National Nurses United

NewsBriefs:JanFeb 3 2/28/09 12:55 AM Page 5 Veteran Chicago Activist Passes at Age 73 egistered nurse Bernice Faulkner, a respected nurse educator and a pivotal leader in the fight by Chicago RNs unionize in 2005 with CNA/NNOC, passed away on Dec. 23, 2008 at the age of 73. Many RNs with the Cook County Bureau of Health Services considered Faulkner their friend, mentor, and protector. "If you could only choose one person as a friend, sister, teacher, mother, all of those roles, I would choose her," said Jonkruck "Juana" Kompanya, an operating room RN at Cook County who became close to Faulkner during the campaign to switch representation from the Illinois Nurses Association to CNA/NNOC. Faulkner, who served as vice president of the regional board representing Cook County RNs, played a big role in educating RNs about why they deserved a union that would challenge county management on behalf of nurses and patients. Faulkner was passionate about R JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2009 helping nurses so that they could help their patients, and in developing nurse leaders. She would sit in the cafeteria during her free time to field questions, email or phone other nurse leaders to keep everyone on task, and get the nurses organized. When the RNs successfully voted to join CNA/NNOC, Faulkner said, "To me and to all of our nurses, this is our independence day. We have been liberated." Within the bureau, Faulkner worked in nursing education and often conducted orientations and other in-service events for RNs. Because she was so well respected and trusted, her word carried a lot of weight with her coworkers. "She had a lot of wisdom," said Barbara Brown-Frazier, an RN, NP in ambulatory care. "She was the person you'd go to for guidance or advice." According to friends and family, education was the driving force in her life, whether she was doing the teaching or the learning. According to her youngest son Ricardo Faulkner, she was born Jan. 28, 1935 in Arkansas but grew up in Chicago. After a first career as a clerk for the U.S. Postal Service, Faulkner decided to go back to school to earn her bachelor's degree in registered nursing and eventually a master's degree in public health. She worked variously as a public health nurse, a school nurse, a nursing instructor, and even served in the Army reserve before she became a nurse educator with Cook County around 1979. A consummate professional, Faulkner was able to "call it as she saw it" while still being tactful, said her colleagues. She was known for being fair, and for hating patronage and discrimination. Faulkner was so outspoken that management attempted to fire her. She eventually won in 2008 a grievance decision worth more than $300,000 for discrimination she had suffered over the years for positions and transfers she had been denied. In addition to activism at the workplace, Faulkner understood the importance of influencing local politics, especially for a public health district such as Cook County. She encouraged her coworkers to attend county commissioner meetings with her, and local lawmakers knew her on a first-name basis. Her slim, impeccably dressed figure was often up at the podium, giving testimony about how budget cuts to the health bureau would devastate care for low-income Chicagoans who depended on the system. Though she was clearly dedicated to her work, Faulkner lived a well-rounded life with many personal interests and hobbies as well. Over her life, she loved to bowl and participated in at least three leagues, winning a number of trophies. She enjoyed warm, sunny weather, and liked to travel to Cancun, Mexico whenever she could. She was an avid baker of lemon meringue pies, banana breads, and coconut cakes. She sang in her church choir and was a member of Trinity United Church or Christ. She worked as an election judge for many years, helping make sure polls operated fairly and smoothly. "She was an idol, someone you looked up to," said her son Ricardo. She is also survived by her eldest son Alvin Knighten, seven grandchildren, and nine great grandchildren. "She's going to be hard to replace," said Brown-Frazier. "I'm still looking for more nurses like her." —lucia hwang REGISTERED NURSE 5

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