Another Post from an RN
This is a post that was sent to me by Annemarie Dowling-Castronovo, PhD, RN,Associate Professor, Evelyn L. Spiro School of Nursing, Wagner College, Staten Island, New York.
My colleagues in communications and my experiences have taught me that negative press can do good. Clearly, enough has been publicized about The View’s inability to understanding how caring for people is a talent that Kelly Johnson, Ms.Colorado, proclaimed in her now famous Monologue. Since those few negative sound bites, an unprecedented backlash from the nursing community unleashed. Much of that has been with an all too familiar snarky defensive nurse tone. Thankfully, Joy Behar realized her moments of being “stupid and inattentive” and graciously did some damage control. So yes the RN won, but opportunities must be made to seize this moment of having the public’s attention and educate.
The View could have done it. They could have had representatives from Johnson and Johnson speak about their investment in nursing care for the American public so that viewers could understand why they suspended advertising. Ellen DeGeneris could have done it, but instead the stethoscope controversy turned to the debate over the fance on the $10 billion. Where was the opportunity for Nurse Kelley Johnson to speak about her platform, The Health Initiative PLUS, which stands for Prevent, Live, Uncover and Study?
Does the public know that Miss Johnson attended Colorado Mesa University? She is a brand new graduate nurse, who was the top of her class with a Bachelor of Sceince in Nursing. She is only beginning and I hope she remains in nursing – not speaking about ‘they’ and ‘them’ the nurses, but about ‘we’ and ‘us’ the nurses. She has an opportunity to learn more about the challenges that face nursing.
Nurse Johnson has an opportunity to teach the American public that nurses are not just Behind the Screens – Nursing Against the Odds. They are also in pivotal positions in health care administration, philanthropy, and our government’s Department of Health and Human Services. Perhaps these will be addressed by Dr. Oz? Although I am staying tuned, I think nurses need to take the lead on this one and not wait for doctors orders . . .
