each “retired” from our editorial roles, we moved this intention to the top of our “to do” lists, resulting in the publication of the article!
We hope you will take a few moments to read this article, and welcome your feedback! Please add your experiences advocating for activism here — we all are inspired when we hear the stories – we know we are not alone!
Frankie Manning Honored: Lifetime Impact Award
We are delighted to share this well-deserved honor from the Washington Center for Nursing, recognizing the many contributions that Ms. Frankie Manning has made to the profession, and to individual nurses. The award was announced in the Qtr 4 WCN Newsletter. Many who have participated in the “Overdue Reckoning on Racism in Nursing” know Ms. Manning as a steady voice, adding her deep wisdom and insights to the discussions that we have shared in our “reckoning” sessions. She also contributed her story to the Reckoning with Racism in Nursing video project, available here.
This passage from the WCN Newsletter provides a powerful description of how we have all come to know and love Ms. Manning!
The heart of her impact is in how she shows up for nurses and the community every day. And in her unwavering commitment to service and her faith in people. It is in her dedication to the power of dialog and relationship building. It is in her openness and willingness for honest reflection and growth. It is in her voice, advocacy, and support for Black and African American nurses and all they contribute to nursing. It is in her passion for helping nurses and patients thrive while creating a better, more equitable healthcare system. And it is there in her pride as a nurse. Frankie Manning is one of a kind, and because of her, nursing is better. And for all that she does and has done, WCN is honored to award her with the Lifetime Impact Award.
WCN Newsletter
A tribute to Virginia (Ginny) Ward Paulsen (1918-August 9, 1982)
Ginny Paulsen was not a nurse by profession but by heart and dedication. She served as the Executive Director of the Colorado Nurses Association from 1961-1980. In that role she inspired many to become activists on numerous fronts (clinical and political). At that time in Colorado the nurse practitioner was born and clinical specialists programs were producing new and motivated practitioners. She supported a group of nurses at Denver General Hospital to organize and demand a job description and commensurate salary for Clinical Nurse Specialists. In the 1970’s Ginny supported a group of nurses to go into private practice by providing moral support, business advice and legal consultation. Later she helped the group writing a book that described the process of setting up one of the first primary nurse clinics in the country.
She was a realistic idealist. She believed in the goodness of humanity and that we as nurses and humans could forge new roles, advance the profession, health care and change the system as a whole.
She always had good advice regarding negotiating systems and was always available for consultation when we met obstacles. She was a fierce and intelligent nurse advocate who mentored many in expanding their scope of practice and securing the legislation needed to support those advances. She developed and hired one of the first nurse lobbyist at the State capitol in the country. (See picture of Ginny with with the first nurse lobbyist, Sue Sawyer).
Ginny also started a major international educational conference (Chautauqua) to promote discussion of issues and foster activism. This conference continues today. She birthed the idea of having risk taking workshops. These fostered activism for expanding nurses’ roles, practice and changing systems. The result of one of those workshops was the formation of Nurses for Political Action Colorado. This group provided forums for candidates to present their views and discuss issues related to overall health care and nursing.
Her premature death was and is a loss. I’m sure she would be supporting this nurse activist group and would be pleased to see how many members it has that are committed to making changes for nursing and for all to have adequate health care.
Ginny on the left with Sue Sawyer (right)
Cathy Crowe (1952 – )
#3 “Inspiration for Activism”
- Canadian nursing activist
- Appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada (1998) for her tireless work in advocating for
adequate and affordable housing and in its absence, advocacy for safe and sufficient shelters for homeless people - Co-founded (1998) with other social justice advocates, the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee (TDRC), which equated homeless, a social disaster, with natural disasters
- Co-founder of Nurses for Social Responsibility and co-editor of its magazine “Towards Justice in Health”
- Wrote 2 books and participated in numerous documentary films about homelessness
- Put forward a number of resolutions to professional nursing organizations, urging them to take action on a variety of social injustices witnessed by nurses who care for homeless and disenfranchised people
- Speaks truth to power – policy makers, newsmakers
Visit Cathy’s website more information
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