Today's assignment

WAP 9/12/72 WASHINGTON: Pres. Nixon met 9/12 with representatives of the National League of Nursing, an organization promoting the role of nurses in delivering health services. In a ceremony in the White House, Dr. Anne Kibrick (left), chairman of the graduate school of nursing at Boston College, made Nixon an honorary member. (UPI) rkm/rem

He's already hip-deep in obstruction of justice. I wonder what she saw, looking into his eyes?

Go to NurseManifest - A Call to Conscience and Action

Read the Manifesto

Join the Nurses Declaration of Solidarity and Resistance

Read about Giants in Nursing. and what they did:
Louisa May Alcott
Beverly Malone
Isabel Hampton Robb
Mary Agnes Snively
Clara Barton
Mabel Keaton Staupers
Lillian Wald
Emma Goldman
Ethel Johns
Marcie Cooper
Susie Walking Bear Yellowtail
Lavinia Lloyd Dock
Diana J. Mason
Florence Nightingale
Mary Seacole
Joanne Banks
Sandy Summers
Mary Breckinridge
Afaf Ibrahim Meleis
Wilma Scott Heide
Grayce Sills
Monica McLemore
Jeanne Mance
Margaret Sanger
Dorothea Fox Jakob
Elizabeth Berrey
Robin Lim
Rhetaugh Graves Dumas
Nurses for Social Responsibility
Marion Cronin
Christine Tanner
Rula Al Safar
Harriet Tubman
Carolyn McCarthy
Cathy Crowe
Jo Ann Ashley
Sojourner Truth

To the American Nurses Association and the American Academy of Nursing

I'm writing to ask for your leadership in leveraging your clear statements of opposition to separating families at the border by the American Nurses Association and the American Academy of Nursing(pdf). It is a moral and humanitarian crisis, not just a political one. 

Today's call by the president* for deportation without due process is chilling.

If this doesn't stop, what happens next?

Nurses continue to be the professionals most trusted by the public. We've earned that trust, and are tasked with providing guidance to our colleagues and the public, based on sound and objective evidence. We are advocates and educators. Our actions are based on caring.

The AAN's statement regarding toxic stress, and the ANA's second and more definitive statement of opposition are good first steps. 

Is that good enough? Are we doing enough? What else can we do? 

I ask that we use our positions of privilege to speak loudly and act decisively on behalf of the most vulnerable, including children and women, who are suffering NOW.

1. Expand and promote the ANA's and AAN's statements within and among all other nursing organizations and associations - clinical specialties; regional, state, and local affiliates; student nursing organizations; and other like professional, caregiving, and advocacy organizations.

2. Mobilize membership and support their continued professional development, including access to credible sources for information, and to organizations that need our support.

3. Emphasize the essential responsibility of each nurse as an individual to become informed and active in the participatory process called 'democracy,' which includes ongoing contact with elected representatives at every level, so that each individual voice is heard; and exercising First Amendment rights of free speech, association, and protest.

Please help. Please lead. We must not throw away the public trust that's been was so hard-earned. 

-- 
Jerry Soucy, RN CHPN
Clinical and Community Educator
Death Nurse, LLC

I don't identify as Christian, but...

Matthew 25:31-46  - The Sheep and the Goats

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

How children separated from their families are being harmed

From the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard

From the American Academy of Nursing's press release:

"The American Academy of Nursing has long supported the reduction of toxic stress associated with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to improve the health of the nation. ACEs can affect brain development and impair mental, physical and emotional health for children that may have long-lasting negative effects throughout life. The Academy convened a Critical Conversation in October 2017 on “Toxic Stress in Children Living in Poverty” to start the conversation with cross-sector partners to identify and implement promising practices to prevent toxic stress in at-risk children. The Academy subsequently published “Critical conversation: Toxic stress in children living in poverty” in the March/April 2018 issue of its journal,Nursing Outlook."

Full article - Critical conversation: Toxic stress in children living in poverty

Previous posts:

Urgent action - all nurses needed

Tracking what nursing orgs are saying

Call to action for HPNA and other nursing orgs

Urgent action, all nurses needed

Urgent action, all nurses needed

It's time to lead - there's no other choice.

Our Free Press and Legal System are the only things protecting our democracy. Nurses must join the fight.

How to help parents and kids separated at the border:

GIVE MONEY

RAICES: This Texas-based organization offers free and low-cost legal services to immigrant children and families. Donate to their family reunification bond fund.

ACLU: Fighting this inhumane executive order in court.

THE FLORENCE PROJECT: Provides free legal and social services to detained immigrants in Arizona.

More ways to help listed here.

CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS

Capital Switchboard - 202-224-3121

Demand they endorse and co-sponsor S.3036 - The Keep Families Together Act.

If your senator is a Democrat, THANK THEM.

If your senator is a republican, ask them how they want to be remembered at this moment in history.

CONTACT YOUR NURSING ASSOCIATION

The American Nurses Association calls for an immediate halt to separating families at the border.

Call ANA to THANK THEM.

Shannon McClendon, 301-628-5391
Joan Hurwitz, 301-628-5020
Call HPNA 412-787-9301 . Dial ‘5’ for the executive offices, and ask Holly to convey your request they rescind their Presidential Citation awarded to the senior senator from Maine, a republican, who has so far done nothing more than issue a toothless letter.  Letters don’t change policy. Collins must endorse and co-sponsor S.3036 if she wants to keep this award.

“The American Nurses Association (ANA) adamantly opposes the Administration's policy and practices toward migrants and asylum seekers that result in the forcible separation of children from their families.  These actions put the welfare of immigrant children at risk and are causing irreparable harm, such as, negative physical and emotional symptoms from separation and detention, including anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. ... The Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements (ANA, 2015) calls on all nurses to always act to preserve the human rights of vulnerable groups such as children, women and refugees. … We cannot continue with a policy that is so immoral and cruel to children and families.”

“Nursing is intelligent caring.” Anne Kibrick

These are not normal times. We don’t have the privilege of sitting back and doing nothing.

Genocide is the deliberate destruction, in whole or in part, by a government or its agents, of a racial, sexual, religious, tribal or political minority. It can involve not only mass murder, but also starvation, forced deportation, and political, economic and biological subjugation. Genocide involves three major components: ideology, technology, and bureaucracy/organization.

Jones, Adam (2006), "Chapter 1: The Origins of Genocide,’ Genocide: A Comprehensive Introduction, Routledge/Taylor & Francis Publishers, pp. 15–18, ISBN 0-415-35385-8.

Tracking what nursing orgs are saying

UPDATE 6/20/18 6pm

The American Academy of Nursing issued this press release yesterday:

Separation of Children from their Parents Increases Likelihood of Toxic Stress

Washington, D.C. (June 19, 2018) –– The American Academy of Nursing strongly urges US Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) Kirstjen Nielsen and US Attorney General Jeff Sessions to reverse the recently released policy guidance on “Zero Tolerance Immigration Prosecutions.”

The purpose of this policy is to deter illegal immigration into the U.S. by prosecuting adults that enter the country unlawfully, during which time they are separated from their children that accompanied them during the journey. This includes those seeking asylum by attempting to cross into the US after fleeing from poverty, war, gang and domestic violence. (snip)

The Academy reiterates its opposition to the inhumane policy of separating a large and growing number of immigrant children from their parents at the US border. The damaging toxic stress this practice burdens children with is not politically or morally justifiable. 

The Academy implores the administration to reverse this policy, for the health and safety of the children who are directly impacted by it and for their long-term health.

As nurse leaders we have an obligation to stand against this harmful action and urge the nation to cease such unwarranted and unnecessary action.

UPDATE 6/19/18 4:30pm

"The American Nurses Association (ANA) adamantly opposes the Administration’s policy and practices toward migrants and asylum seekers that result in the forcible separation of children from their families."

Read full text of statement here

---

Just a start. More, please.

Following yesterday's post, I'm going to start tracking what nursing organizations in the US are saying and doing about the administration's* decision to violate international law, torture families, and piss on the idea of America.

• American Nurses Association - issued statement 6/8/18.
• State nursing associations, alphabetically
• Specialty nursing organizations, alphabetically
• ?

What you can do:

1. Call your senators. If any of your senators are Democrats, THANK THEM because all 48 Democratic Senators have endorsed and are co-sponsors of  S.3036, The Keep Families Together Act.
   If any your senators are republicans, DEMAND they endorse and co-sponsor S.3036, The Keep Families Together Act. So far, none have. 0. Zero. Not one of them. Shameful.
   US Capitol switchboard 202-224-3121
2. Call your professional organization(s) and urge them to go on the record condemning this action in the clearest terms. 'Troubled' doesn't go far enough. 'Appalled' is getting there. 'Outraged' seems most appropriate in this context. 
3. Give money, time, energy and more to those organizations directly facing with this on the ground and in the courts:

• Families Belong Together is a site for protest, organizing and resources.
• The RAICES Family Reunification and Bond Fund is raising money to support families seeking reunification and in need of bond money.
• The Catholic Charities Humanitarian Respite Center in McAllen Texas, is on the front lines for post-court support and is seeking donations for families once released. There is an Amazon Wish List as well as a donation mailing address. 

Call to action for HPNA (and other nursing orgs)

WTAF?!? BFM, IMHO.

Last March, the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association, of which I'm a member, announced several awards. These awards are given to recognize the outstanding work of notable contributors to our field. 

I'm proud to know some of the recipients personally, or at least to have met and listened to them. I've certainly gained much benefit from the work of every one in some way. Our colleagues are awesome.

Recognition and awards are important. They have meaning - or they should. 

A trophy inscribed, "Everybody Gets an Award!" is hard to take seriously in some contexts, but it's still a nice sentiment, because almost everybody likes and deserves some kind of recognition.

But when an ostensibly important award goes to someone so obviously undeserving... that's another matter.

Such was the case when HPNA named the senior senator from Maine as the 2018 recipient of the "Presidential Citation Award."

Ugh.

There's nothing in the text of the announcement above to justify any kind of award or special recognition, except maybe one for perfect attendance. "...never missing a vote in her 20 years in office."

Seriously?! A senator is given an award for voting on legislation? Isn't that part of the job description? Isn't voting something she's supposed to do?!?

In the immortal words of Chris Rock:

I'm much less interested in "never missing a vote," and much more interested in what those votes are.

The announcement also notes she was," ...a key voice in the recent Affordable Care Act discussions." That's technically accurate, if you want to call the relentless republican attacks on the law, "discussions."

As long as we're talking about taking health care away from people, that's the execrable token woman Diane Black front and center, cheering heartily last year after House republicans voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act. She currently represents TN-6, but is running for governor as a flat-out nutjob. She's all-in on trumpist anti-humantity, and still calls herself a nurse. Disgusting. Please do what you can to see that she's soundly trounced.

Back to the senior senator from Maine. Whatever small sliver of heroism, or a cookie, she may have gained by preventing the Senate from following the House at that time, she promptly pissed it away by backing the equally horrible income redistribution bill and rich person's tax cut.

She also demonstrated either her procedural incompetence or utter cynicism with her feeble, and eventually unsuccessful, attempts "fix" the damage caused to the ACA by the tax bill she voted on.

I'm not a big fan of WaPo's Jennifer Rubin, but she nails the senior senator from Maine to wall in, 'Susan Collins in enabling a bad tax bill.'

Why does this even matter? Why now?

One simple reason: It's currently the U.S. government's policy to separate families arriving at the border seeking asylum and protection from violence, promulgated through an executive order by the president*.

Immigrant families are being separated
at the U.S.-Mexico border. (VOX)

Conclusive Proof

These are not normal times. We need leadership now more than ever, and in particular we need women leaders and others who've been marginalized and ignored to step up and take charge.

So, what to do next:

1. If you're a member of HPNA, contact the organization to let them know you're displeased with the 2018 Presidential Citation being awarded to the senior senator from Maine.
   
   Call HPNA 412-787-9301, press '5' for executive staff. You'll talk to a very helpful executive or administrative assistant. Be courteous, and ask them to convey your message to Leonard Mafrica - he's responsible for keeping the association president and board informed about what members care about.
2. Specifically tell HPNA to withdraw its award immediately UNLESS the senior senator from Maine  openly endorses and becomes a co-sponsor of S.3036 The Keep Families Together Act.No other action by HPNA or the senior senator from Maine is adequate or acceptable.
   
   Today she tried to pass off an angry letter (toothless pdf) and lame weaslespeak ("...(S. 3036) is not the answer.") as substitutes for meaningful action. SORRY, NOT NEARLY GOOD ENOUGH AT ALL.
3. If you're a member of any other nursing specialty organization, state or national association, local chapter, or other similar group in nursing or elsewhere - Do this same action. Get them openly on board for S.3036.
   
   ***When you've done so, note the organization and phone number here in the comments. I'll post updates every day on this blog.***
4. Call YOUR senator now asking them to endorse and co-sponsor S. 3036. If your senator is a democrat, they already have, so CALL and THANK THEM. If your senator is a republican, ask how they want to be remembered at this specific moment in history.
   
   So far, no republican senators endorse the Dems' Keep Families Together Act. 
   US Capitol switchboard 202-224-3121
5. Decide what other actions to take by visiting
   Keep Families Together Campaign on Facebook
6. Use #keepfamiliestogether in your own social media posts on this issue.
7. Follow Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin on this issue and others.

Nursing is intelligent caring. Time to act.