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"This is Jane, Mrs. B's nurse, I'm sorry to bother you, but..." The pivotal chapter "Tell the World What You Do" details why nurses must speak out. Since people often see complex nursing activities as the nurse "being attentive" or "kind," nurses must describe the complexity of care and the clinical judgment they use. Even when thanked, nurses will often say, "Oh, it was nothing," thereby denying their skill and expertise. Imagine if the 2.7 million U.S. nurses suddenly began to talk about their practice and the importance of the work they do? Since many Americans rely on the news media and Internet as their primary sources of health information, nurses should under- stand the role of these sources in presenting their profession and practice. If nurses are silent or are depicted as spectators standing on the sidelines, then the public image of nursing suffers. Buresh and Gordon give detailed information about how the news media works and how nurses can reach out through letters to the editor, phone calls, and news releases. The book then guides nurses through these activities so stress is mini- mized and the experience is positive. One suggestion is to create and share anecdotes about nursing work. The authors urge every nurse to be able to quickly recall at least three incidents from work that paint a clear picture of the nurse as a knowledge- able clinician. These stories can be as basic as explaining the multiple assessments nurses do while taking vital signs or turning a patient, or they can be constructed around current hot topics such as heart disease, stroke, or geriatric care. Also helpful is an explanation of the use of brief sound bites to capture the essence of the message the nurse wishes to convey, and a comprehensive review of commonly-asked questions interviewers might pose and possi- ble ways to respond. Examples of successful campaigns are also included, beginning with our own Florence Nightingale, who used research, statistics, and public opinion as leverage to advocate for the improvement of military and civilian hospitals. Closer to home is an excellent presenta- tion of CNA's fight for safe patient staffing, a struggle that included nurse mobilization, public education, lobbying, "Patient Watch" stories, and the persistent picketing of the Governor. Of great help to CNA in the ratio campaign was research done in 2002 about the link between high nurse-to-patient ratios and patient deaths. While this research, as well as health and medical developments, is now available online at EurekAlert, much nursing research is still underreported in the press. The authors call on nurse researchers to encourage reporters to cover their work so that the public is aware that nurses investi- gate a broad range of healthcare issues and that nursing practice is evidence based. The final chapter includes a poignant and eloquent call to action by a Swiss nurse and lawyer who states that nursing care is under siege universally and that visibility is no longer an option, but an obligation if nurses are to continue their mission to serve their patients and society. From Silence to Voice closes softly but powerfully with Gordon's heartfelt and mov- ing poem "Just a Nurse." But after reading this book and that poem, I believe that nurs- es will never again be able to describe them- selves as "just a nurse." —elizabeth pataki, rn A U G U S T 2 0 0 6 W W W . C A L N U R S E S . O R G R E G I S T E R E D N U R S E 7 CHICAGO d u r i n g i t s f i r s t contract negotiations with CNA/NNOC, registered nurses with the Cook County Bureau of Health Services, the public health system for Chicago, fought man- agement tooth and nail to win the right to a nurse-elected Professional Practice Commit- tee. Their vision became reality on Aug. 12, when members convened for the first time and conducted Cook County's first-ever PPC meeting. Members learned about their legal and statutory rights under Illinois law and report that they are excited to tackle patient care issues and take control of their practice. EUREKA and APPLE VALLEY, Calif. r e g i s t e r e d n u r s e s at two hospitals that are part of the Orange County-based Sisters of St. Joseph Health System approved new contracts in August that should improve patient care protections. Some 300 RNs with St. Joseph Hospital are covered by the three- year Eureka contract, an agreement reached after a long and at times contentious cam- paign during which the hospital made con- troversial cutbacks in staff and services. About 450 RNs with St. Mary Medical Cen- ter are covered by the three-year Apple Val- ley contract. The contracts share many similarities, including significant wage increases that should help RNs establish pay parity with other area hospitals, and new protections against floating outside of an RN's expertise "cluster." ROSEVILLE, Calif. in july, rns with Sutter Roseville Medical Center ratified a contract that included gains for nurses in contentious issues of job security, scheduling, healthcare, retirement benefits, and contract length. The agree- ment, reached in the wee hours of the morn- ing June 30, means nurses will receive a 21 percent wage increase over the next four years, doubled tuition reimbursement, and the elimination of healthcare premium copays for nurses and their families. This contract is set to expire with the rest of the Sutter system. MACHIAS, Maine in july, an arbitrator found that Down- east Community Hospital violated its con- tract by transferring 15-year operating room RN Krista McCormick out of her unit because surgeons and management were irritated by her insistence on following hos- pital policies. Despite agreeing after an inquiry that McCormick was an excellent OR nurse and had done nothing wrong, manage- ment reassigned her to the medical surgical unit, where she earned half her usual pay. She will be reinstated to her OR job as of Jan. 1, 2007. The decision ends a nearly two-year ordeal for McCormick, and underscores the need for collective bargaining rights, because even a conscientious and respected nurse is not immune to political maneuvers in the workplace. Wrap-up Report