Forty years and counting
Congratulations on the 40th anniversary of Nursing! I've subscribed to this journal since it was first published. I've also subscribed to other nursing journals, but Nursing has always been my favorite. I enjoy the wide variety of articles, which are always informative.
No matter what my life experiences have been, Nursing has been there with me. Thank you for this terrific journal!
Stigmas and stereotypes
The article "Seeing Schizophrenia from the Patient's Viewpoint" (October, 2011)* marginalizes patients with mental illness. The author has stereotyped mental health workers, describing nurses and physicians alike as noncaring and unaware of the patient's mental health status.
A person's ability to perceive reality is challenged when a thought disorder or active hallucinations are present. Mental health professionals realize that thought disorders and visual hallucinations alter a person's ability to participate in a group, learn new things, and remain based in reality.
The real problem in our society isn't the attitude of mental health workers, but the stigma surrounding mental illness. This results from disinformation and hype, much of which is provided by the media.
Innovative orientations
I found the approach discussed in the article Nursing U: A New Concept for Nursing Orientation (November, 2011)* to be an inventive and fresh take on the sometimes boring and mundane process of orienting nurses to a new job or facility. As a staff development educator, I've searched for creative ways to improve the orientation process and make it more valuable.
I appreciate the authors' use of simulation to strengthen their lectures and give nurses hands-on time to practice their skills and demonstrate competency. The addition of continuing education credits was another benefit to the program and demonstrated the commitment of the organization to providing continuing education to their nurses.
The authors found that 82% of nurses involved in the Nursing University were still employed on their units after 6 months. I wonder what the long-term effects on nurse retention will be for this organization and what extra costs (if any) this new model will incur. I appreciate the hard work of these educators and plan to use many of their ideas to improve nursing orientation in my facility.
-JANE E. TAYLOR, RN-BC
Los Lunas, N.M.
-JENNIFER DEER, RN, LMSW
Marcellus, Mich.
-SARA BUCK, BSN, RN
Webster, Tex.
* Individual subscribers can access articles free online at http://www.nursing2012.com. [Context Link]