Careers in nursing.

A few weeks ago, I touched the lives of 5000 people. Speaking to an audience of five hundred, made up of nurses, physicians, lawyers, teachers, students, ministers, FBI agents, and consumers, I challenged each of them to spread the word about the importance of health care and the need to improve our societal infrastructure upon which the healthcare delivery system is built. Each of those people will interact with at least 10 others. They will talk about health as part of our everyday life and the important contributions of nurses.

The occasion was the 14th Annual Salute to a Black Nurse presented by the Greater Washington, DC Chapter of the National Black Nurses Association. It was the culmination of a very busy week in which many nurses demonstrated their knowledge, competence, and compassion.

Two days later, nurse researchers with doctorates met with community nurse leaders to develop concept papers addressing critical problems in the African-American community such as violence, HIV/AIDS, teenage pregnancy, and immunizations. These papers would later be developed into full research proposals and submitted to foundations or government agencies for funding. The nurse researchers brought knowledge gained from 10 years of undergraduate and graduate education, and experience in developing, implementing and disseminating scientific and scholarly work to the group. The community nurse leaders brought four to six years of undergraduate and graduate education and their experience in developing programs to address social problems within their community.

Meanwhile, nurses attending the American Hospital Association's meeting were all on Capitol Hill presenting testimony to senators and congressmen about proposed health care reform. One of the delegations was headed by Ophelia Long, R.N., B.S.N., Chief Executive Officer for Alameda County Medical Center, a health care system comprising clinics, an acute care facility, a long-term care facility, and a psychiatric facility. Long began her career as a staff nurse in critical care. She later became the Director of Critical Care Nursing, Director of Nursing, and eventually Chief Operating Officer.

The following night, the National Black Nurses Foundation honored four people for their contributions to society. Included in the honorees was Dr. Betty Smith Williams, one of the founding members of the National Black Nurses Association and former dean of the University of Colorado, School of Nursing. Dr. Williams sits on the Board of Directors of Blue Cross, Southern California. Barbara Sable, R.N., M.S.N. former Commissioner of Social Services City of New York, was also honored.

Dr. Hilda Richards, Chancellor of Indiana University-Northwestern Campus, presented Sable with the award. Dr. Richards began her nursing career as a psychiatric nurse; later she became a teacher, dean, and vice chancellor. In 1993, she became the first African-American woman and nurse to hold the position of Chancellor of a predominantly white university.

The next day began with a press conference at the Capitol in honor of National Black Nurses' Day. In the audience were several nurse lobbyists employed by manufacturers, insurance companies, and professional groups. Nurse attorneys who represented members of congress, professional societies, and special interest groups presented their views on health care reform.

Two nurses, staff members from the FBI, discussed the importance of occupational health nursing and assisted employers to cope with the stressors related to work. Everyday nurses touch the lives of thousands and contribute to healthier work environments and communities.

Nursing is a diverse, multidimensional profession. Careers in nursing include staff nurses who work in hospitals and health care systems. The vast majority of nurses (76 percent) work in clinical settings, where they are responsible for direct patient care. Clinical nursing affords nurses an array of opportunities including the care of children--pediatrics nursing; the care of critically ill babies--neonatal nursing; and the care of women--obstetrical and gynecological nursing. Staff nurses obtain further education and experience to care for specific patient populations. For example, oncology nursing provides care for patients diagnosed with cancer. Mental health nursing includes the care of patients with acute psychiatric disorders, as well as adults and children requiring psycho-social counseling.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Quarterly (Fall 1993), "Among the 500 occupations for which projections were developed, 25 will account for over half of total employment growth over the 1992-2005 period." Second on that list of occupations is that of registered nurses, an occupation projected to grow by 765,000 positions during that time period. The Occupational Outlook Quarterly goes on to say, "Employment in the health services industries will increase by 4.2 million and account for 17 percent of total job growth."

Also, nurses will earn top-level starting salaries for new college graduates, according to the Collegiate Employment Research Institute's Salary Report 1992-93 and the College Placement Council's Salary Survey for 1992-93--$29,868, among the highest starting salaries for graduates in the class of 1994.

Other careers in nursing require advanced preparation at the master's or doctoral level. Nurse educators and researchers usually have a master's, and many have doctorates. Nurse attorneys have a bachelor's and a juris doctor degree. Nurse midwives have a master's degree, as do nurse practitioners. In the United States there are over two million registered nurses who work in homes, hospices, chemical dependency units, hospitals, clinics, operating rooms, air carriers, submarines, law offices, coal mines, schools, housing centers, airlines, insurance companies, courts, pharmaceutical firms, and the United States Congress. The Honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson is the first African-American nurse in the U.S. Congress.

A career in nursing offers many opportunities, challenges, and rewards. You will touch the lives of hundreds of thousands and you will be rewarded by an excellent salary, good benefits, and fulfillment from having been of service to humankind. Nursing requires brains, courage, and heart. It's a wonderful profession--join us!

Dr. Linda Burnes Bolton is president, National Black Nurses Association, Inc. and director, Nursing Research and Development, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.