Digital Marian Helper Spring_2018

Why did you decide to start advocating for Catholic nurses? It started because of my own experience. I worked at a hospital on Cape Cod in Massachusetts in the 1970s. Coworkers would come to me, knowing that I was Catholic, and tell me about the ethical issues they were facing. I worked with my Catholic coworkers and the bishop to start a local chapter of Catholic nurses to address such issues and advocate for Catholic health- care professionals. How did you become involved in NACN-USA? I helped start this organization in the early 1990s. We realized Catholic nurses across the United States were facing similar ethical issues in the workplace and needed guidance. Our national organization joined the International Catholic Committee of Nurses and Medico-Social Assistants, which falls under the leadership of the Holy See. We have a non-governmental organization mem- bership with the United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO). For several years, we were the only Catholic organization among thousands repre- sented at WHO. The Church needs a bigger voice in the healthcare system. That begins by encouraging our healthcare professionals to understand the Catholic faith and to not be afraid to talk about it. What difficulties are Catholic healthcare profes- sionals currently facing? In the clinical setting, many in our country don’t 4 M arian H elper  • S pring 2018  • marian.org M arian H elpers in A ction As the former president of the National Association of Catholic Nurses U.S.A. (NACN-USA), Marylee J. Meehan of West Yarmouth, Massachusetts, has been helping nurses live out their Catholic faith in the workplace since the 1970s. Much like the Marians’ Healthcare Pro- fessionals for Divine Mercy, she sees it as her calling to help form the consciences of Catholic healthcare pro- fessionals so that through their work they can spread God’s mercy to all their patients. H elping nurses live the faith