Will the Real Nurse Please Stand Up?

Will the “real nurse” please stand up? Unlike the classic game show “To tell the truth” (where this tag line was taken from) the true identity is not limited to one. We are all of course “real nurses” yet even in progress and innovative times of the smart, savvy health care consumers there are still people who don’t understand that nurses go beyond those who provide direct patient care. They can’t image that someone who works in informatics, the editor of a nursing journal, or a consultant for a TV show or movies with medical scenes as nurses.
We as nurses must educate the public and clear up the misconception of the “real nurse”.
In order to articulate and clarify the public perception of what a nurse is we must become more visible in our communities showcasing our area of expertise.
Stepping into a nurse liaison role in is an excellent opportunity to educate the public on the many roles of nursing. Nurse Liaisons represent nursing at the state level or in their community by selecting from a list of agencies who desire to be connected with a Nurse Liaison. A Nurse Liaison assists their agency by attending meetings and as serve an advocate, resource, and educator. A Nurse Liaison keeps their agency informed on current health issues, and is the connection between the agency and NCNA.
The overarching goal of a nurse liaison is to improve care for all of North Carolina and this truly the reason all of us “real nurses” went into the profession.
This is an excerpt from an article I wrote for our district newsletter to get people more informed about the role of the nurse liaison.
I thought I would also share this because in our meeting in Aug. we discussed clarifying the image of the nurse as one of the goals of the liaisons. What do you think we could do to better help the public understand the diverse roles of an nurse?

Welcome

Fellow Nurse Liaison:

Thanks to everyone who participated in our Nurse Liaison meeting yesterday. I am confident that we have identified a clearer vision for who we are and where we are going. I look forward to staying in touch with everyone via our Nurse Liason blog.