A few questions
Hey all.
I'm currently a first year nursing student at Northeastern University here in Boston, MA. I'm taking a course which focuses on current news in the nursing world and the political side of the profession. We were asked to conduct an interview with a nurse in a leadership position ... and I've been having trouble finding someone who can take a few minutes to answer a few questions. I'm hoping that by posting the questions here I'll get a few respoinses.
Your feedback is greatly appreciated!
Thanks ahead of time to anyone who's willing to help me out.

Questions:

1. First, I'd like to know a little bit about who you are. What type of nursing do you do, and how long have you been doing it? How do you see yourself taking on a leadership role in the nursing community?

2. There's been talk about the nursing shortage for a few years now. Do you see evidence of this throughout your shifts? If so, what are some of the problems you face on a daily basis that are due to the shortage? Do you have any new, or interesting, ideas in regards to solving this problem?

3. Every year there is a survey conducted throughout the United States to determine the most repsected professions in the country. Every year the Nursing profession is ranked near the top (the only time it fell below the top spot was in 2001 and 2002, after the September 11th crisis when Policemen and Fire Fighters were ranked at numbers 1 and 2). In your opinion, what contributes to this? What steps have you (personally, or as part of a larger group) taken to ensure that this status be secured?

4. After Hurricane Katrina it became obvious that our Emergency Response System was/is greatly flawed and there was a huge call for reform in that area. How have you responded to this disaster? Are you currently involved in any organizations that would help people in this situation in the future?

5. Lastly, are you involved in any nursing organizations which do charity/good will work in your community, or another? If so, please share what that organization is, and what type of work you do.

Again, I thank anyone who is willing to answer these few questions.
If you would like to respond privately, please eMail your responses to the following address: [email protected].