Excerpt from letter to the editor.I read, with interest, June Benoit's article in the November issue of Vermont Nurse Connection ... I am a retired Registered Nurse, having worked since graduation in 1969 from Russell Sage College Russell Sage College (often Russell Sage or RSC) is a women's college located in Troy, New York, approximately 150 miles north of New York City in the Capital District. It is one of the three colleges that make up The Sage Colleges. . I have worked in many different areas, ending my full time career as an office nurse in an Internal Medicine practice. I read with particular care, the sobering fact that out of 2.7 million nurses only 150,000 are members of the ANA. I'll tell you why I never joined. First and foremost was the cost. Now it makes sense, the more members of an organization, the less the cost. Right?! So, what did the ANA and the VSNA VSNA Vermont State Nurses' Association, Inc. VSNA Vines Sna Service do? They kept raising the cost of membership. To a new graduate, or a hardworking RN in the prime of her career, the expense seemed ominous compared to what the organization could do for her. Suffice suf·fice v. suf·ficed, suf·fic·ing, suf·fic·es v.intr. 1. To meet present needs or requirements; be sufficient: These rations will suffice until next week. it to say, that a large percentage of the membership in ANA is made up of nurse educators A nurse educator is a nurse who teaches and prepares licensed practical nurses (LPN) and registered nurses (RN) for entry into practice positions. Nurse Educators also teach in graduate programs at Master’s and doctoral level which prepare advanced practice nurses, nurse and those with higher degrees, and not the RNs who work the trenches and don't have the time or money to devote to the organization. Prove me wrong. If I sound bitter, I am. The profession worked me to death, paid me little, gave me no respect from my peers and caused me to retire to something I really enjoy. Ms. Benoit is right on target when she suggests that "every new member will help strengthen our organization and, in the end, will help ensure quality health care for all." Nurses need to stand up and fight for the changes that need to occur within the profession and the health care system in this country. We need to fix what is badly broken. I applaud the ANA and what it is trying to do for nurses, but its effect is but a ripple in the ongoing problems with nursing as it exists in the real world and health care in general. Try reducing your dues, increasing your efforts, produce miracles and recruit, recruit, recruit. Tell a young woman that she will have a great career in a respected field and mean it. Good luck. Sincerely, Kathryn T. Brown, R.N. Pittsford, Vermont Pittsford is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 3,140. Pittsford was first settled as a frontier town in 1769, about 60 miles from Bennington. If you wish to submit a "Letter to the Editor," please address it to: Vermont State Nurses' Association Attn: Vermont Nurse Connection 100 Dorset Street Dorset Street can refer to:
South Burlington South Burlington, city (1990 pop. 12,809), Chittenden co., NW Vt., on Lake Champlain; inc. 1971. Electronic equipment, skiing equipment, and medical instruments are manufactured. Burlington International Airport is there. , VT 05403 Please remember to include contact information, as letter authors may need to be contacted by the editors of the VNC (Virtual Network Computing) Open source remote control software for accessing host computers from a variety of remote clients. A VNC "server" is the host being accessed, while the VNC "client" is the remote device doing the controlling and viewing. for clarification. NOTE: Letters to the Editor reflect the opinions of the letter authors and should not be assumed to reflect the opinions of the Vermont State Nurses' Association. Jean Graham, Editor |
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