AAN President's Pages
Giving voice when barriers are in place: Academy's continued response to the U.S. migrant crisis
Heart wrenching. Maddening. Implausible. Any of these words and more can describe the emotions of so many Academy fellows who have written to me and other members of the leadership team expressing their deepest concern with the treatment of migrant individuals at the United States’ southern border. The American Academy of Nursing (Academy), like so many of our partner organizations, is utterly dismayed by the inhuman treatment of children, women, and men who are attempting to enter our country. Health professionals and citizens alike are pained by the recent media reports of children dying in custody, the lack of consistent medical care, and quite simply an unacceptable lack of basic hygiene (Romero et.President Message
In March of 2019, the Board of Directors approved the American Academy of Nursing's Policy Priorities for 2019-2020. The process began by seeking insights from the organization's Expert Panels (EPs). With 24 EPs, the organization has a wealth of knowledge that is broadly defined, but also includes specific bodies of research and practice that help inform policy at the institutional, state, and federal levels. Last year, in an attempt to narrow the organization's focus, the Board selected particular policy priorities that were key drivers in only a few select areas.Moving to Impact: Creating Policy Alignment
With over 2,700 fellows, the American Academy of Nursing's intellectual capital is vast. Adding the expertise of the honorary fellows yields infinite networks that create a depth and breadth of knowledge which encompasses nearly all healthcare issues and much beyond that scope as well. This is the true strength of the association. At the same time, that broad scope begs the question: can we do it all? This challenge is particularly relevant when it comes to policy matters. The world of policy is saturated with equally expert views that may be consistent, similar, or contrary to that of the Academy.Reducing toxic stress experienced by children living in poverty
In my last President's Message I shared the five policy areas set by the Academy Board of Directors. They are:May you live in interesting times!
At this year's policy conference, as in past years, we highlighted nursing initiatives that are transforming health, leading change, influencing policy, and ultimately improving the health of our nation. It is no accident that the conference focused heavily on social justice given the fact that our nation and the world continue to face ongoing challenges to human rights. Those challenges sadly come in all too familiar expressions—racism, threats to immigrants, limiting women's access to reproductive services, underestimating the impact of climate change on global health, injury, death and psychological impact of gun violence, and many others.
