In Search of Nursing
By Mary Boone

Professor Susanna Cunningham working to increase the visibility of nursing

Some things are supposed to be undetectable: stealth bombers, hairpieces and panty lines.

The nursing profession, on the other hand, can't afford to stay under wraps, says Professor Susanna L. Cunningham, PhD. Nurses need to join forces to help students, educators and the public at large understand their vast and varied responsibilities.

"There are individual nurses out there who are actively representing our profession," says Cunningham. "There are moms and dads going into the classroom to talk about the eye or the heart or to participate in career day, but the profession as a whole is invisible."

Outreach, she says, is key to changing outdated and often ill-based thinking about nursing.

For her part, Cunningham is principal investigator of two science education grants.

"Making Connections: Making Choices" teaches lessons about the brain, updates in neurological research, how learning takes place and mental illness. "Addiction: Hijacking the Brain" builds on the "Making Connections" curriculum and includes training about the effect addictive drugs have on the brain. Both programs are designed for the general public, with components that target middle school students and their teachers in Washington, Idaho and Montana.

It's through the programs' in-school seminars, speakers bureaus and summer institutes that Cunningham and the grant teams are working to spread the word about nursing — one classroom, one teacher and one school at a time.

"Teachers traditionally don't steer the best students toward nursing," she says. "That's really why I'm involved. Dealing with the kids themselves helps those specific students, but it's not the most efficient way to get the word out. We must help teachers understand that we are one of the largest science professions and about the range of work we do."

Cunningham's involvement with professional science and health organizations have her wishing that nursing associations would take heed.

"When the Society for Neuroscience has a meeting, they arrange time to meet with high school students and talk to them about careers in the field," says Cunningham. "The American Association for the Advancement of Science and American Heart Association do the same thing. But nursing doesn't do it.

"There is such a shortage of people who want to be nurses that we need to reach out as a collective group to K-12 students," she says.

Cunningham's on a one-woman mission to encourage UW students and alumni to contact the leadership of national nursing organizations and encourage broad-based involvement.

"We need to be asking these people what we're doing as a profession to recruit nursing students," she says. "Are we organizing our scientific meetings so K-12 students are included? How are we reaching out to teachers? Are we offering summer programs for teachers and students? "The work of individuals shouldn't be overlooked, but we need to band together if we want to have a real effect," she says.

If you'd like to join Cunningham's efforts to unify and strengthen the profession's outreach, you can write to:

American Academy of Nursing
Executive Director Terri Gaffney, MPA, RN
600 Maryland Avenue, SW, Suite 100 West
Washington, DC 20024-2571
tgaffney@ana.org

American Nurses Association
CEO/Executive Director Linda Stierle, MSN, RN, CNAA
600 Maryland Avenue, SW
Suite 100 West
Washington, DC 20024

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