National Nurses United

for their support of nurses and longtime work as progressives. High- tower called the nurses "universal agitators of human equality." Nichols interviewed Lee on stage, where she spoke about everything from her stance against unjustified wars to the police killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. to her support of Medicare for all. Morello rocked the convention hall with his energetic guitar per- formance and had all the nurses shouting for encores. In the afternoons, nurses attended continuing education cours- es exploring topics from environmental justice to the need for a single-payer healthcare system to the ongoing battle against corpo- rate healthcare's master plan to replace registered nurses at the bedside with machines, computers, algorithms, robots, and lesser- skilled staff. On the last day of the con- vention, official delegates convened to vote on bylaws amendments and resolutions. RNs affirmed through resolu- tions their support of topics such as CNA/NNOC's overall agenda of advocacy on behalf of nurses and patients; of fighting against anti-union measures; of improving and expanding Medicare for all; of international RN soli- darity; of climate justice; of immigrant rights; and of the Robin Hood Tax on Wall Street, among others. One particularly emotional moment came when delegates voted in favor of a resolution support- ing the protection of voting rights and CNA/NNOC Board Member Martese Chism, an African American RN from Chicago, stood to share her story of how her great grandmother, a civil rights activist, was murdered in 1966 by the Ku Klux Klan in Mississippi for her work. "I was only 5 years old in 1966, but I remember telling my cousin at the funeral, 'Don't cry. Vote,'" said Chism. For the first time, the organization presented the Kay McVay Award, a namesake tribute to CNA/NNOC's president emeritus who helped bedside nurses take control of the group in the early 1990s. Qualities embodied by the winner include being a strong patient advocate, a role model and mentor, a respected professional with excellent clinical practice skills, and someone who has shown lead- ership. This year, the award went to Cathy Kennedy, an RN for 34 years. "I love nursing," said a clearly surprised Kennedy in her acceptance speech. "And as I get older, the more I realize how it's so important to reach out to the younger nurses." 18 N A T I O N A L N U R S E W W W . N A T I O N A L N U R S E S U N I T E D . O R G S E P T E M B E R | O C T O B E R 2 0 1 4 WINNING! In preparation for the 2014 convention, CNA/NNOC sponsored an essay contest, asking RNs to answer this question: "All RNs need to be in one, single pow- erful national nurses union and movement because…" At the convention, CNA/NNOC declared Monica Lloyd, an RN from Jackson Park Hospital in Chicago, the winner, for her powerful video entry. "We no longer have to feel we are fight- ing a battle alone, but we can become a tree, with many branches, as long as we stay connected to the root of our purpose, which is patient care," declared Lloyd in her video essay. You can watch her essay here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P31oNPEczsY The second-place prize went to Alma M. Holley, an RN who works at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Washing- ton, D.C. She submitted a photo entry, in which she juxtaposed a picture of a single drop of water next to one of a mighty waterfall. "All RNs need to be in one, single powerful national nurses union and movement because it is the difference between the power of a single drop of water and a waterfall. There is power in numbers." Clockwise from top: Activist musician Tom Morello performs for RNs; Cathy Kennedy, RN, receives Kay McVay Award; Chicagoland RN Monica Lloyd wins essay contest; international RN representatives share their countries' healthcare struggles.

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