Authors

  1. Kennedy, Maureen Shawn MA, RN

Article Content

The Center for Nursing Advocacy rates recent media characterizations of nurses and nursing. (For more information on the center, go to http://www.nursingadvocacy.org.)

 

The voices of nurses are heard. In a partial victory for nurses and the Center for Nursing Advocacy, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has promised to consider changing the name of one of its campaigns, Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day. Three hundred nurses responded to a call to action by writing letters and e-mails imploring the DHHS to choose a title that didn't implicitly ignore the thousands of advanced practice RNs working in this country; the ANA had written a letter, as well. In a February 3 letter to the center, the DHHS's Garth Graham wrote, "Exploring a new name for our campaign might well be a valuable change that health care providers and our public and private partners can embrace for the good of the communities we serve."

 

Like a virgin. In March, Virgin Mobile Canada and head of the Virgin corporate empire, Richard Branson, launched a major ad campaign featuring "naughty nurse" models ready to help young wireless consumers avoid a mock venereal disease, the "catch," which represented Virgin's rivals. The Registered Nurses Association of Ontario, in an expression of how little amused it was, has demanded an apology and called for a boycott of the company until the ads are pulled.