We watched George Floyd's funeral on television with very heavy hearts. For days, we have been asking each other, our staff and board members what does DAISY- an organization dedicated to recognizing nurses for their extraordinary compassionate care - say in support of changes in our society that are so long overdue - Black lives matter - ABSOLUTELY! Racism is a public health and societal crisis we all must combat. All of us.
It pains us deeply that it has taken the senseless murders of Mr. Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Eric Gardner, Michael Brown, and too many others to get the nation’s attention. We are determined to make DAISY even more sensitive to inequity. For years, DAISY has been publicly celebrating the above-and-beyond care of numerous Black and other minority nurses. Still, we can and will do more.
To start with, we will shine a greater light on the important work of community-based nurses who provide excellent care for Black and other minority people. They are on nursing’s frontlines to offset social determinants of poor health.
In addition to funding nursing research into treatment of patients with cancer and autoimmune disease, we will open and focus on a line of funding to nurses studying social determinants of health related specifically to improving the overall health of Black and other minority people.
All of us at DAISY strive to be our best selves as we serve the nursing profession we love and admire. We are continuing to examine how DAISY's mission - and how we personally - can address racism more explicitly. We are listening. We are learning. We are acting to make a difference.
With sincere determination,
Bonnie and Mark Barnes, FAANs