Debate remains around the issue of gays in the military, but little has been said about LGBTQIs in nursing. That's right – nursing! It's the worst kept secret that queers have worked in the field throughout history; yet nursing itself has traditionally not been so honest regarding our role. In fact as recently as 1969, nursing organizations denounced homosexuality. Thankfully that chestnut has been retired, but it has been replaced by something more insidious. For example: Recruitment ads luring straight men. Rather than promote the work itself as exciting and worthwhile, many schools and hospitals hyper-masculinize men or repeat quotes like "I wanted to be a nurse, but was afraid I would be considered gay." With the current shortage, nursing can no longer afford to put this message forward. Nursing needs intelligent, committed, and enthusiastic individuals of every stripe in order to continue to meet the healthcare demands of our society.
This week (May 6-12) marks National Nurses Week. The theme this year is "A Profession and a Passion." It is a perfect time to honor our queer ancestors who have gone before us and instill in us a desire to bring their work and their passion forward.
First, Nurses Week coincides with the birth of Florence Nightingale (she looks good for 187). Nurse Nightingale is the founder of modern nursing. Born wealthy, she discovered her passion despite the low-status of nursing at the time. She cared for poor and indigent people until her involvement in the Crimean War, where she observed that causalities were dying from unsanitary conditions in hospitals, not from their wounds. Nightingale successfully changed hospital practices, decreasing infections and improving survival rates. And, she lived a "celibate" life and had many female friends – you do the math.
Historically, there is evidence to suggest that the midwives and women healers who were burned at the stake as witches may have had some Sapphic tendencies. Not to mention the women who became nurses after Nightingale, demonstrating some tell-tale signs. For example: Bertha Wright (1876-1971) pioneered California public health nursing and lived with her partner for over 40 years, raising three adopted children. Jane Van der Vrede (1880-1972) established standards for nursing schools and lived with Lillian Bischoff, a fellow nurse and educator. Shirley Crew Titus (1892-1967) served as executive director for the California State Nurses' Association, shared her home in San Francisco with Mary Dodd Giles until her death. Colonel Margarethe Cammermeyer (Ret.) (b 1942), who as chief nurse of the Washington state National Guard mounted a successful legal challenge against the pre-"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" military policy around queers serving in the military.
And my personal role model and hero: Bobbi Campbell (1952-1984), who was a nurse in the same vein of Nightingale. In fact, Campbell respected the pioneer so much he chose to identify as Sister Florence Nightmare, R.N., upon becoming a member of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. As Sister Flo, he used his clinical skills and years of experience as a registered nurse to co-author the first ever safer-sex manual ("PlayFair!") written in a sex-positive, homo-affirming, non-judgmental and humorous manner. He also successfully challenged the attendees of the 1983 National Gay and Lesbian Health Conference to develop what became known as the Denver Principles – a first of its kind patient bill of rights demanding safe guards for individuals living with AIDS. That document has fundamentally changed forever the way healthcare treats all patients today. It is because Campbell was a nurse and observed patient care in hospitals that he was able to propose such an amazingly drastic change from tradition.
So, as queers we not only have a place at the table in nursing, we have built that table. But health disparities continue to exist for LGBTQI individuals. Shunned by many mainstream funding sources and overlooked by the federal government's Healthy People 2010 campaign, queer nurses are in a unique position to creatively find ways to start building infrastructure and planning grassroots change affecting all of queer health – much in the same vein as we did during the rise of the HIV crisis we can do the same for obesity, cardiovascular disease, smoking, breast cancer – you name it!
Nursing truly is a profession É and a passion. There are so many in the queer community who carry their passions around on their sleeves. I call to you all, you with fire in your bellies yet who are afraid that you might faint at the sight of blood or you who are afraid of making an error: Nursing school doesn't just bestow a license on those who already have the skills to do the work. Nursing school helps you build skills and stamina to make you successful in a very lucrative, exciting, dynamic, and ever-changing career.
You know you already have the passion – now come find your profession.
Jay Dwyer is a master's entry program in nursing student at the University of California, San Francisco as well as Sister Constance Craving of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. You can contact Jay/Sister Constance at mailto:[email protected]. For more information on National Nurses Week events and on nursing as a profession, visit the American Nurses Association Web site at http://www.nursingworld.org.