Even if you’re not a nurse, you’ve probably seen the television commercial “Be a Nurse,” by Johnson & Johnson that promotes the nursing profession. The “Campaign for Nursing’s Future” has invested $25 million into addressing the nursing shortage in support of the nursing profession.
The goal of the commercial is to influence more people to choose nursing as a profession, develop more nurse educators, and retain talent already in the profession, according to Johnson and Johnson.
Now, the company is preparing to launch a promotional video, “Nurse Scientists: Committed to the Public Trust,” that will feature Virginia Tilden, D.N.Sc., dean of the UNMC College of Nursing, and nine other nurse researchers from across the country. The 10-minute video promotes nursing research to meet the healthcare needs of the nation.
Though it’s not known yet where and when Johnson & Johnson will use the video, the company will make the video and other nurse recruitment materials available to anyone. The video shows 10 researchers engaged in research, talking about the focus of their work and why they do it. Dr. Tilden is featured talking about her research on end-of-life care.
The video was unveiled to Dr. Tilden, a small group of UNMC nurse faculty and about 1,100 others recently at the National Institute for Nursing Research’s (NINR) NightinGala in Washington, D.C. Dr. Tilden and the nine others featured in the video were recognized individually, including a brief synopsis of their research.
Dr. Tilden said she was honored to help tell the story of nursing research and make the country aware of the benefits of nursing science to the American people.
“Johnson & Johnson are to be commended for their understanding that nursing care is as important in health care as cure,” Dr. Tilden said. “Especially at the end of life when the wonderful advances of medical technology cannot reverse disease or extend meaningful life, palliative nursing care makes all the difference.
“I was pleased to have the end of life story be included in the video. It was a proud moment for nursing, and I was glad to carry the banner for UNMC,” Dr. Tilden said.
Dr. Tilden and other UNMC faculty attended the event and subsequent National Congress on the State of the Science in Nursing Research.
“The video was quite a hit at the gala. The absolutely loved it,” said Maryann Fralic, DrPh., board member of the Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research, an organization that promotes and supports the institute. Dr. Fralic was tasked with selecting Dr. Tilden and the nine others from a long list of talented researchers.
“I was trying to show as much diversity in the kinds of research that nurses do and hers really is quite unique with her end-of-life focus,” Dr. Fralic said. “I wanted to make sure we had people from a variety of backgrounds represented, as well as schools from different geographical areas around the country.
“Nebraska seemed to have the right person and was in the right place. I started with a list of researchers thought well of at the NINR,” she said.
Dr. Fralic said the video was produced to promote the friends group and show other choices in nursing. “The video was a major, major investment by Johnson & Johnson and was quite well done. It’s a big commitment on their part.”
Johnson & Johnson’s campaign, which was developed in conjunction with national nursing organizations, already has exceeded $25 million. Called The Campaign for Nursing’s Future, the initiative includes:
- Free recruitment brochures, posters and videos to hospitals, high schools, nursing schools and nursing organizations;
- Retention effort providing continuing education for nurses in the areas of leadership and management skills and mentorship programs for nurses;
- Raising funds for student scholarships, faculty fellowships, and nursing school grants;
- Regional “celebration of nursing” events to raise money for the local nursing community;
- Web site (www.discovernursing.com) about the benefits of a nursing career featuring searchable links to hundreds of nursing scholarships, and more than 1,000 accredited nursing educational programs; and A national advertising campaign that celebrates nursing professionals and their contributions to health care.