Minnesota nurses are but a few days away from making history... again.

Maybe all ignorance is somewhat purposeful, but I've really tried to avoid learning much about the upcoming strike (why? Oh, I really dislike confrontation). But, while I am not a member of the Minnesota Nurses Association, June 10 is going to be a really big day in nursing history & I do feel somewhat a part of it. For those who might be out of the political loop - as it relates to nursing anyway - let me give you an update: after a long spring of contract negotiations, 12,000 Minnesota nurses will be participating in a 24-hr strike as a way of "defending their patients and their practice".

I'm not really interested in touching on the complexities of this issue (feel free to see the MNA website if this really "strikes" your fancy), but I am interested in reconnecting with the philosophy of nursing. Because when people get all excited about the issues, I find myself becoming more introspective than usual.

This may come as a shock to many, but the fundamentals of nursing theory is not the first thing I think about when I get to work. At least not in the organized manner in which it is presented in Nursing 301. But theory drives our practice, whether or not we recognize it, and most of our theory is based on our personal values. And, as a large majority of nurses will tell you, above all nurses value their patients.

I could go on and on about what nursing means to me. But, let me share with you part of a letter the nurses at my hospital received from our Chief of Staff during Nurses Week...

"Despite the rise of technology medicine remains a highly personal endeavor. And it must be so. I think that an unspoken question exists in the mind of every parent, and every child, when they come to us for care. The question we hear center on the mechanics of medicine: Where do I park?, where do I register?, how long must I wait?, what will be done?, will it hurt, will it help? and so on. The unspoken question is: Will you care about me? The answer to that question determines the worth of everything that follows. ... our patients and families value the physical presence of those who provide care. They treasure it! It is how they measure whether we care about them. And who is more present than a nurse?"

The rising voices of contract nurses in the Twin Cities have challenged me. Why did I pick nursing? What values influence how I approach my career and my patients? How do I find a place in this healthcare system that seems to be overwhelmed by tasks, efficiency, quantifying people's emotions and that pesky bottom line?

How do we maintain our presence?