“Now that new doctors around the country, including myself, are in the process of growing into our roles as team-based health care providers… we are in the unique position of working extremely closely with nurses on the hospital floors. From this first-hand observation, I found it amazing what these individuals can accomplish… In an admittedly self-absorbed fashion, I rarely take the time to acknowledge how much patient care is accomplished without my presence at the bedside. And much of this care can be directly attributed to the nursing staff… Throughout history, the culture of medicine has revered the role of a physician as the core to patient care and medical recovery. Yet in my personal work experience, absolutely no care would be delivered without the critical role of a nurse.”
—Brian Secemsky, MD, Why Every Week Should Be Nurse Appreciation Week, Huffington Post, August 20, 2012
“The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) values diversity and inclusion, which includes historically underrepresented populations like men. The population of the United States is becoming more diverse, and the best way to increase cultural competence in the health care system is to increase the diversity of health care providers… A century and a half ago, Florence Nightingale found that opening windows and letting in fresh air was a ‘best practice’ in health care; greater diversity offers a breath of fresh air for the nursing profession in the 21st century.”
—Brent MacWilliams, PhD, ANP, member of the American Assembly for Men in Nursing (AAMN) Board of Directors, AAMN Supports RWJF’s Mission to Diversify the Nursing Profession, RWJF Human Capital Blog, August 15, 2012
“Community health is the most exciting place to be, because this is where you can make your greatest impact, working with families and communities to improve health and to feel cared for and empowered… Our nursing model is one that puts the person at the center. It’s not the person with hypertension or diabetes. It’s not the diabetic in room seven. It’s Mary who’s in room seven. Mary may have diabetes and hypertension. She may also be a smoker. She may need assistance with housing. She may have relapsed in her alcohol use. We treat the whole person.”
—Nurse Practitioner Patricia Dennehy, NPs on the Frontlines, HealthyCal.org, August 14, 2012
“Every time you think you’ve transported the sickest patient you could ever imagine, you come back in a week and there’s a patient who's even sicker, or a new device that improves your ability to care for those patients. Some of our patients actually do quite well. It’s pretty gratifying to see someone who benefits from our care and from the care provided at the university, and goes home and leads a productive life.”
—John Bullen, a survival flight nurse, Powerful New Breed of U-M Survival Flight Helicopters Takes to the Skies, AnnArbor.com, August 12, 2012
“Nurse practitioners can play a critical role in addressing the country’s growing physician shortage. With advanced degrees, they are skilled diagnosticians and clinicians who treat acute and chronic illness and prescribe medications. Four decades of research show that nurse practitioners provide high-quality, cost-effective, comprehensive, patient-centered primary health care with excellent outcomes. In a growing number of states, a nurse practitioner can own and operate an autonomous, independent practice, not requiring any physician involvement. But in too many states, antiquated laws prevent us from practicing to the full extent of our advanced education and clinical training. Elected officials in affected states should work to remove these unnecessary barriers. Doing so will instantly increase access to quality health care, improve outcomes and make health care more affordable for all Americans.”
—Angela K. Golden, president of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, Letter to the Editor: A Doctor Shortage and the Health Law, New York Times, July 30, 2012