Today is the National Day of Advocacy for Nurses and the end of National Nurses Week 2016. In the U.S., nurses number 3.4 million. New Mexico is home to some 22 thousand nurses. What does the American public think about these front-line health workers? This year and for many years past, nurses rank number one in Gallup poll’s honesty and ethics in professions survey--ahead of doctors, teachers, police officers and other highly regarded workers. Reporter Mary Lou brings us the story of New Mexico nurses on this important day.
Mary Lou Cooper has reported for KSFR for over a decade, focusing on consumer issues, health, politics, and more. She is a former US Congressional staffer and remains a political junkie to this day. Cooper has received journalism awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, Associated Press, National Federation of Press Women and New Mexico Press Women. She grew up in Oak Ridge, TN and received her BA from Emory University in Atlanta and her MA from the University of Texas Austin. She holds fiction and screenwriting certificates from the University of Washington.