Abstract
Photo courtesy of The Medical Heritage Center, The Ohio State University.
“The best lessons I learned came from the school of life.”
Grayce McVeigh Sills died on April 3, 2016, just before her 90th birthday. The following tributes were solicited and received for publication in JAPNA. Jeanne Clement was Grayce’s long-term friend and colleague and wrote this heartfelt tribute to this psychiatric nursing leader. The second tribute was read by Sally Raphel at the International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses (ISPN) at their annual conference in Minneapolis, MN.
Grayce and APNA
APNA is an organization that grew out of a series of events that prompted the insightful and visionary thinking of leaders such as Grayce Sills. 1 I remember Grayce when she returned from the ANA House of Delegates in 1982. She was not in a good mood. The newly adopted ANA by-laws deleted the divisions on practice, and made changes to the names of the Councils. These did not fit with Grayce’s concepts of what a national organization for Psychiatric-Mental Health nursing needed to expand scholarship and practice in the discipline that would enable nurses to work with people in their recovery from mental illness. (See Grayce’s interview promoting the APNAF for a definition of discipline.) In typical Grayce fashion she joined with other like-minded leaders—or created them where she could—and began the work needed to establish an organization that embraced all nurses who worked in the field. She talked about an organization that would be inclusive, collegial, a continuous source of energy and inspiration to currently practicing nurses, and provide nourishment to “grow our young.” Whenever she had the chance she talked, and talked. (Of course she did.) In one instance I remember fondly, Grayce was invited to speak informally to a group at the University of Cincinnati in a faculty member’s home where she expounded on her favorite subject. The next day one of the faculty at The Ohio State University asked her what she was doing the night before. With the twinkle in her eye that most of us are familiar with, she responded: “Being wise.”
In 1987 the journey began, APNA was formed. Among other major contributions to the organization Grayce brought people together to celebrate, learn, grow, and have fun! Does anyone remember that night in Chicago when Judy Malone sang “Amazing Grace” to her? The laughter I remember centered on the beginning of the second verse: “Twas Grace that taught my heart to fear.” And, of course: “And Grace my fear relieved.”
The beginning of APNA has expanded and become exactly as Grayce envisioned—into an association of professionals 2 of which she was extremely proud.