“Better health care for all” more important than ever
(January 2009)
These are anxious times. We are enduring an almost unprecedented period of economic and political tumult. Yet there is a sense of optimism, of anticipation for what comes next as we prepare to inaugurate a new President. We can choose to ‘hunker down’ and get through these times, or we can see the good and the opportunity around us.
I find students returning from clinical placements in the world’s most impoverished nations, brimming with new ideas, while searching for what defines them at their core as nurses. Most recently I observed a group of students, relieved and exhausted after finals, walking to a nearby public housing complex, comparing notes on ongoing community health-related projects and discussing their next endeavor, a teen mentorship program.
I am encouraged by the idealism, optimism, creativity, and energy of our students and faculty as they seek to make dramatic differences in the lives of each patient they treat and the world as whole. I choose to view the glass as half full and not half empty. With all challenges come opportunities.
We know that nurses will always be needed, and that educating our students serves a greater purpose. YSN exists at the intersection of innovative education, research, and service, and our faculty lead the way. Much of our extensive community involvement comes through the clinical practice of our faculty and students.
YSN as a school continues to strive for “better health care for all,” and during this time of crisis and unknowns, this goal is more important than ever. |
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