Battles Hard Fought Documentary

Documentary Gives Voice to Early Nursing Policy Leaders

Many of the early leaders in the nurse practitioner movement who fought the legislative battles for scope of practice at the state level have long since retired--and without recognition for their accomplishments. In this video, pioneer nursing leaders from the state of New Jersey recall the long road to the passage of the first state Nurse Practitioner/Clinical Nurse Specialist bill, which granted these providers legal titling and prescriptive authority.

These leaders were all active in the New Jersey State Nurses Association between 1974 and 1994. Their individual accounts, heard for the first time in a unique format, tell a compelling story of how advanced practice nursing became legally possible in the state of New Jersey.

This documentary was produced by Carolyn Torre, RN, MA, APN, FAANP and Kim Curry, PhD, FNP-C, FAAN, recipients of the Bjoring History Center’s Nurse Practitioner History Research Scholar Award. Read about the the Battles Hard Fought context, download the Battles Hard Fought transcript or view the Battles Hard Fought credits.

Copyright Carolyn Torre and Kim Curry. For permission to use for educational purposes, contact: cttorre@gmail.com.