A Brief Introduction to Center for Nursing Advocacy...

The Center for Nursing Advocacy was founded in April 2001, by a group of seven graduates from John Hopkins University School of Nursing, to help address the growing nursing shortage, which was felt to be caused, in part, by the inadequate understanding of and support for the profession. The group decided to focus its efforts on improving the portrayal of nurses in the media, especially Hollywood, since television and films are so influential. Its mission statement is as follows:

The Center for Nursing Advocacy seeks to increase public understanding of the central, front-line role nurses play in modern health care. The focus of the Center is to promote more accurate, balanced and frequent media portrayals of nurses and increase the media's use of nurses as expert sources. The Center's ultimate goal is to foster growth in the size and diversity of the nursing profession at a time of critical shortage, strengthen nursing practice, teaching and research, and improve the health care system.

I personally became involved with the Center, with letter writing campaigns, which addressed the trivialization of nursing, and mostly negative stereotypes of nurses, in shows such as House, Grey’s Anatomy, etc., and found myself using my script writing skills to offer alternative suggestions: http://www.nursingadvocacy.org/news/2007/jan/25_greys.html#script.
This led to even greater involvement with the Center’s mission and goals. Recently, I was appointed the President of the Los Angeles Chapter and in this role my personal goal is greater empowerment of nurses through accomplishing the Center’s goals.

Please check back for updates on projects for the Center for Nursing Advocacy, or go to www.nursingadvoacy.org to see all the wonderful work that is being done to improve public perception of nurses.

Brightest Blessings
Mayling

 

 

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