April 29, 2005 - National Nurses Week 2005 (May 6-12) marks the launch of the Luminary Project, the first-ever Web-based tool to promote the work of nurses who are advocating for safe hospitals, clean communities, and children born without toxic chemicals in their bodies. The project - jointly sponsored by Health Care Without Harm, the University of Maryland School of Nursing and the American Nurses Association, with support from the Beldon Fund - kicks off May 6 with the launch of an interactive Web site highlighting nurses across the country who are working to improve our health and the environment. All nurses engaged in this important work are encouraged to access the site as a resource and to add their own stories to the site.

 

"Nurses are natural catalysts. We are constantly solving problems and improving our practice. But we almost never take the chance to be recognized. The Luminary Project lets us do that in a way that inspires others to build on our collective experiences," said Barbara Sattler, RN, DrPH, FAAN, Director of the Environmental Health Education Center at the University of Maryland School of Nursing.

 

"Nurses are powerful. When we act alone, we get things done. But when we act together, our influence is greatly magnified," added Anna Gilmore Hall, RN, executive director of Health Care Without Harm. "The Luminary Project shines the light on nurses who are quietly but brilliantly improving the health of their patients, their communities, and the environment in order to magnify their influence and effect lasting change."

 

"From eliminating mercury to improving the quality of indoor air, reducing waste to educating other nurses about the links between health and our environment, luminary nurses' efforts are marked by their diversity and creativity. In inventive and strategic ways, these nurses are lighting the way to a healthier world," said Barbara Blakeney, MS, RN, President of the American Nurses Association.

 

Many organizations support and endorse this project, including: the Alabama State Nurses Association, American Association of Community Health Nursing Educators, American Journal of Nursing, American Nurses Association, American Nurses Association Maine, Association of State and Territorial Directors of Nursing, Commonweal, Environmental Health Strategy Center, Karen Bowman and Associates, Maryland Nurses Association, Massachusetts Association of Registered Nurses, Massachusetts Nurses Association, National Nursing Centers Consortium, Nursing Spectrum, Oklahoma Nurses Association, Public Health Nursing Section of the American Public Health Association, Quad Council of Public Health Nursing Organizations, and the Washington State Nurses Association, among others.

 

Read stories of luminaries across the country who are brilliantly lighting the way toward safe hospitals, clean communities, and a healthy environment at www.TheLuminaryProject.org. 

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