TELL THE WORLD Kelly McCartney James Madison University November 29, 2014

Where?  For my “Tell the World project” I wanted to interact with people whose professions are the farthest from nursing as I could find.  I decided that I would set up outside of a hardware store (Fastenal) in Tappahannock VA and talk with any customers who are willing, as they walk out of the store.

Who?  I spoke with people aged 8 to 62  I will focus on the 9 people that I spoke with at length  8 males and 1 female  Their lines of work ranged from residential construction, to manufacturing, lumber processing, administrative assistant, unemployed, and student.

How?  I made a sign that said “I AM HERE TO TELL THE WORLD ABOUT NURSING”  I brought along a list of questions, and I would use one or two to get the conversation going. In the following slides I will break down my questions and their answers  I also made a hand out with a list of nursing facts on the front and a matching game on the back

The Hand-out I’m here to tell the world about nursing. Did you know..?  There are 3.1 million Registered Nurses (RN) nationwide. That’s more than the population of Chicago!  There are more than four times as many RNs in the US as physicians  50 percent of RNs hold a bachelor's degree (BSN) or higher  In 2008, 13.2 percent of RNs held either a master's or doctoral degree  49 of the 50 states allow advanced practice nurses to prescribe medication to patients  Female RNs greatly outnumber male RNs.  Females: 93.0%. Males: 7.0%  The first Nursing school was established in India in 250 BC.  Walt Whitman served as a volunteer nurse during the Civil War  Only three out of five nurses work in hospitals. Nurses also work in schools, correctional facilities, private companies, home health, nursing homes, government agencies, social assistance agencies, and research labs.  “Nursing care is based on a large body of science, research and practice standards unique to the nursing profession. Just as physicians create a plan of care for their patients, nurses also create their own plan of care that includes physical, emotional, social and spiritual aspects of care. Don’t ever underestimate the amount of intelligence, science and skill needed to be a nurse. We make it look easy because we’re so good at what we do.” - Donna Cardillo, RN, MA

What are your experiences interacting with nursing? So many people had positive, uplifting things to say about their experiences and interactions with nursing.  “I was in the hospital for a hernia surgery. The nurses made it ok. They really seemed to care.”  “I wanted to be a nurse but I couldn’t get in the RCC (Rappahannock Community College) program. My GPA was too low.” (Note: it was 3.4)  “My niece is a nurse. Some of the stories she tells me, makes me wonder why anyone would do it. You have to be a VERY special person.”

What are your experiences interacting with nursing? Continued.  “At the doctors.”  “The nurse in my doctors office is so good. She is so patient with me when I forget to get my prescriptions refilled. She always fixes it.”  “When my mom was in the hospital, there was this particular night shift nurse who make me feel comfortable leaving my mom for the night. I just knew she would take care of her.”  “I love it when nurses get blood on the first try.”

In your opinion, what do Registered Nurses do? It was interesting to hear what people see as “nursing”.  “Take blood pressure, and vitals.”  “Stick you for blood work.”  “Take care of you in the hospital.”  “Care for sick people.”  “Listen to your chest”

What do you know about the different education levels of nurses?  “Well, most RNs around here went to RCC.” (A local community college with a very popular Associates Degree program)  “I was always confused by that. Some nurses get a bachelors and some don’t, but they have the same job title. It’s weird.”  “My niece was a… CNA. Then she went back to school for her licensed nurse practitioner. Now she works in Richmond.”

Do you feel like most nurses are honest and trustworthy?  “Absolutely”  “Extremely. You have to be to be around medicines.”  “Of course, when they are dealing with peoples lives.”  “Yes, and they are always nice. Except when they give me shots. But then I got a Frozen sticker.”

Experiences  A woman thanked me for “my service” and “what I do.”  An older gentleman said his late wife had been a nurse, and he had “always admired her inner strength for that.”  A little girl told me she wants to be a “nurse like you one day.”

Barriers  It was cold that day, getting people to stop and talk was a challenge  One young man thought I was there doing health screenings. This led him lifting up his shirt and showing me a rash on his torso, asking me what it was.  Someone thought I was trying to sell something

Conclusion  I have come to the realization, through this project, that it is absolutely imperative for all nurses to “tell the world”. The typical person does not understand the day to day activities of nurses. After I realized how easy it is to talk to people about nursing, it makes me want to do it more. This project has genuinely motivated and inspired me to talk to anyone and everyone about nursing in my daily life.