Monica McLemore (1969- )

Inspiration for Activism!

Only nurse invited to participate in President Obama’s Frontiers of Science meeting to discuss research in community engagement.
Only nurse researcher mentioned in SCOTUS OpEd from American
Monica McLemore

Academy of Nursing.
Only nurse whose research was cited in NPR/ProPublica award winning reporting for Lost Mothers.
Face of Billboard campaign to combat misinformation of so-called medication abortion reversal – which contributed to the California Board of Registered Nursing to change their language about continuing education units. Covered widely in the press – for example:
One of a few nurse researchers whose research was cited in recent National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine report on Abortion Quality and Safety (Pg. 92). Read more

Screen Shot 2018-04-13 at 9.17.10 AM

Jeanne Mance (1606-1673)

Inspiration for Activism!

Credited as being first lay nurse in North America and the co-founder of Montreal itself.
Born in France, practiced nursing during 30-years war (1618-1638).
Came to Canada as a lay person with missionary aspirations. Upon arrival in 1642, she used her home as a hospital to treat sick people.
3 years later, with financial support she had obtained in France, she founded the Hotel Dieu hospital in a settlement that became Montreal on a site where today stands a modern Hotel Dieu hospital with statue of Jeanne Mance in front of it.
Served as hospital administrator for 17 years. During that time, she made 2 more arduous journeys across the Atlantic (at a time when it took 3 months to cross one way), to secure further French funding and staff to care for the patients.

More information here and here

Inspiration for Activism!

Worked as a visiting nurse in Henry Street Settlement.
Fierce advocate for measures to improve the health of poor people. In 1912 she participated in labour action in textile workers’ strike, and wrote a column in “The Call” on women’s sexuality.
Coined the term birth control in 1914.
Realizing knowledge of and access to contraception was a socio-economic issue, she challenged governmental censure of contractive information by civil disobedience.
Indicted in 1914 for violating postal obscenity laws and fled to England for a year to avoid imprisonment.
In 1916, Sanger opened the first U.S. birth control clinic (for which she spent 30 days in jail).
Founded American Birth Control League, later to become Planned Parenthood.
Global role in promoting birth control, e.g., India and Japan, although pronatalist fascist movements impeded progress during WWII.
In 1925, Sanger arranged for American manufacture of spring-form diaphrams, and
Fostered research into development of spermicidal jellies and foam powders.
In the 1950s, secured funding for development of the birth control pill.

More information here

Inspiration for Activism!

American-born public health nurse; emigrated to Canada in 1973.
Strong social justice advocate, particularly anti-child poverty advocacy.
Dorothea Fox-Jakob
Played a key role as public health nurse in Toronto, in identifying electric kettles as a key factor in elevated lead levels among infants. Reporting of her observations led to safety standards for electric kettles across the country.
Wrote letters to editors in newspapers, lobbied elected officials as well as the professional nursing association (RNAO) regarding the impact of child poverty on health.
Represented RNAO in a meeting on child poverty that led to the establishment of Campaign 2000, a public education and anti-child poverty advocacy group that still exists today.
As a member of the Nurses for Social Responsibility, participated in various protest and educational activities focused on the advancement of health equity.
Strong believer that the essence of nursing is to bear witness to what we see and speak truth to power.

Inspiration for Activism!

Active in nursing organizations throughout Baccalaureate program (Baylor University) and master’s program (University of Maryland), including serving as president of Texas Nursing Students Association.
Featured speaker at nursing conferences and conventions on the importance of nurses as agents for change and advocates for better healthcare.
First nurse appointed to the MetroHealth Hospital Board of Trustees (1985-1990).
First private practice in nursing in Ohio (1980-1986).
Appointed to the Ohio Board of Nursing (1987-1992) advocating for nursing autonomy and control of our own practice.
Only nurse to serve on the Governor’s Commission on Ohio Health Care Costs.
Advocate for LGBTQIA health, and reducing healthcare disparities based on ethnicity, gender, and sexuality.
New Mexico Nursing Education Consortium Leadership Team & founding member.
Interviewer for the Old Lesbian Oral Herstory Project, preserving stories in the Smith College Archives of lesbians over 70 from all walks of life.
Coordinator of the New Mexico OLOC chapter (Old Lesbians Organizing for Change); sponsor forums for women candidates from all political affiliations.
Voter Registrar in New Mexico.
The Resistance since Nov. 2016.
Actively working on the Michelle Luhan Grisham campaign for Governor and the Deb Haaland campaign for US Congress.