The Promise of Nursing
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View a Photo Gallery of this
Event! |
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| Pictured above (right to left):
Linda D. Gregory, CNCC Manager, and Jennifer Hermann,
CNCC member, leading the first RN Ambassador Pledge. |
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Johnson & Johnson made a significant
contribution to the efforts addressing California's nursing
shortage when they hosted The Promise of Nursing for Northern
California at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. $675,000
was raised for undergraduate nursing school scholarships, graduate
nursing education scholarships to prepare nursing faculty and
faculty development grants.
Although the event was a fundraiser,
it was overwhelmingly a night to celebrate nurses. Out of
the 900 guests, over 700 were nurses — nurses from health
care organizations to educators. The audience was shown a
poignant video, "A Patient Perspective Documentary,"
which featured 8 patients talking about the impact a nurse
had on their care from a medical, emotional or spiritual level.
It was both moving and inspirational to hear each patient's
personal thoughts and intimate memories of a nurse going above
and beyond the call of duty. Each story portrayed a nurse
touching each of these patients in a profound and everlasting
way.
Another section of the evening was devoted
to the Coalition for Nursing Careers in California (CNCC).
Linda D. Gregory, RN, BSN, CNCC Manager and Jennifer Hermann,
RN, MS, CNCC member, took the stage to invite the audience
to take a pledge to become a RN Ambassador. According to Jennifer
Hermann, "As a member of CNCC, I was thrilled at the
opportunity to be able to present the Ambassador program to
over 750 nurses. Not only was J & J so wonderful by hosting
and underwriting this special event, they were kind enough
to allow CNCC the "air" time to share our worthy
cause and get the word out... Reciting the Ambassador pledge
for nursing at such a momentous event truly was remarkable.
On behalf of the nursing profession and CNCC, I truly want
to thank J & J for this opportunity. I imagine each nurse
speaking to 20 people and on and on to carry the message about
our great profession." The Ambassador Program, featured
on the chooseNursing.com
web site, is a call-to-action outreach that encourages nurses
to seek opportunities within their communities to speak positively
about their experiences and why they chose nursing as a career.
The program provides age-specific presentation tools and posters
that are easy to download. The goal is to influence and enhance
the image of nursing and to present the many opportunities
a nursing career offers.
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| Pledge
card |
The
Ambassador for Nursing Pledge
and a RN Ambassador lapel pin was at each place setting. As
the audience stood to recite the pledge, the unity, dedication
and pride was felt throughout the room. Imagine if each of the
700 nurses talked to 20 young people, there could be a possibility
of creating conversations with over 14,000 young people. The
multiplier effect potentially increased the number of nursing
school enrollment, thus increasing the number of professional
nurses practicing within our community.
It was an honor to share the evening
with so many dedicated and compassionate nurses. The pride
of the profession is truly overwhelming.
Release Date: November 5, 2002
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