Inspiration for Activism Part II –

• Unapologetic intersectional feminist
  

  Jessica Dillard-Wright presenting a poster at Graduate Research Day

• Nurse Activism Think Tank participant
• Contributor, Radical Nurses Blog
• Co-author with Vanessa Shields-Hass of the “Manifesto for Nurses Working Together” published on October 22, 2018
• Organizer, Southern Radical Nurses Collective (see more on radicalnurses.com, forthcoming)
• Aspiring nurse philosopher
• Social and reproductive justice advocate (see more information here)
• Nurses for Sexual and Reproductive Health faculty adviser (see more information here)
• Emancipatory nurse educator
• Co-organizer of a pop-up nursing think tank in 2019 – follow

  @radicalnursesAUG and @radicalnursesNOLA

Nursing is a radical act, at every turn, in every way. The profession of nursing has unparalleled potential to impact the future of healthcare and our world, which is the motivation for my activism. The right to health is the foundation for a more just and equitable society and work toward this cause begins, for me, with nursing. Nursing is inherently political and we – as nurses, educators, citizens – cannot afford to err on the side of neutrality. This informs my approach to nursing, to nurse education, nurse scholarship, and to nurse activism. In collaboration with other nurse activists (including Vanessa Shields-Haas and Jane Hopkins Walsh), I am hoping to organize and host a pop-up nurse activism think tank in summer 2019. More details to follow.

Activism in action: protest mom and Atticus take the Women’s March

Inspiration for Activism Part II –

• Participant in 2018 Nurse Activism Think Tank 
• Author of blog, www.radicalnurses.com
• Contributor to the Lavender Health LGBTQ nursing blog,
• Social justice activist and promoter of change from within university and hospital systems by drawing on the expertise and power of healthcare workers seeking a healthier, safer, and more empowered working and learning environment.
• Advocate for LGBTQ cultural competency, harm reduction, and inclusion of abortion care education for nurses.
• HIV/AIDs Certified RN, reproductive rights protector, and medically accurate sexual education provider.

Vanessa’s Story: “I wish for Street Nurses, utilizing the full scope of their practice, to serve people who are not sustainably housed in New Orleans. Street Nurses would provide much needed rapid HIV/STD/HepC testing, wound care, medication management, harm reduction education, and preventative healthcare incorporating the use of handheld, laboratory diagnostics. The Street Nurses would work with a team of social workers for Medicaid enrollment, access to safe housing or low-barrier shelters, and a route to mental health care or substance use treatment, if applicable and desired. Street Nurses would have a relationship with the community including: the police force, EMTs, and city hospital to better serve those needing immediate, hospital admission.”

Inspiration for Activism Part II –

• Political involvement in local municipal elections (Toronto area); 
• Activism in provincial issues- safe injection sites, basic income initiative, sex-ed. curriculum;
• Mentoring faculty teaching political action course at Trent University
• Continuing work with “Dying with Dignity” and patients’ rights related to Medical Assistance in Dying
• Public speaking with nursing students about the experience of being on the other side of the gurney

More information:

Use evidence to save lives from opioid poisoning

Hands off Ontario’s sexual-education curriculum

Dying with Dignity in Canada: Protect Yourself: Your Rights As A Patient

Vulnerability, uncertainty and hope intertwined

On the other side of the gurney, Cathy Graham has no idea what to expect during chemotherapy treatment

Inspiration for Activism Part II –

• Activist since Nursing School at Skidmore College. In 1965 I led the movement to not to say the Nightingale pledge because it indicated subservience to physicians . A group of us wrote our own “Agnes Gelinas Pledge.”
• Active in the Colorado Nurses Association.  Co-founded “Nurses for Political Action” in the 1970’s. We advocated for advanced practice nurses having adequate job descriptions and equal pay to other professional with similar responsibilities and education. We had a case of sex discrimination that went all the way to the supreme court. Sadly, it lost.
• Instrumental in establishing programs and educating care providers in New York City and later Western Mass for a comprehensive way of treating dual diagnosed patients (substance abuse and mental illness) and for the treatment of impaired nurses.
• Led development of a research committee and the integration of research into the American Holistic Nurses Association; I also continue to push for more political health care advocacy by this group .
• Actively developing a theory, through grounded theory research, “Intentionality:  The Matrix  of Healing” for nursing with an emphasis on unitary and caring science.
• Currently working with a group on insuring Medicare for All and single payer health care in Western Mass and pushing for comprehensive low cost health care nationwide.