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The Basic Truth About Nursing Project

The leaders of the Truth About Nursing have been working to change how the world thinks about nursing through improved media portrayals since 2001. Our organization is currently funded at a bare-bones level by a few member donations and the honoraria from our executive director's speaking engagements. Our executive director is a full-time volunteer and our senior advisor is a part-time volunteer. We do not have funding to hire anyone at the moment, though in the past we have occasionally been able to hire part-time office assistants to help with bookkeeping and tax preparation.

In pursuing this work with a total of one and a half volunteer workers, we cannot make the progress we believe is needed to significantly change media portrayals of nursing. And it is a hardship for the volunteers. So we are seeking funding for the work that we are currently doing plus the work that we would like to do if a small number of us were funded full-time. We would, at a minimum, like to pursue the following:

1.  More media analyses and better distribution -- Create and disseminate analyses of at least 100 news and entertainment media portrayals of nursing per year, including sending these analyses to those who created the media, communicating with them, and advocating for improved depictions in the future. Our current funding allows us to create 30-40 analyses, but it does not allow their distribution beyond electronic form, and it rarely allows for sufficient follow-up with media creators.

2.  Better media awards distribution -- Fully disseminate our year-end media awards for the best and worst portrayals of nursing. This is a key way we reach hard-to-persuade media creators. Our current funding allows only for the electronic distribution of our awards, and it does not always allow for distribution even to most of those who have won the awards.

3.  More and stronger media advocacy campaigns -- Create and pursue at least 10 media advocacy campaigns per year, including generating press coverage, outreach to contacts in relevant media, and coordinating with collaborating partners (e.g., asking nursing schools and organizations to join our campaigns). Our current level of funding allows for about three campaigns per year and very little collaboration or outreach to the media and nursing communities.

With even more funding, we would like to pursue our expanded plans for action, which we have detailed here.

 

Back to the Overview of Proposed Projects of The Truth About Nursing.  


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