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The Academy celebrates its 40th anniversary
President’s Message
The Academy celebrates its 40th anniversary call by their first names.” She noted that, from the earliest days, the meetings were structured as scientific sessions (all research) and that the expert panels were eventually created because people were not coming to the meetings; the intent was to provide a place for people to meet and talk about what’s happening, to exchange information in a collegial environment. 1973 was a pivotal year in our country’s history for many reasons: Joanne Disch, PhD, RN, FAAN
40 Yearsd On April 24, 1973, 36 charter Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing held their first meeting. Ten Fellows were elected to the Governing Council, and Rheba de Tornyay was elected the Academy’s first President. Joan Shaver, former President of the Academy (2003e2005), wrote descriptively of the Academy’s early years while celebrating the Academy’s 30th birthday, considering our “age and stage” as we have progressed from early childhood to “mature, productive adulthood” (2004, p. 3). I took the opportunity of speaking with a few of our early Fellows to get their perceptions of those first days. Muriel Poulin (1974) emphasized that the American Nurses Association can be thanked for starting the Academy, which was “a big step ahead for the profession.” She noted that the original charter members were the chairs of the American Nurses Association Commissions and developed the proposal for the Academy. An interesting side note is that they all agreed not to have their names submitted for that first cohort of Fellows because they were charged with selecting them. “It was a fascinating experiencedall of these hard copies of their applications, piled high all over the room.it must have cost a fortune.” Margaret Reynolds (also of the 1974 cohort) reflected on what an honor it was to have been selected. She recalled going to the first Academy meeting and thinking, “I read all of these people” and that “everyone was so welcoming; I was treated like royalty.” A benefit from those days was that the group was small so that people had an opportunity to really get to know each other. Maggie McClure (1976) heartily agreed, remembering that the meeting was “closed, with only insiders attending.it was wonderfully small, you really got to know these people.people I’d only heard of and got to
A cease-fire was signed, ending the involvement of American ground troops in the Vietnam War, and the US bombing of Cambodia, officially ending 12 years of combat in Southeast Asia. A little known burglar convicted of breaking into the Watergate complex in Washington DC, wrote to the judge charging a massive cover-up of the burglary. The Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) Act of 1973 was passed, launching a trial federal program to promote and encourage the development of HMOs. The early HMOs were idealistic nonprofit organizations endeavoring to enhance the delivery of health care to patients while controlling costs. Roe vs. Wade legalized abortion in the first trimester. Topics that nursing leaders were reading in the American Journal of Nursing included the following: “The Two Languages of Nursing and Medicine” (Lynaugh and Bates), “Primary Nursing Is Alive and Well in the Hospital” (Manthey); “The Physician’s AssistantdToday and Tomorrow” (Sadler, Sadler, and Bliss); “Job-Related Back Injuries in a Hospital” (Hoover), and “Caring for the Aged” (Schwab). The median household income (in current dollars) was $10,512, and the cost of a first-class stamp was $0.08. And, on a lighter note, Secretariat won the Triple Crown, and The Godfather won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Predictably, some things have changed over 40 years. We now have 2,067 Fellows, representing 20 countries. (In the early years, there was a cap of 500 Fellows, which, as Maggie McClure noted, “caused us to worry that our lives were in danger” as nursing leaders waited for a vacancy). We now have 86 Living Legends and welcome Honorary Fellows who are non-nurses recognized for their extraordinary contributions to nursing and health (N ¼ 34). Perhaps of most
Nurs Outlook 61 (2013) 256e257
importance is that we have also changed how we accomplish the work of the Academy. Although still emphasizing an evidence base to our policy work, we now rely heavily on work groups and our expert panels to assist the board in accomplishing Academy goals. Although Dr. Shaver noted 10 years ago that our expert panels had “once per year gatherings” (Shaver, 2004, p. 4), today they are vibrantly active, producing numerous policy documents, conducting frequent conference calls, and making substantive policy recommendations to the board on numerous issues. Many of these have been highlighted in my earlier President’s Messages. Our annual meeting has further advanced the Academy’s policy focus with its tagline of “Transforming Healthcare: Driving Policy” and with the creation of the policy dialogues on controversial topics with speakers from both within and outside the Academy to explore contemporary issues and engage the Fellows in critical conversations. In conclusion, although much has changed, the core commitment remains of transforming health care, leading change, and influencing policy with the ultimate purpose of improving health. It has been a distinct honor to serve as the Academy president for these past two years and to have worked with such extraordinary boards, staff, and Academy colleagues. Thank you all.
257
reference
Shaver, J. (2004). AAN organizational age and stage: Reflections. Nurs Outlook, 52, 3e4.
Author Description Joanne Disch, Clinical Professor, University of Minnesota School of Nursing, Minneapolis, MN.
Joanne Disch, PhD, RN, FAAN University of Minnesota School of Nursing Minneapolis, MN Corresponding author: Dr. Joanne Disch University of Minnesota School of Nursing 6-101 Weaver-Densford Hall 308 Harvard St., SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455. E-mail address: [email protected] 0029-6554/$ - see front matter Ó 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2013.07.006
The Academy celebrates its 40th anniversary call by their first names.” She noted that, from the earliest days, the meetings were structured as scientific sessions (all research) and that the expert panels were eventually created because people were not coming to the meetings; the intent was to provide a place for people to meet and talk about what’s happening, to exchange information in a collegial environment. 1973 was a pivotal year in our country’s history for many reasons: Joanne Disch, PhD, RN, FAAN
40 Yearsd On April 24, 1973, 36 charter Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing held their first meeting. Ten Fellows were elected to the Governing Council, and Rheba de Tornyay was elected the Academy’s first President. Joan Shaver, former President of the Academy (2003e2005), wrote descriptively of the Academy’s early years while celebrating the Academy’s 30th birthday, considering our “age and stage” as we have progressed from early childhood to “mature, productive adulthood” (2004, p. 3). I took the opportunity of speaking with a few of our early Fellows to get their perceptions of those first days. Muriel Poulin (1974) emphasized that the American Nurses Association can be thanked for starting the Academy, which was “a big step ahead for the profession.” She noted that the original charter members were the chairs of the American Nurses Association Commissions and developed the proposal for the Academy. An interesting side note is that they all agreed not to have their names submitted for that first cohort of Fellows because they were charged with selecting them. “It was a fascinating experiencedall of these hard copies of their applications, piled high all over the room.it must have cost a fortune.” Margaret Reynolds (also of the 1974 cohort) reflected on what an honor it was to have been selected. She recalled going to the first Academy meeting and thinking, “I read all of these people” and that “everyone was so welcoming; I was treated like royalty.” A benefit from those days was that the group was small so that people had an opportunity to really get to know each other. Maggie McClure (1976) heartily agreed, remembering that the meeting was “closed, with only insiders attending.it was wonderfully small, you really got to know these people.people I’d only heard of and got to
A cease-fire was signed, ending the involvement of American ground troops in the Vietnam War, and the US bombing of Cambodia, officially ending 12 years of combat in Southeast Asia. A little known burglar convicted of breaking into the Watergate complex in Washington DC, wrote to the judge charging a massive cover-up of the burglary. The Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) Act of 1973 was passed, launching a trial federal program to promote and encourage the development of HMOs. The early HMOs were idealistic nonprofit organizations endeavoring to enhance the delivery of health care to patients while controlling costs. Roe vs. Wade legalized abortion in the first trimester. Topics that nursing leaders were reading in the American Journal of Nursing included the following: “The Two Languages of Nursing and Medicine” (Lynaugh and Bates), “Primary Nursing Is Alive and Well in the Hospital” (Manthey); “The Physician’s AssistantdToday and Tomorrow” (Sadler, Sadler, and Bliss); “Job-Related Back Injuries in a Hospital” (Hoover), and “Caring for the Aged” (Schwab). The median household income (in current dollars) was $10,512, and the cost of a first-class stamp was $0.08. And, on a lighter note, Secretariat won the Triple Crown, and The Godfather won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Predictably, some things have changed over 40 years. We now have 2,067 Fellows, representing 20 countries. (In the early years, there was a cap of 500 Fellows, which, as Maggie McClure noted, “caused us to worry that our lives were in danger” as nursing leaders waited for a vacancy). We now have 86 Living Legends and welcome Honorary Fellows who are non-nurses recognized for their extraordinary contributions to nursing and health (N ¼ 34). Perhaps of most
Nurs Outlook 61 (2013) 256e257
importance is that we have also changed how we accomplish the work of the Academy. Although still emphasizing an evidence base to our policy work, we now rely heavily on work groups and our expert panels to assist the board in accomplishing Academy goals. Although Dr. Shaver noted 10 years ago that our expert panels had “once per year gatherings” (Shaver, 2004, p. 4), today they are vibrantly active, producing numerous policy documents, conducting frequent conference calls, and making substantive policy recommendations to the board on numerous issues. Many of these have been highlighted in my earlier President’s Messages. Our annual meeting has further advanced the Academy’s policy focus with its tagline of “Transforming Healthcare: Driving Policy” and with the creation of the policy dialogues on controversial topics with speakers from both within and outside the Academy to explore contemporary issues and engage the Fellows in critical conversations. In conclusion, although much has changed, the core commitment remains of transforming health care, leading change, and influencing policy with the ultimate purpose of improving health. It has been a distinct honor to serve as the Academy president for these past two years and to have worked with such extraordinary boards, staff, and Academy colleagues. Thank you all.
257
reference
Shaver, J. (2004). AAN organizational age and stage: Reflections. Nurs Outlook, 52, 3e4.
Author Description Joanne Disch, Clinical Professor, University of Minnesota School of Nursing, Minneapolis, MN.
Joanne Disch, PhD, RN, FAAN University of Minnesota School of Nursing Minneapolis, MN Corresponding author: Dr. Joanne Disch University of Minnesota School of Nursing 6-101 Weaver-Densford Hall 308 Harvard St., SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455. E-mail address: [email protected] 0029-6554/$ - see front matter Ó 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2013.07.006