Tell The World Deb Grotenhuis
The Truth About Nursing seeks to increase public understanding of the central, front-line role nurses play in modern health care. Our focus is to promote more accurate, balanced and frequent media portrayals of nurses and increase the media's use of nurses as expert sources. The Truth About Nursing's ultimate goal is to foster growth in the size and diversity of the nursing profession at a time of critical shortage, strengthen nursing practice, teaching and research, and improve the health care system. Mission statement.
Click on it. It’s a video.
Go to a Mall. Inspire Curiosity. Write Down Answers to the question:
Short Pump Mall Near the kiddie train & the play area, and the tree
Ask questions to get people thinking. Why do nurses need so much education? Fill in the gaps between what people think nurses do and the reality. Breakdown stereotypes. Wooden ornaments to color. Chocolate. Glow sticks. Paper snow flakes. Sparkly markers and crayons, and plain ones. Free fun at the mall, at Christmas time!
Nurses work hard Nurses anticipate a problem/issue with a patient before it happens so they can alert doctors Nurses are good listeners Nurses save lives everyday…we are proud of our nurses and thankful for all they do! ~Subhas Bose MD
Nurses are compassionate and they are great caregivers Nurses study biology, social work, chemistry Nurses check hearts and look at throats Check vitals, give meds, wake you up every 2hrs or when you just get to sleep ~elderly woman, widowed this week, husband died of a heart attack
Nurses admin. meds and check vitals. They are always the first to answer the call when a patient calls. Nurses— -caretakers -study extensively to be prepared for the variety of situations they face -so much more than “just a nurse” Give shots, distribute meds, help asthma/breathing, take vital signs Nurses help people if they are sick or injured ~age 8
Help get stuff out of their bodies~7 year old, mom is a STICU RN Help comfort hurt people, offer assurance Help ~age 4 Help people survive, help people who have tragic accidents ~age 7 Help people if they are sick or injured
Nurses listen to hearts with stethoscopes ~age 4 Assist doctors, triage I don’t know but it’s hard ~high school German foreign exchange student, mom is a nurse who cares for alcoholics
Johnson & Johnson provided free educational resources including this coloring book. It lacks clarity about the role of nurses, however.
German foreign exchange student and his American family.
Free brochures from Johnson & Johnson These are spot on. They do not inadvertently promote stereotypes.
Through the experience I have learned how important it is for all nurses to continually ask themselves, “What do nurses do? What do I do? Why?” I am comfortable keeping the answer to myself and uncomfortable sharing, especially if I feel I am invading someone else’s time to do it.. Nurses are autonomous, highly skilled, highly educated healthcare professionals. I think the people at Short Pump Mall helped me understand this while I tried to help them understand.