The National Institutes of Health Disappoints

When I worked at the National Institutes of Health, a colleague and I wrote an article: The Role of Nurse Practitioners Expands at NIH for the NIH Record newsletter in May of 2000 about the increase of Nurse Practitioners at the Institute. My short time there was exciting, especially as I witnessed NP positions increase and opportunities to become involved in research grow. I saw patients in the weekly clinic along with the Fellows, interviewed and examined potential research volunteers, mentored student interns, and participated as a team member in various research studies. And best of all, I had supportive relationships with a cadre of other NPs. I left because my husband accepted a job in North Carolina.

Imagine my shock to learn that the National Institute of Nursing Research chose a dentist to be the interim director. I can’t fathom that there was not a talented, qualified nurse to fill this position. I agree with latest post (below) from The Truth About Nursing that the appointment of a dentist smacks of undermining nursing autonomy and stripping away support for nursing practice. I will write a letter voicing my support of a nurse in this leadership position and disappointment in the poor judgment of the NIH leadership.

Please consider doing the same.

Anyone will do U.S. nursing research institute appoints dentist as interim director The National Institute for Nursing Research, which disburses federal grants, announced in August 2019 that its interim director would be…a dentist. And the interim deputy director is a biologist. But non-nurses are non-qualified to evaluate grants for nursing research. These appointments also reinforce the inaccurate stereotype that nurses are unskilled handmaidens, rather than autonomous health professionals. After some of our supporters sent messages asking NIH to rescind the appointments, NIH sent a newsletter proudly announcing the appointments, and then sent emails to our supporters assuring them that it was searching for a nurse to fill the permanent director position. But it did not comment on the interim appointments, so it seems those stand. And filling high-level federal government vacancies can take quite a while. We need your voice on this. Please join us in asking that qualified nurses be chosen for these interim positions! Thank you!

Click here to sign the letter–or write one of your own!