| Co-author to conduct
signing at MNA Convention. New book teaches nurses why
and how to communicate to the public
At the beginning of their groundbreaking new
book, From Silence to Voice: What Nurses Know and Must Communicate
to the Public (Canadian Nurses Association 2000), co-authors
Suzanne Gordon and Bernice Buresh lay out a vision for the
future of nursing. They write: "Envision how things would
be if the voice and visibility of nursing were commensurate
with the size and importance of nursing in health care."
In such a world, the author's believe:
• Health care facilities are amply
staffed with RNs
• Patients are fully cognizant of the role nurses play
in their survival and recovery
• Officials and administrators acknowledge that hospitals
are as much nursing as medical institutions and pledge the
resources to support nursing.
• Policy makers, administrators, the news media, and the
general public regard nurses as experts on health care and
seek out their opinions and recommendations.
• Nurses receive the three Rs that foster professional
satisfaction – Respect, Recognition and Reward.
Nurses have the means, motivation and opportunity
to realize these goals through effective public communication
and action, according to the authors. In this long-awaited book,
From Silence to Voice explores the cultural practices that have
maintained nursing's low visibility and relative silence. They
describe how some nurse have achieved major victories by organizing
public campaigns, and present a step-by-step guide that every
nurse can use in her or his daily work to reach out to the media
and the public.
Among the case histories presented in this book are those
focusing on campaigns developed and implemented by the Massachusetts
Nurses Association through the MNA Department of Public Communications,
and through the leadership, courage and conviction of MNA
members and staff.
According to famed nurse researcher and author Patricia Benner,
RN, PhD, FAAN, From Silence to Voice "is a gift of clearly
stated respect for the worth of nursing work; a manifesto
calling on nurses to apply their courage and develop their
skills to speak out forcefully and effectively to the public
and in the media; and a practical step-by-step guide providing
inspiring, confident approaches to increasing nurses' visibility
and voice in media and policy arenas."
The 286-page text is a must read for every nurse who aspires
to lead and speak for her profession, and it is an excellent
text for nursing faculty to place on their student's reading
lists. To order this book, go to Amazon.com
and purchase it online, nowto purchase! Click here to
see other nursing books
published or recommended by the MNA
Copies of From Silence to Voice will be on sale during the
luncheon of the MNA Covention Program on Nov. 10 at
the World Trade Center in Boston and co-author Bernise Buresh
will be on hand to sign copies of the book. |
