Last Spring, as I was contemplating leaving my career as a scientist (at the time, doing research on cystic fibrosis) and moving toward nursing, I attended a lecture at Oregon Health and Science University (a wonderful school for the health sciences, by the way), I attended a lecture by H. Jack geiger, M.D. M.Sci.Hyg titled, "Bearing Witness is Note Enough: The Health Care Provider's Role in Social Justice."  This was no stale lecture by an old man past his prime.  It was uplifting and inspiring.  He presented examples of simple, common-sense solutions for healthcare issues in rural Mississippi that really made a difference.  He served as yet another piece of my puzzle.  I didn't thank him, but hopefully my "witnessing" will be thanks enough.

So, the question.... Can any of you point to examples of inspiration in your own life?  Who inspired you to act not just as a nurse, but in the role of "justice seeker".  Maybe you are that inspiration.  Cdnurse, I don't know enough about you, but I imagine you have some stories that can be uplifting, given your area of focus.  I need to hear some inspiring stories right now.  I've let the specter of national politics bring me down.

Thanks.

P.S. And, for those of you interested in Dr. Geiger, here is the write-up on him:  "Dr. Geiger's work in social justice spans more than six decades.  In the 1960s, he founded the community health center model in the United States and was a leader in the development of the national health center network, currently comprised of 900 urban, rural, and migrant centers serving twelve million low-income patients.

"Dr. Geiger was a health care leader during the civil rights movements with the SNCC and Southern Cristian Leadership Conference.  He is a founding member and past President of both Physicians for Human Rights and internationally on human rights missions in Bosnia, Iraq, the West Bank and Gaza Strip, as well as the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa.  Most recently, he has written extensively on racial and ethnic disparities in domestic health care.

http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/about/20-years/dr-jack-geiger.html

How sad... I thought I could find some nurses interested in social justice.....

ok looked back at what exactly the question was. wow.. the research you are doing is amazing. i dont know how to say just how important it is. im not saying dont be a nurse. but, the work you do may not have the hands on but you can volunteer places and get that.  .. . .. ok.. first the social justice. and i dont know.... a bit of a tragedy and justice at the same time.  woops...sorry. i just leaned back in my chair to far and fell on over. ok.. anyway... when working at a few different nursing homes as a cna... i found the greatest pleasure in getting the people to laugh. for there isnt a whole lot of reasons to laugh. that provided me with alot of joy and still does as a nurse. the nursing home i worked in as a nurse there were some serious .. very serious things going on. one was this lpn who was stealing narcs. we all knew she was doing it. i mean the paperwork showed it....  when the rest of us nurses mite give a person a narc for pain once a month. she was giving these people narcs every so many hours they could have them. but, when one of us would come in... a pt would say they never received any pain pill... or the ones that couldnt speak so well.. would be crying out in pain. myself and another nurse called the state dept of health not only over this but for some dangerous deficiencies in care. all of us nurses - together - and one by one- went to the administrator to tell her this is going on. all she would say is.. i know and one of these days she's gonna hang herself. that is an abomination. something should have been done immediately. this nurse was already on probation for stealing narcs at another nursing home. then she was investigated by the state police after a large amount of narcotics disappeared. in both cases of investigation.. no doubt the administrator stood up for her. allowing her to get away with it. so it became that we had to follow up to try ease the pain of people who really needed the meds with tylenol or ibuprofen. this did little. the justice here is tragic. we had done all we could to get rid of this vampire. nothing had worked. however, recently she solved the problem herself. she went on vacation to hawaii and overdosed and died there. i absolutely despised her. but did not want to see her die. had this damn administrator done something, maybe all the pain the residents went thru and this nurses death need not have happened.  im still considering something i can do. if anyone has any ideas let me know please.

but the inspirational part of job as a nurse. to me.. getting to do the things that nurses do is so very inspirational to me. it makes me feel sooooo important. i wish i could explain. like i said... attempting to keep people laughing and getting them to was absolute joy for me. i used to be a case manager working with the developmentally disabled.  in the years i spent there.... i had well over 100 people on caseloads in places i worked. ONE.. only one person did i write a program for and they actually succeed. now i can help take away a person's pain.... and do so many other things that are tangible. i now work at a veterans hospital. the feellngs there can be immense. its such a pleasure to serve those who served our country. whether they saw action or not. to give them the utmost respect that they deserve.  maybe its not exactly where i wanna be as a nurse. but.. its so very heartening when one connects with a vet and becomes friends. please lemme know if this in anyway answers what you were asking.

lance