Nursing Activism Think Tank Happenings!


Whether you are planning to participate or not, read on — the spirit of this event is reaching far beyond the event itself!  We know that there are many nurses who are not able to be there, who wish they could, and who mightily support nursing activism!  So this “Think Tank” is not limited to the gathering!  The “Inspirations for Activism” series of blog posts has already prompted reflection – and even action –  on what is possible!  This series will continue through the end of July; at that point the series will shift to feature the activism of nurses who participate in the gathering. And the link to all of these posts will remain a permanent feature on NurseManifest.  If you are not already following this blog, you can do so now to receive an email notification of each of these posts — enter your email at the top of the right sidebar on any NurseManifest.com page!

For those interested in the event itself: YES!  The event is happening on July 30-31, 2018 at the College of Nursing, University of Massachusetts Amherst!  Over 70 nurses have indicated an interest in participating!  We have asked that everyone confirm your intent to participate by May 1, so if you have not yet done so, please complete the “Interest Form” by this coming Tuesday, May 1st! If May 1st slips by and you are eager to join us, the form will still be available and we want to hear from you — we will confirm space available – right up until the day we gather!

You can also use the principles and ideas we are creating for the gathering for any purpose you wish – any time and any where!  Here is a summary of the principles and guidelines we are using:

Our guiding intentions:
  • Getting to know and appreciate the Self as a nurse activist
  • Getting to know and appreciate one another in the context of nursing activism
  • Getting to know and appreciate our communities and the social and political forces that shape them.
What to expect:
  • There will be no speakers or planned presentations – this IS a think tank!
  • What happens over the course of the two days will be fluid and flexible, created by all of us as participants.
  • The process for our group interactions will be based on Peace and Power, enacting as fully as possible the powers of process, appreciation, the whole, sharing, nurturing, consciousness and creativity.
  • All forms of activism, all points of view, will be fully respected while at the same time providing for one another the kinds of constructive questions and challenges that lead to growth and change.
  • Day 1: the focus will be on developing and sharing our stories of activism — a process led by Nurstory team members.
  • Day 2: deep discussion and reflection in large and smaller groups, envisioning possibilities for the future and building networks of support.
How to prepare – consistent with the idea of a “think tank,” your best preparation is guided by your own inner insight and wisdom, your own intentions, hopes and dreams for activism. The following resources are available – use them as you see fit!
  • Continue to follow, and revisit the NurseManifest blog series “Inspirations for Activism.” These posts will continue to appear every Tuesday and Friday through July.  After our gathering, these posts will feature participants in the Think Tank – according to your wishes and consent!
  • The Peace & Power concepts and the Commitment involved in putting these concepts into Action are available on the Peace and Power website.
So if you cannot join us in person, join us in spirit!  Of course after the gathering we will be sharing heaps of ideas and information — every step we take is vitally important!

Mary Breckinridge (1881-1965)


Inspiration for Activism!

  • Volunteered as a nurse in World War I.
  • Served as public health nurse in Washington DC during an influenza

    Mary Breckinridge

    epidemic in 1916.

  • Volunteered in France from 1918-1921, providing disaster relief and organizing a Child-Hygiene and Visiting-Nurse Association.
  • Completed postgraduate studies at Columbia University in 1922-23 to learn the latest in public health, then completed her midwifery certificate in 1924 at the British Hospital for Mothers and Babies in the Woolwich district of London.
  • Founded the Kentucky Committee for Mothers and Babies in Leslie County in 1925, which became the Frontier Nursing Service (FNS) in 1928. The FNS is widely recognized as the first modern comprehensive health care system in the United States.
  • Credited with developing approaches to modern nursing services in rural communities.
  • Promoted the growth of district nursing centers and hospital facilities in southeastern Kentucky as a model for similar systems nationwide.
  • Honored on a stamp issued by the United States in 1998

More information here, and here, and here,  and here.

See first comprehensive biography published in 2015: Mary Breckinridge by Melanie Beals Goan

Afaf Ibrahim Meleis (1942- )


Inspiration for activism!

  • Inspired to become a nurse at the age of 15 by her mother – a prominent nurse and educator in Egypt who established graduate programs for nurses in the Middle East.
  • Strong voice advocating for women and women’s rights world-wide.

    Afaf Meleis

  • Author of transition theory, which has been used as a basis for research world-wide, and as a basis approaches to care to assure health and well-being in health and illness experiences (examples: immigration transition, the transition of caregivers, transition to motherhood, menopausal transition).
  • Mentor to a long list of students and colleagues for over 40 years, providing support, encouragement and substantive guidance to nurses worldwide.
  • Created research teams consisting of nurses throughout the world which offer support and development of international nursing research.
  • Continues to provide consultation worldwide, focusing on the crucial roles of nurses and women as leaders in the development of comprehensive healthcare and quality nursing education programs.

More information:

Wilma Scott Heide (1921-1985)


Inspiration for activism! 

  • Nurse who filed a complaint against the Pittsburgh Press for posting of classified ads

    Wilma Scott Heide, 1985

    by gender, claiming this practice discriminated against women, which resulted in a city ordinance banning the practice; the ban was upheld by the U.S. Supreme court in 1973.

  • Staged a protest in the US Senate in 1970, resulting in finally bringing out of committee the US Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to the constitution.
  • Third President of the National Organization for Women (1971-1974); insisted on recognition and inclusion of lesbians in the organization.
  • Worked closely with the leadership of the American Nurses Association to advance nurses economic and general welfare; led in the ANA decision, in 1971, to support the Equal Rights Amendment (reversing their staunch public opposition).
  • Wrote one of the first articles on feminism published in the nursing literature: Heide, W. S. (1973). Nursing and women’s liberation–a parallel. The American Journal of Nursing, 73(5), 824–827.
  • Crossed the country in an “ERAmobile” in the summer of 1976, portraying the life of Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
  • Wrote the Introduction to Jo Ann Ashley’s landmark book “Hospitals, Paternalism and the Role of the Nurse,” stating that: “It is not that nurses have done so little in spite of institutional oppression, what surely much be recognized is that nurses have done a great deal . . . . Feminist nurses invite and welcome other health care practitioners to create the kind of world where the power of love exceeds the love of power.”
  • Well known for her creative use of language and quips:
    • “I do not refer to myself as a housewife for the reason that I did not marry a house”
    • “The only jobs for which no man is qualified are human incubators and wet nurse. Likewise, the only job for which no woman is or can be qualified is a sperm donor”
    • “The hand that rocks the cradle should also rock the boat.”
    • “Semi-versities: Intellectual Rape” – referring to the utter lack of women’s perspectives in education and the gendering of knowledge.

More Information:

 

 

Grayce Sills (1926 – 2016)


Inspiration for Activism! 

  • Tireless advocate for nursing as a discipline, and the value of  nurse-patient relationships.
  • Nurtured networking and connections between nurses with different points of view, and between nurses and people from other disciplines.
  • Beloved mentor to nurses over 3 generations.
  • Used “Graycisms” to raise awareness – for example she urged ending the use of the phrase “doctor’s orders” and replace it with “physician prescriptions” alongside “nurse prescriptions” to guide coordinated and comprehensive care.
  • Co-founder of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (with Karen Babich, Judith Maurin, and Shirley Smoyak).
  • Founding Editor of Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (JAPNA) along with Nikki Polis.

More information here