The proposed office of the National Nurse is an idea who's time has come. There are nearly 3.4 MILLION nurses in the country, who besides having extreme technical, scientific and public knowledge of the human psyche, have a great amount of psychosocial and teaching training. Not only are nurse great teachers, they interpret 'doctor-speak' to patients and families.
Nearly 50% of chronic illnesses (i.e. diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and cancer, etc) are preventable. Nurses are in the unique position to evaluate health and teach certain behaviors that may lead to a chronic illness. Read More
Not only would prevention of these illness massively decrease suffering, the financial devastation felt by families is real. Human suffering like this is so needless as is the approaching Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 20%; we cannot sustain such a disease-care paradigm. We must include prevention as we work to reform health care.
In response to this thinking that Americans deserve better and our health care system needs a 'shot in the arm,' Nurse Practitioner and educator Teri Mills, MS, RN, conceived of the idea of a National Nurse. In March 2011, Ms. Mill's idea was introduced into legislation in the current Congress. The Chief Nurse Officer of the United States Public Health System would be The National Nurse. Currently her position is a part-time position; adding the responsibilities of the National Nurse would elevate hers to a full-time position.
The National Nurse would work along side the Surgeon General to deliver a message of prevention of chronic illnesses, the importance of cancer screenings and physicals and teaching to name but a few. There are many changes in today's health care delivery system and this proposal is not just 'one more.' The National Nurse is an idea who's time is overdue.
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