Monthly Archives: February 2015

Does American Nursing Have A Diversity Problem?

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Penn Nursing Students

As we conclude Black History Month, it is important to recognize and reflect on the diversity of the nursing profession, with a particular focus on African-American nurses. To understand diversity in nursing, or lack thereof, it is helpful to take a look not just at where we are today, but where nursing has been throughout time. In other words: Has the nursing profession ever represented the diversity of the nation historically? Does historical examination provide relevant trend lines for today and the future? Let’s take a look at the data to find out. Continue reading →

Life, liberty, and the right to infect others with measles: Rand Paul on vaccination

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Rand Paul

Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky tried to merge his medical training and libertarian philosophy last week. It was tough. (John Locher/AP)

By Jeffrey P. Baker, MD, PhD, Professor of Pediatrics, Duke University

Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky confirmed his membership in the “doctors who shouldn’t have gone into politics” club with his comments last week supporting the right of parents who don’t want their kids to be immunized. While acknowledging vaccines to be “one of the greatest medical breakthroughs that we have,” Paul asserted that they should be voluntary. He talked of “walking, talking, normal kids” who had been left with “profound mental disorders” after getting several vaccines at once, and admitted that he had used an alternative schedule for his own children.

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Set aside ‘Little Orphan Annie.’ How do we really deal with Unwanted Kids?

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Little Orphan Annie comic (Image source: http://media.web.britannica.com/eb-media/63/105063-004-52485793.jpg)

Originally posted at The Public’s Health blog (Philly.Com).

By Cynthia Connolly, PhD, RN, PNP, FAAN

Americans prefer stories about our most vulnerable youngsters to have a happy ending, like the comic book character “Little Orphan Annie,” so popular that she returned as a musical and was recently remade into the move “Annie” It allows us to indulge in the fantasy that plucky orphans and foster children benefit less from governmental investment (one that might require increasing taxes and more infrastructure) and more from wealthy larger-than-life private citizen rescuers like “Daddy Warbucks” (the comic strip) or “Will Stacks” (the 2014 movie).

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