Where are all the nurses?

I I just read this on the Center For Nursing Advocacy , I thought that this was a great resources for nursing experts like yourself!

monica

www.healthin30.com%2Fsubpage.cfm%3Ftbl%3D23" target="_blank">Where are all the nurses??

October 13, 2006 – The following is from an email from Barbara Ficarra, RN, host of the exciting new radio show www.nursingadvocacy.org%2Fcreate%2Fhealth_in_30.html" target="_blank">“Health in 30,” urging nurses to start speaking up about their own work:

When my radio show and the www.healthin30.com" target="_blank">healthin30.com website were launched, I thought I would be inundated by nurses responding to the www.healthin30.com%2Fsubpage.cfm%3Ftbl%3D23" target="_blank">“Speak Out” prompt on the web site to be in the media–on the radio show. Well, to date the responses from physicians and communication and PR companies representing them are tremendous, but where are all the nurses?? A couple nurses will have a spot in a couple future shows, but that's it? A couple? Maybe nurses don't want what I think they want….maybe they don't want to be in the media….I'm hoping I'll get nurses interested…but so far, it's been disappointing.

Supporters! If you have expertise in a given area of nursing, www.healthin30.com%2Fsubpage.cfm%3Ftbl%3D23" target="_blank">PLEASE register your information with the “Health in 30” show AND our www.nursingadvocacy.org%2Faction%2Fnurse_expert.html" target="_blank">nurse expert database so that others in the media can contact you as a resource. Speaking publicly is a vital part of changing the way people think about nurses. If we do not speak up about health care, the public thinks we don't know anything about health care. We cannot convince decision-makers and the public that we deserve more funding for our schools, research, and clinical practice unless we show them that we are valuable professionals. They are not going to learn this from most of the mass media, which commonly presents nurses as peripheral subordinates of no importance. Physicians have always known how crucial this is for their profession. That's why they have long been the sole sources of meaningful expert advice for Hollywood and other media, and why they are the ones inundating “Health in 30” with offers to appear. But if it's going to happen for nursing, we must do it ourselves, for ourselves, as well as for our patients and society. Patients need a stronger nursing profession. And society needs the unique perspective that nurses can bring to the media. Many health topics cannot be adequately addressed without nursing expertise–yet the media does so endlessly, every day, all over the world. We urge you to read www.nursingadvocacy.org%2Fnews%2F2001_silence_to_voice.html" target="_blank">From Silence to Voice to increase your understanding of the media and how to perform well in media interactions. Thank you. Please speak up today!