Oregon Nurse Educator Heads Team Lobbying Congress for a National Nurse

WASHINGTON, DC, JUNE 28, 2005

Teri Mills, RN, MS, ANP is leading a team of nurses to meet with members of Congress this week to garner support for legislation establishing an Office of the National Nurse. Mills has been working on this concept for three years, but her vision now has nationwide support since her guest editorial calling for an Office of the National Nurse appeared in the national edition of the New York Times on May 20, 2005.

Mills is on the faculty of the nursing program at Portland Community College (Portland, OR) and she maintains her clinical practice as a nurse practitioner during the summer.

Joining Mills are Roxanne Fulcher, the Director of Health Professions Policy at the American Association of Community Colleges; Patricia Carroll RN, MS, an author and health careers educator in Connecticut; and Terri Polick, RN of Maryland.

The National Nurse team is meeting with Mills’ home state US Representatives David Wu (D-OR) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), who placed Mills’ guest editorial in the Congressional Record.

They are also meeting with the three US Representatives who are nurses and leaders of the House Nursing Caucus: Lois Capps (D-CA), Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), and Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY).

Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) welcome the team on June 29th.

Appointments with other Members are pending once scheduling can be confirmed.

Nurses and their supporters across the country believe that establishing this post will ultimately improve the health of our citizens. Patients have always looked to nurses to learn about their condition and treatment plan. The Office of the National Nurse will take education to local communities, teaching people of all ages how to: stay healthy, prevent injuries, recognize early signs of illness, manage chronic conditions, and when to see a health care provider.

Nurses continually top the Gallup Organization’s annual survey on the honesty and ethical standards of the professions, making an Office of the National Nurse an ideal platform from which to drive credible health education.

Mills says, “During a time when healthcare is becoming less affordable and accessible to millions of Americans, it is time for us to look at solutions that will benefit all of us.” In addition, with the ongoing nursing shortage the United States is facing that is expected to worsen in the next decade, Mills explains, “It is important for Americans to understand the critical role of nurses in our health care system and the value of the work they perform. This will encourage others to enter the nursing profession.”

For more information: http://www.nationalnurse.info