Wheres the Cavalry?
In 1999, the nursing shortage was just beginning to gain momentum. In fact, in some areas of the country, it was still just a blip on the radar screen. On this June day, just hours before I talked to Katie, I had the privilege of hearing former ANA President Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN, talk to a group of nurse educators. In her inimitable style, the nursing leader urged the group to step up their efforts to recruit the best and the brightest into the profession. “Do you all remember those old Western movies – when the cavalry was getting beaten by the Indians in battles? Just as the soldiers were ready to surrender, you would see a dust storm. Suddenly, out of the dust, a pack of horses and new recruits would emerge to save the day,” described Dr. Malone to the audience. “Well, in nursing these days, I sure don’t see a lot of new recruits. In fact, I don’t even see any dust,” Dr. Malone quipped. The leader’s powerful presentation succinctly laid out the gravity of the pending nursin
