Marie Manthey’s Nursing Salon

The aftermath to the Summit of Sages has been fascinating. I have been in two major discussions with nurses about social justice with almost explosive results. The first was at the Zeta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau and the second was a week later at a Salon in my home. At the Zeta Chapter about 50 attendees heard three nurse leaders from here in the Twin Cities speak about the issue of Social Justice from the perspective of their workplace. The first person isCNO of a specialty hospital that provides coordinated care for children with severe developmental disabilities. She spoke of finding there were NO similar services available to their patients as they become adults. The whole segment of adults with developmental disabilities from childhood have no specialty in or out patient service providers. The second speaker is from a local liberal arts college with a major nursing program who spoke about a college-wide initiative to eliminate abusive or violent communications among students and faculty members. And the third CNO of a local community hospital spoke of her previous experience in the Canadian system where no one goes bankrupt or loses their home because of illness and no one dies because they can’t afford health care. She also spoke of the young adults who arrive in their ER due to a sports injury with no insurance because they are no longer on their parents plan and not yet established themselves. After these three speakers, the audience entered into a free-flowing passionate discussion about the fact that as nurses we see the effects of this crazy ‘non-system’ of health care….and yet we seldom speak about what we know. There was a strong consensus about the need for nurses to speak up about what we know and about how we think the system should change.

The second discussion was at a Salon a week later and again, the stories about what we know were overwhelming. A quick summary:

ER Nurse Manager told of 3 patients in 2 weeks who died upon arrival at the ER door, having waited too long because they didn’t have insurance. Upon arrival at the place of help, they simply gave up the struggle. She also told of a man arriving in a friend’s car with a bleeding leg. She looked at it while he was still in the car and realized it was shooting arterial blood. He waited some time for his friend because he couldn’t afford an ambulance.

A Medical ICU nurse told of excessive end-0f-life activities that have astronomical costs for elderly patients with no hope of recovery.

Another nurse told of the multiple-birth cases where 5 and 6 babies are born, most of whom cannot survive but whose care is always extremely costly.

The point that was made over and over again is that as nurses we are at the ‘point of care’ and see the effects of the current health care crises on the lives of our citizens. the discussion ended with a commitment to find ways to speak our ‘truth-to-power’

The 2007 Summit of Sages was an amazing experience. So many nurses gathered in one place to talk about Social Justice and Nursing. My head and heart are still reeling from everything I heard, saw and thought.  

For me, one of the most moving events was Maya Angelou’s speech and the time she spent with us. 

Walking reverently, majestically, she filled the room with her presence. Carefully seating herself as if fragile, quiet for a moment, she opened her remarks singing: “the rainbow is in the clouds”. This remarkable, beautiful queenly black woman then spoke for an hour, touching on a variety of topics with reverential seriousness, yet delighted the crowd with an infectious smile and keen humor. She occasionally referred to herself as a six foot tall black woman and spoke of her son, of racism, poetry and the meaning of life. 

Throughout her time with to us she frequently returned to the theme of “the rainbow is in the clouds.” She reminded us that rainbows only appear in clouds – not in the bright sunny skies. An act of kindness that seems inconsequential to us may alter the life of the person to whom we were a rainbow in the clouds. 

Dr. Angelou shared the example of her Uncle Willie. Afflicted by almost total paralysis of the left side of body, Uncle Willie earned meager wages as a shop keeper in a small town in Arkansas. However, his condition and small income didn’t deter Willie from being a rainbow in the clouds – touching the lives of thousands and indirectly, millions of people. After the divorce of Dr. Angelou’s parents, Uncle Willie raised Maya and her brother. Stern but fair, Uncle Willie taught them the importance of education, work and ethics.  

On top of raising the two children, Willie befriended a local boy town whose mother was blind and unable to support her son. Uncle Willie paid the boy to do odd jobs and errands around the store, instilling the same values he taught to Maya and her brother. That boy went on to be the Mayor of Little Rock, Arkansas where he would become a Rainbow in the Clouds himself.  

Years later, when Uncle Willie passed away, the Mayor contacted Maya. He wanted to pay the family back for Uncle Willie’s kindness by ensuring his assets and property were protected and allocated appropriately. He met with Maya and gave her the name of a prominent lawyer in Arkansas. This lawyer had a special friendship with the Mayor, as he had been the lawyer’s “rainbow in the clouds,” acting as a father figure, guiding him as a student leader in high school, and helping his mother who had been widowed while only six months pregnant. Later, the Mayor would then help get this lawyer into the Arkansas legislature.  

The lawyer certainly made sure Maya’s assets were protected, but he did much more than that. With his start in the Arkansas legislature, he went on to become the Governor of Arkansas. As a result of Uncle Willie helping a boy in need, another boy in need had gone on to become a lawyer, the Governor of Arkansas, then became the President of the United States: Bill Clinton. 

Interspersed with her stories of Uncle Willie’s shining Rainbow in the Cloud moments, Maya told of being a sixteen year old, unwed, pregnant, six foot tall black girl yearning – but certainly not educated to be – a translator for the United Nations. She contrasted her feelings then with the pride, many years later, at being asked to write a poem for Bill Clinton’s inaugural speech followed by being elated and absolutely awestruck at being asked to write the poem celebrating the fifty year anniversary of the United Nations. 

Between these and other poignant stories, she also used her voice as a musical instrument, singing and calling out, murmuring low and laughing raucously.  

What struck me forcibly was the sub-text of reverence toward life, toward poetry and toward herself as a woman. Her tone, language inflection and facial expressions reflected a deep sense of self-respect for herself and her life. And for poetry. This reverence for women and for poetry embraced the nursing profession. She referred to nursing both as living poetry and as a beautiful example of the Rainbow in the Clouds. 

Tearful and emotional, Maya accepted the honorary doctor of humane letters from the University of Minnesota. You can read more about it, and see the poem she dedicated to us on the School of Nursing’s website.  

As it all settles out I will be writing more, and I know Creative Health Care Management, The University of Minnesota School of Nursing and Creative Nursing Journal will be sharing more details over the next few weeks and months.

Had dinner last night with Jayne Felgen, the President of Creative Health Care Management. It is always so good to touch base with her. We are both into such interesting aspects of our work there is barely time to catch up with family and personal stuff.

She has just returned from England where a group of dynamic individuals from eight countries are designing a research project about patient satisfaction in the context of a therapeutic relationship with a patient and nurse autonomy. These incredible individuals have been meeting in various places around the world as a result of a chance meeting on the deck of my house at a Sunday morning brunch during the last Summit of Sages in October 2004.

Which reminds me: watch for info on the next Summit  of Sages, October 14 - 16, 2007. Details are still being planned but we know the topic will be “Social justice as a core value of nursing” and the keynote speaker is Maya Angelou! It doesn’t get much better than that!