On August 15, 2019, Ann Cashion, the director of the National Institute of Nursing Research (part of the National Institutes of Health) resigned. In her place the NIH appointed a dentist to act as interim director and a biophysicist/biochemist to act at deputy director. 

Nursing is an autonomous profession. Nurses make independent assessments, decisions and take action to save lives without being directed to do so. Nurses have their own research inquiries. They earn research degrees--PhDs. Nurses have no need to be directed by anyone from another profession. To appoint a non-nurse, especially an older white man, sends a signal that nurses are incapable, uneducated ninnies who need paternal know-how and direction. It is damaging to nurses as individuals and nursing as a profession. It sends the wrong impression of nursing autonomy to members of the public who also do not understand nursing autonomy. They get this idea from the media, which only consults nurses for 2% of their health articles. If the media doesn't know nurses have autonomy or anything to add to the public conversation on health the cycle of ignorance surrounding the value of nursing will continue. To know how to direct nursing or nursing research, one must be a nurse.

.@NIHDirector Hello. What on Earth is going on at the @NINR? A dentist has been appointed as the interim director and another non-nurse the deputy director. How could this be for real? https://ninr.nih.gov/aboutninr/directors-message

@NIHDirector @NINR Are you aware that #nurses go to college? Get PhDs? Are sitting outside your office moving the world forward through their innovative research? We are supposed to be living in a more enlightened time, but the #NIH doesn't seem to have noticed

.@NIHDirector @NINR If a male nurse was chosen as interim director it would be fine. But choosing a white man who is not a nurse to direct research of a profession made up of 90% women is a special insult, suggesting nurses are incapable of thinking, managing, or directing

.@NIHDirector @NINR This idea that non-nurses have any rightful place leading nurses suggests no knowledge of nursing autonomy. Nurses independently assess & plan care delivery. They have research inquiries. Nurses do not answer to physicians. Or dentists. https://truthaboutnursing.org/faq/autonomy.html

We urge @NIHDirector to recall the appointments of both @NINR interim director Lawrence Tabak, and deputy director @TSchwetz--or they should step down. Appoint nurses to these positions and never appoint anybody but a nurse to these positions in the future

.@NIHDirector @NINR How often do you appoint nurses to lead the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research 
@NIDCR? We looked and found an actual dentist sitting in that chair. How does that make any sense? Appoint a nurse!

.@NIHDirector @NINR We note that @NIH has an actual speech-language pathologist directing the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders @NIDCD. Great choice! An expert in deafness is leading the @NIH division researching deafness!*!

.@NIHDirector @NINR See how easy it is? Start with someone who actually has a degree in nursing--certifications, licenses, experience in nursing research-- all that stuff indicating expertise in the profession they are going to lead & you'll be closer to finding the right leader!