2011 OMICRON DELTA BIENNIAL PRE-CONFERENCE
FOREVER CONTEMPORARY: FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Omicron Delta had the privilege of partnering with STTI to provide a pre-conference for STTI biennial convention participants on October 28, 2011 in Grapevine, Texas. Dr. Louise Selanders, a Registered Nurse and noted Nightingale historian and one of only five Nightingale Scholars in the world spoke on how Nightingale's work in nursing continues to be applicable today.
Dr. Selanders began her lecture by giving a history of Nightingale, how she was raised in the Unitarian church, a church that in Victorian England taught equality for all, a sentiment not supported in the legal system or traditions of the day despite a female regent. Nightingale's first battle as a nurse was not in her legendary work in the Crimea, but to admit patients who were not members of the Church of England to the hospital where she was the administrator. This was a testament to her beliefs in equality for all. It was this event that brought her to the attention of Secretary of War, Sydney Herbert, who sent Nightingale to the Crimea to take charge of the wounded, a completely unprecedented event. Remember this was an era where women had no rights and nurses were seen as little better than prostitutes. To send Nightingale to the Crimea, a person who was both a woman and a nurse, truly demonstrates how remarkable Florence Nightingale was even before the Crimea.
Nightingale in the Crimea became the legend. Dr. Selanders spoke of her Crimean experience. Nightingale arrived just after the Charge of the Light Brigade memorialized in the poem of the same name. Over 600 British soldiers were killed and more were wounded in less than an hour. She took charge of this disaster, a hospital called the Kingdom of Hell. Nightingale battled the physician in charge, who initially forbade her access to the wounded, but the sheer magnitude of wounded forced him to allow her access, and with that access she changed the system, and eventually the world. She changed the world with basic nursing care: cleanliness and nutrition. She then used evidence from her actions to prove their significance, becoming not only a legendary nurse, but also a legendary statistician and researcher.
After the Crimea, Nightingale continued to be incredibly productive. Her Notes on Nursing is the second most published book in English after the Bible. Nightingale passed away in her mid-90's. She struggled with Brucellosis contracted in the Crimea for her entire life.
Dr. Selanders asked, "What can Nightingale do for us in 2011?" She reminded us that health is a state of mind, not a state of being disease free. Nursing is about giving health to patients, being able to assist patients to use every power they have. Practice is about maximizing the power of the patient.
Nightingale reminds us that all nurses are leaders, and we must use that leadership to create changes in the healthcare system. She also reminds us that nurses need to be visible and an advocate for patients. Nightingale did not make her changes by being politically correct. She fought the system, she stood up to physicians and administrators for patients, and she changed the world because she was a visible and strong patient advocate. She earned the love of the public and the power of public opinion because of her stance on patient advocacy. In 2011, an equal stance on patient advocacy is crucial for nurses. We must become more visible, we must use the power given to us by patients, with their respect and trust in us, to advocate for them on a national and global level. Dr. Selanders gave an example of how patient advocacy can make a true difference by discussing the Nightingale Initiative for Global health, and their use of a substance called plumpynut to provide high quality nutrition to starving patients. Organizations like this make huge differences for patients, not with medicine, but with basic nursing care.
Dr. Selanders closed the session with a discussion on how as nurses we could continue in our quest to become more visible, to be leaders in healthcare and to advocate for patients. A rousing debate on the role of nursing education in this process followed. Dr. Selanders concluded with a very fitting Nightingale quote, "It is a noble calling, the calling of nurses, but it depends on you to make it noble."
Submitted by Carol Cates, Omicron Delta Education Planning Committee
CHAPTER SERVICE ACTIVITY:
In keeping with Omicron Delta's service identity-- Promoting Healthy Nurses and Communities through Collaboration - the chapter holds a service activity at each of the educational events. For the October 28, 2011 Pre-conference at the Biennial Convention in Grapevine, TX, the service activity was Rainbow Days.
Rainbow Days a Dallas-based nonprofit organization, was the service organization featured as this year’s service activity. One of our local members, Carol Cates, connected Omicron Delta with Rainbow Days. Sarah Page, Resource Development Coordinator gave a brief overview of the organization and the many services provided to the Dallas community. For 30 years, Rainbow Days has been inspiring and preparing children to live a life filled with promise. Through two award-winning programs, Community Connection & Family Connection, Rainbow Days teaches important life skills and offers support to children, youth and families living in high-risk situations in the Dallas community. Rainbow Days serves over 9,500 children and youth, ages 4-15, and over 500 parents at 80 different community-based sites including elementary schools, homeless shelters, transitional living centers, domestic violence centers, after-school programs, and recreation centers in the Dallas area. Rainbow Days core programs include: Curriculum-Based Support Groups (CBSGs®), Classroom-Based Education Programs, Smoking Prevention Classes, Mentored Arts Retreats, Family Outings, Summer Camps and a host of other supportive services. Through these innovative prevention programs, children learn how to: make good decisions with regard to alcohol, drugs and tobacco, set and achieve their goals, deal with problems and emotions effectively, resist peer pressure and identify ways to live a healthy and drug-free life. Since 1982, over 140,000 children have been served in the Dallas area and over 37,000 youth-serving professionals have been trained throughout the U.S. in how to implement a Rainbow Days’ support group or other prevention program with children in their community.
Rainbow Days is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and as a 501 c (3) organization, receives funding from foundations, corporations, individual donors, several state grants, and the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. Rainbow Days relies on the generosity of hundreds of private donors who contribute over $600,000 each year to help meet the critical needs of children in our community. Financial contributions are gratefully accepted at all levels. It does not take much to make a big difference in a child’s life:
** $25 helps to purchase a unique Learning Tool Kit for a homeless child to have upon leaving the shelter,
** $60 helps to purchase a brand new backpack filled with school supplies to help a child have a fresh start to the new school year,
** $150 helps a child to have an exciting day-long arts retreat where they create something new and learn together with a caring adult mentor.
** $250 helps to provide a 10-session support group for a child in need, where he or she will learn how to resist negative peer pressure, cope with difficult situations and make healthy choices.
** $300 helps to provide a homeless child with the opportunity to attend one of three special summer day camps.
If you would like to be a part of the Omicron Delta chapter donation to Rainbow Days, please send a check to Omicron Delta at the address below. Please make checks payable to Rainbow Days. All donations received prior to December 1, 2011 will be included as part of the chapter donation and we will report back to all of our members on what we were able to do for this organization. Thanks to all that consider a donation!
Send checks to: Omicron Delta - 20875 N. Pima Road, Mail Box 125 - Scottsdale, AZ 85255
