Media Reviews & Analysis | The Truth About Nursing

President G.W. Bush petition

The Nursing Vision
Baltimore, Maryland

April 2003

Dear President Bush:

We are writing to protest the omission of paramedics and registered nurses in the list of "first responders" you mentioned in your March 19, 2003 speech to the nation about the start of hostilities in Iraq. You said that one reason for the war was to address terrorism at the source before it fell to "fire fighters and police and doctors on the streets of our cities."

Health care workers do serve in this "on the streets" capacity, but it is paramedics who play a central role, and nurses are also more involved than physicians. Of course, once patients reach a hospital, physicians do take their places as part of the health care team.

One of the most important public health crises of our time is the nursing shortage. When our leaders fail to credit the front-line work of nurses, that work is devalued. Young people may not realize that nurses save or improve millions of lives every day. One critical step in resolving the nursing shortage is for our leaders to recognize the contributions of nurses. We invite you or a member of your staff to join us at work for a day, to learn what we do and why my work is so important to the health of our nation.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Members of The Nursing Vision