“I Had Everything Mapped Out” – a 2020 DNP Grad’s Story

“I Had Everything Mapped Out” – a 2020 DNP Grad’s Story

I got my nursing degree in 2020.

I am an Emergency Department nurse and, in the Fall of 2017, I entered graduate school for my Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.  I knew it would bring challenges and allow for me to grow as a nurse but what was to come was unforeseen.  Maintaining a balance of working 12-hour shifts as the Charge Nurse in the Emergency Department and adjuncting for a university’s nursing program, I had to keep a strict schedule and manage my time perfectly while in school.  I had everything mapped out; hours set aside for work and days where I would attend classes, clinical rotations, and meetings with my study group.  I had a goal and I was very calculated in my approach.  Or so I thought.

In the Spring of 2020, our cohort entered the second to last semester of our graduate curriculum.  With the end in sight, it was an exciting time.  During the early weeks of the spring semester, there was a buzz that was generating about a pandemic spreading throughout the United States and the rest of the world.  As our nation watched cases of Covid-19 begin to ramp up, safety measures were enacted and ultimately all in-person activities and gatherings were halted.  Overnight, everything came to a complete stop.  Suddenly, no more students were allowed in the clinical setting, and classes were briefly paused before moving to an on-line format.  This sudden change brought challenges, worry, and uncertainty about the future to our cohort. 

There was no way to make it through 2020 and graduate without displaying the key principles of flexibility, patience, and perseverance.  Throughout the semester, and during the early days of the Covid-19 response, things seemed to change every minute of every day.  We felt such uncertainty at what was to come.  Will we have enough clinical hours to meet our school’s requirements and ultimately sit for our board exam?  Will our evidence-based quality improvement projects be able to be implemented at our local healthcare facilities?  Will we be able to graduate on time?  These were just a few of the thoughts that consumed my interactions with our cohort.

Patrick Nobles, DNP, FNP-BC, CNL receives a Nurse of the Year award at University of Florida Health.
Patrick M. Nobles accepting a Nurse of the Year award at University of Florida Health in 2020.

I was fortunate and was able to complete the bulk of my project during the previous term, before COVID-19.  Others in my cohort were not as lucky.  Many facilities that once agreed to allow students to implement their project put it on hold once COVID-19 arrived.  Ultimately, those who were unable to launch their projects ended up delaying their graduation until the Fall term.  The hardships and frustrations that resulted because of this delay felt deflating.  It seemed that all of the hard work, long hours of studying, and time invested into ones’ career had suddenly been filled with too many unknowns. 

But nurses are resilient and we adapt to the challenges we face.  Even in the midst of a national crisis where burnout and exhaustion affected many on the front lines, nurses prevailed.  When talking with my cohort, after their successful (though delayed) graduation, themes started to emerge.  We took this time, where we were forced to slow down, to reconnect with ourselves and our families.  With much of society closed or restricted, sharing time together at home or outside in the yard resulted in more meaningful interactions.  The focus on ones’ wellness and the often-forgotten self-care that many of us nurses put off was all of a sudden present.  It brought our attention to developing a much better work-life balance and helped reinforced our commitment to the profession and finishing our degrees.  

Our cohort remained close throughout the pandemic and ultimately held one-another accountable for meeting the goals that we originally set out to accomplish.  We made sure to continue our studies, and pass our final university exams. We supported each other as we prepared for our board exams and applied for licensure. 

Throughout this time, we built a bond with each other and continued to “raise the bar of expectations” even though we were geographically distant from each other.  We challenged each other to do better and to be better.  Of course, the hardship of not being able to have our graduation in person and walk across the stage together was difficult, but our perseverance and determination to join the class of 2020 was not deterred. So, cheers to everyone in the class of 2020 and to those who helped fight on the front lines with us!

ProPublica: States Need to Counter Vaccine Hesitancy Among People of Color

ProPublica: States Need to Counter Vaccine Hesitancy Among People of Color

Though African Americans are being hospitalized for COVID-19 at more than triple  the rate of white Americans, wariness of the new vaccine is higher in the Black population than in most communities. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlighted communities of color as a “critical population” to vaccinate. But ProPublica found little in the way of concrete action to make sure that happens.

Originally published by ProPublica

It will be up to states to make sure residents get the vaccine, but ProPublica reviewed the distribution plans of the nine states with the most Black residents and found that many have barely invested in overcoming historic mistrust of the medical establishment and high levels of vaccine hesitancy in the Black community. Few states could articulate specific measures they are taking to address the vaccine skepticism.

And it could be hard to track which populations are getting the vaccine. While the CDC has asked states to report the race and ethnicity of every recipient, along with other demographic information like age and sex, the agency doesn’t appear ready to apply any downward pressure to ensure that such information will be collected.

In state vaccination registries, race and ethnicity fields are simply considered “nice to have,” explained Mitchel Rothholz, chief of governance and state affiliates for the American Pharmacists Association. While other fields are mandatory, such as the patient’s contact information and date of birth, leaving race and ethnicity blank “won’t keep a provider from submitting the data if they don’t have it.”

In the initial stages, vaccines will go to people who are easy to find, like health care workers and nursing home residents. But barriers will increase when distribution moves to the next tier — which includes essential workers, a far larger and more amorphous group. Instead of bringing the vaccine to them, it’s more likely that workers will have to seek out the vaccine, so hesitancy and lack of access will become important factors in who gets the shots and who misses out.

“There are individuals who are required to be on the front line to serve in their jobs but perhaps don’t have equitable access to health care services or have insurance but it’s a challenge to access care,” said Dr. Grace Lee, a professor of pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine and member of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which is tasked with issuing guidance on the prioritization of COVID-19 vaccine distribution. “We can build equity into our recommendations, but implementation is where the rubber meets the road.”

Hesitancy is Rooted in Medical Exploitation and Mistreatment

About a quarter of the public feels hesitant about a COVID-19 vaccine, meaning they probably or definitely would not get it, according to a December poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Hesitancy was higher than average among Black adults in the survey, with 35% saying that they definitely or probably would not get vaccinated.

Mistrust of the medical community among people of color is well-founded, stemming from a history of unscrupulous medical experimentation. The infamous Tuskegee study, conducted from 1932 to 1972 by the U.S. Public Health Service, still looms large in the memories of many Black Americans, who remember how researchers knowingly withheld treatment from African American sharecroppers with syphilis in order to study the disease’s progression.

But the injustices aren’t confined to the past. The National Academies’ Institute of Medicine has found that minorities tend to receive lower-quality health care than white counterparts, even when adjusting for age, income, insurance and severity of condition. Black Americans are also more likely to be uninsured and utilize primary care services less often than white Americans.

“It’s not just about history. It’s about the here and now,” said Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, an infectious disease physician at Massachusetts General Hospital. “People point to racial injustice across the system. It’s not just hospitals; people don’t trust the government, or they ask about the pharmaceutical industry’s profit motive. From the very beginning, Black and brown people are marginalized from the enterprise of research. They think: ‘So few people look like us in research, industry and academia, why should we trust that someone at that table is thinking of our interest?’”

When it comes to vaccinations, the consequences can be grave. Black and Hispanic people are less likely to get the flu shot than white people, according to the CDC. At the same time, Black Americans have the highest rate of flu-associated hospitalizations, at 68 people per 100,000 population, compared to 38 people per 100,000 in the non-Hispanic white population.

Health officials have tried to assuage vaccine concerns in the traditional way, by publicizing specific individuals receiving the shot. The U.S. began its mass immunization effort by injecting a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine into the left upper-arm of Sandra Lindsay, a Black woman and critical care nurse in New York.

Meanwhile, an onslaught of memes and conspiracy theories characterizing the vaccine as harmful are making the rounds on social media. One reads, “Just had the covid-19 vaccine. Feeling great,” along with the picture of the character from the 1980 movie “The Elephant Man.” Another image circulating on Twitter features the photos of three Black people and claims they are suffering from Bell’s palsy due to the vaccine. The Twitter user who shared the image asked followers, “still want those Tuskegee 2.0 genocide vaccines?”

It may only take one or two negative headlines to further sow fear, said Komal Patel, who has 16 years of experience as a pharmacist in California. After two health care workers in the United Kingdom experienced allergic reactions to Pfizer’s vaccine, Patel said she saw anxiety spike on social media, even though regulators have said that only people with a history of anaphylaxis — a severe or life threatening immune reaction — to ingredients in the vaccine need to avoid taking the shot. “Just two patients, and here we go, there’s all this chatter.”

Key States Lack Concrete Plans to Promote Vaccines in Black Communities

It falls to states to make sure their residents of color are vaccinated. But the speed at which the vaccine needs to be disseminated means that states haven’t had much time to plan communications efforts, said Lee, from CDC’s advisory group. “How do we make sure messaging is appropriate? You may want to emphasize different messages for different communities. We don’t have the time for that.”

ProPublica found that few states can articulate specifically what they are doing to address vaccine skepticism in the Black community.

TexasGeorgia and Illinois’ state plans make no mention of how they plan to reach and reassure their Black residents. Black communities make up between 13% and 33% of the population in the three states, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. None of the three states’ health departments responded to requests for comment.

California’s state plan includes “a public information campaign … to support vaccine confidence,” but does not provide details apart from the state’s intention to use social media, broadcast outlets and word of mouth. In an email, the California Department of Public Health did not provide additional information about outreach to Black residents, only saying, “this is an important issue we continue to work on.”

A spokesman for New York’s Department of Public Health said the state has been working since September to overcome hesitancy with expert panels and events like Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s November meeting with community leaders in Harlem to discuss concerns with the Trump administration’s vaccine plan, specifically for communities of color.

“Governor Cuomo has been leading the national effort to ensure…black, brown and underserved communities have equal access to, and confidence in, the vaccine,” a Saturday statement said.

Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, said: “Media outreach is not enough. TV ads are one thing, but usually public service announcements are at midnight when nobody is listening, because that’s when they’re free.” Normally, public health officials go to barber shops, beauty salons, bowling alleys and other popular locales to hand out flyers and answer questions, but due to the pandemic and limits on congregating, that’s not an option, Benjamin said, so officials need to plan a serious social media strategy. That could involve partnering with “influencers” like sports figures and music stars by having them interview public health figures, Benjamin suggested.

Dr. Mark Kittleson, chair of the Department of Public Health at New York Medical College, said he’s not surprised to hear how vague some of the state health plans are, because states often focus on providing high-level guidance while county or regional level health departments are left to execute the plan. But he said specific efforts need to be undertaken to reach residents of color. “Spokespeople for the vaccination need to be a diverse group,” Kittleson said. “Dr. Tony Fauci is fantastic, but every state needs to find the leading health care experts that represent the diversity in their own state, whether it’s Native American, African American or Latino.” Kittleson also suggested partnering with churches.“Especially in the African American community, when the minister stands up and says, ‘Folks, you need to take your blood pressure medication and take care of yourself,’ people listen to that,” he said. “The church needs to be brought into the fold.”

Maryland’s state plan acknowledges the distrust among Black and Latino communities as well as rural residents, and says it will aim to tailor communication to each group by working with trusted community partners and representatives of vulnerable groups. A Department of Health spokesperson said in an email that “as vaccination distribution continues to ramp up, we urge all individuals to get the vaccine.”

Florida’s written plan includes a messaging strategy for everyone in the state, but does not specifically address the Black community. A “thorough vaccination communication plan continues to be developed in order to combat vaccine hesitancy,” a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Health said in response to ProPublica’s queries.

In North Carolina and Virginia, however, health officials started preparing months ago to reassure residents about potential vaccines. North Carolina formed a committee in May with leaders from marginalized communities to guide the state’s overall response to the pandemic. Vaccine concerns were a priority, said Benjamin Money, deputy secretary of health services for North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services.

The politicization of the pandemic has mobilized the Black and brown medical scientific community to dig into the research and how the vaccines work, Money said, “so that they can feel assured that the vaccine’s safe and it’s effective and they can convey the message to their patients and to their community constituents.”

The committee is advising North Carolina officials on their vaccine messaging and hosting a webinar for Black religious leaders. Similarly, the Virginia Department of Health has staff devoted to health equity across racial and ethnic groups and is putting on a series of town hall-style meetings speaking to specific communities of color.

Black residents in Virginia have expressed concerns about how rapidly the early vaccines were developed, said Dr. Norman Oliver, Virginia’s state health commissioner.

“It all boils down to telling people the truth,” Oliver said. “The first thing to let folks know is that one of the reasons why these vaccines were developed so quickly is because of the advances in technology since the last time we did vaccines; we’re not trying to grow live virus and keep it under control or do attenuated virus and develop a vaccine this way.”

In addition to promoting reliable information, Virginia health officials hired a company to monitor the spread of vaccine misinformation in the state and to locate where falsehoods appear to be taking hold, Oliver said. The state hopes to target its communications in places where distrust is most intense.

The CDC has set aside $6.5 million to support 10 national organizations, according to spokesperson Kristen Nordlund. The funds are “to be disbursed by each organization to their affiliates and chapters across the country so they may do immunization-focused community engagement in the local communities they serve,” Nordlund said in an email. She didn’t respond to questions on whether the funds had already been disbursed and to which organizations.

Data Collection on the Race of Vaccine Recipients is Likely to be Incomplete

Every state has a vaccination registry, where data on administered shots is routinely reported, from childhood vaccinations to the flu shot. What’s new in this pandemic is that the CDC has requested all the data be funneled up to the federal level, so it can track vaccination progress across the nation.

“Race and ethnicity data should be recorded in states’ immunization data, but we do not know how reliably it is collected,” said Mary Beth Kurilo, senior director of health informatics at the American Immunization Registry Association. “We really don’t have good data on how well it’s captured out there across the country.”

Many immunization records are fed into the state’s registry directly from a doctor’s electronic health record system, Kurilo said, which can present technological stumbling blocks: “Is [the data] routinely captured as part of the registration process? Can they capture multiple races, which I think is something that’s become increasingly important going forward?”

When asked about historic rates of compliance and how they planned to gather information on race and ethnicity of vaccine recipients this time, health departments from Georgia, Texas, Illinois, Florida and California didn’t respond.

Maryland’s state plans indicate it intends to use information gathered through its vaccine appointment scheduling system, including demographic data gathered from recipients, to direct its communication outreach efforts. The Maryland Department of Health, which didn’t provide more detailed information, said it is “currently exploring all options as far as vaccine data reporting.”

North Carolina’s immunization records system routinely collects race and ethnicity information, and a spokesperson told ProPublica it has that type of demographic data for 71% of people in the system. Stephanie Wheawill, director of pharmacy services at the Virginia Department of Health, said that providers will be “asked to record that information” but didn’t elaborate on how the department planned to encourage or enforce compliance.

Data fields for vaccine recipients’ race and ethnicity are standard in New York, a spokesman said. But the state didn’t provide any details about rates of compliance in supplying that data.

“You’ve got to have the data to compare,” said Martha Dawson, president of the National Black Nurses Association and an associate professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s nursing school. “Because if you don’t have the data, then we’re just guessing. There’s no way to know who received it if you don’t take the data.”

There is tension between gathering enough data to understand the extent of the rollout and the possibility that asking for too much information will scare away people who are already leery of the vaccine.

“The biggest concern people have is how will this information be used?” said Lee, from the CDC’s advisory group. “People need to trust that the data will be used with a good intent. “

Rothholz, with the American Pharmacists Association, said there could be ways apart from state registries to estimate vaccine uptake among minorities. “If I’m a community pharmacy in a predominantly African American community, if I’m giving away 900 or 1000 vaccines, you can track penetration that way,” he said. Geographic-based analysis, however, would depend on the shots being distributed via community pharmacies rather than by mass vaccination sites — a less likely scenario for the Pfizer vaccine, the first to be administered, which requires ultracold storage that will be difficult for many small pharmacies to manage.

It Will Be Up to Doctors and Community Leaders to Encourage Trust

The best way to help a worried individual, whether scared about data collection or the vaccine itself, is a conversation with a trusted caregiver, according to Dr. Susan Bailey, president of the American Medical Association.

“Time and again it’s been shown that one of the most valuable things to encourage a patient to undertake a change, whether it’s stopping smoking or losing weight, is a one-on-one conversation with a trusted caregiver — having your physician saying, ‘I took it and I really want you to take it too,” she said. “But patients have to have the opportunity to ask questions, and not to be blown off or belittled or feel troublesome for asking all their questions.”

“If someone says that they’re afraid of being a guinea pig, maybe drill a bit deeper,” Bailey suggested. “Ask, ‘What are you concerned about? Are you concerned about side effects? Are you concerned that not enough people have taken it?’”

The American Academy of Family Physicians uses the mnemonic “ACT” to guide their members in conversations with patients of color, president Dr. Ada Stewart said in an email: “Be Accountable and Acknowledge both historical and contemporary transgressions against Black, brown and Indigenous communities. … Communicate safety, efficacy and harms such that individuals can weigh their own personal risk to potential benefits, and exercise Transparency with regard to the development of vaccines and the distribution process.”

David Hodge, associate director of education at Tuskegee University’s National Center for Bioethics in Research and Health Care, urges Black and brown leaders such as pastors and community organizers to take control of the messaging right now and not wait for their local governments to tackle the issue.

“We’re not in a position right now to be patient. We’re not in a position to sit on the sidelines, we have to make it happen.”

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Originally published by ProPublica

Herzing University to Open New Tampa Campus

Herzing University to Open New Tampa Campus

As the pandemic highlights the nation’s nursing shortage, new schools are opening in an attempt to close the gap. One new educational opportunity for aspiring BSNs and LPNs in 2021 is the Herzing University Tampa campus .

To learn more about Herzing University’s essay in Tampa, DailyNurse spoke to Jeff Cross, president of both the Tampa and Orlando campuses.

DailyNurse: Why did you decide to open a campus in Tampa, and why now?

Jeff Cross: “We’re bringing our proven nursing education approach to Tampa because there is such a strong need for registered nurses across the region. Herzing University has been educating nursing students in the Orlando area since 2006 and we understand the unique needs of the Florida population. We have strong clinical and community relationships throughout central Florida and we’re excited to be a part of the Tampa healthcare community.”

DN: What is the Herzing philosophy of nursing and/or your approach to nurse education?

Jeff Cross, president of Herzing University Tampa and Orlando campuses

Cross: “Herzing University uses a combination of adaptive learning for general education, simulation learning once students enter core nursing classes and high-quality, diverse clinical experiences for hands-on training and interaction with actual patients. This combination results in students who have the confidence and skills needed to be a well-prepared nurse the day they graduate. Beyond ensuring each student has the necessary skills and knowledge, Herzing has a philanthropic component built into its curriculum. Each student must complete a certain number of clinical hours (varies by program) in a community services capacity, which could include providing health and wellness checks at a homeless shelter, administering flu shots at a free clinic, or many other opportunities. We are excited about the opportunity to give back to the Tampa area community.”

DN: What are the most salient points of your plan to keep students safe when you open?

Cross: “Herzing takes student safety seriously and we have rigorous plans in place to ensure the health of the students, faculty, and staff. We practice S.A.F.E. education through the following procedures: Screening, Access, Face Coverings, and Enhanced safety measures. Anyone entering the campus is required to complete health screenings and temperature checks. As of now, access to the campus is for students who choose to come in person for labs and skills checks, but we will continue to monitor the situation and follow state guidelines. Everyone must always wear a mask and gloves are required in labs, which we provide to students. We are also practicing social distancing and enhanced cleaning protocols.”

DN: Do you expect to offer in-person classes, or a combination of in-person and online teaching?

Cross: “Students will begin coursework 100% online. Students may visit the campus on a limited basis for skills check-ins with instructors or to use the simulation learning labs. We also offer virtual simulation capabilities that allow students to practice skills work in a virtual environment from their home or any location. Herzing is committed to following the guidance provided by local and state agencies as it relates to the latest COVID-19 recommendations and adjusting policies when it’s safe to do so.”

DN: Have you made plans to accommodate students’ need for clinicals time during the pandemic? Are your local healthcare partners going to allow students to work with patients?

Cross: “We are very excited to offer students virtual simulation options to complete the clinical components of their coursework. Core nursing classes will begin in the fall, so students wouldn’t reach the clinical part of their program until late 2021. The coronavirus situation is changing rapidly, so it is difficult to say exactly what a student would be doing by this time next year. However, virtual simulation has been approved by the Florida Board of Nursing as an option for students to complete their clinical experiences. We will continue to make adjustments as needed to ensure our students are able to complete all components of their nursing program without delay.” 

DN: Do you have any advice for students who want to become LPNs, or for nurses who want to work toward their BSN at this time?

Cross: “Your community needs you now more than ever before! We can help you achieve your nursing credential goal in a safe way, so please don’t let the coronavirus deter you. We provide year-round instruction so you can enter the workforce as soon as possible, pending licensure, and we also offer a number of pathways and bridge program options that provide degree credits for prior training, education and work experience.”  

Jeff Cross is the president of Herzing University’s Tampa and Orlando campuses. He can be reached at [email protected]. The Tampa campus is currently accepting applications. To find out more about the accredited nursing programs offered at Herzing University-Tampa, visit the school website or call 813-285-5281 to speak with an admissions advisor.

FL Nurses Protest Unsafe Working Conditions

FL Nurses Protest Unsafe Working Conditions

More than a dozen registered nurses at Blake Medical Center in Bradenton, Florida, protested outside the hospital Friday, the third such protest since the pandemic began, saying hospital owner HCA Healthcare won’t give them N95 masks unless they are working with known COVID-19 patients, and doesn’t tell them when their patients later test positive.

As case counts in Manatee County  climb, many patients have been admitted to the 383-bed hospital for other reasons, but later turn out to have COVID-19, said Candice Cordero, a telemetry nurse who works with stroke and cardiac patients in a step-down unit.

“We’re seeing more random patients test positive, and some have symptoms, but some don’t, or some are admitted for one thing, and start having (COVID) symptoms a few days later,” she told MedPage Today.

“We’re having a problem with the hospital being transparent with their numbers, and letting staff know when they’ve been exposed.”

The hour-long protest was called by members of the Blake Medical Center’s bargaining unit of the National Nurses Organizing Committee-Florida, an affiliate of National Nurses United. NNOC said in a news release that it has filed complaints about unsafe conditions at the hospital with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The statement said that at least four RNs at Blake have tested positive since late May.

The union further alleged that Blake Medical Center management requires RNs who have been exposed to COVID to continue working until they have COVID symptoms, does not test all patients prior to a procedure or operation, fails to provide PPE replacements for broken masks, and threatens RNs with discipline for raising safety concerns.

Officials for Blake Medical Center eleased this statement in response to the protest:

“In the midst of a global shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), Blake Medical Center has been doing everything in our power to protect our caregivers and patient care teams throughout the pandemic and equip them to provide safe, effective care to our patients by following or exceeding Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) protocols.

“We have provided appropriate PPE, including a universal masking policy requiring all caregivers in all areas to wear masks, including N95s, in line with CDC guidance. While we currently have adequate supplies of PPE, we continue to provide safeguards that are consistent with CDC guidelines and help ensure the protection of our colleagues, not only today, but into the future as the pandemic evolves. The NNU fails to recognize the reality all hospitals nationwide are facing, that this pandemic has strained the worldwide supply of PPE, including masks, face shields, and gowns.”

Cordero said that recently one patient “was not properly screened in the ER who should have been on a COVID unit. That potentially exposed several nurses and the other patient in that room.”

When she complained to human resources officials, she said, she “was reprimanded verbally for speaking up and was told that if I did it again, I would receive discipline.”

The hospital should be testing all of its frontline workers regularly, she said. “We’re much more at risk of being exposed while at work than many other jobs out there. We really should be screened better than we are.”

Kim Brooks, who works in an ICU step-down unit for trauma and cardiac patients, assumes all of her patients are infected with COVID-19 and because of that, she said, she has bought her own N95 masks since the hospital won’t buy them for her.

“We know some of the nurses who are on non-COVID units are getting exposed to positive patients and now [some] are getting sick because they didn’t have N95 masks,” she told MedPage Today.

At the very least, the hospital should inform frontline workers when patients ultimately test positive on our floor, “so we can take precautions with our family,” Brooks said.

“Once we find out someone is positive, we do move them to a COVID unit. But sometimes there’s been a situation where that patient has been rooming with a COVID patient, and that patient is sometimes left on our unit to see if they turn out to be positive.”

By Cheryl Clark, MedPage Today

Nurses Stand Up, Walk, Take a Knee in Floyd Protests

Nurses Stand Up, Walk, Take a Knee in Floyd Protests

Following the May 25 death of George Floyd, nurses and other healthcare providers have been taking action not only to protest the deaths of Black citizens at the hands of police , but also to draw attention to the severe knock-on effects of racism on the health of Black communities, including an inordinate rate of mortalities from heart disease, diabetes, COVID-19, and other illnesses. Braving the risks of coronavirus, tear gas, pepper spray, and rubber bullets, nurses, who often see the fruits of social inequality at firsthand, have provided protestors with first aid as well as taking part themselves.

Nursing organizations have joined individual nurses in speaking out. American Nurses Association President Ernest J. Grant, PhD, RN, FAAN issued a moving statement, in which he remarked, “As a black man and registered nurse, I am appalled by senseless acts of violence, injustice, and systemic racism and discrimination. Even I have not been exempt from negative experiences with racism and discrimination. The Code of Ethics obligates nurses to be allies and to advocate and speak up against racism, discrimination and injustice. This is non-negotiable…. At this critical time in our nation, nurses have a responsibility to use our voices to call for change. To remain silent is to be complicit.”

“You clapped for us. We kneel for you.”

A mingling of professional training and empathy moved nurses such as Miami RN Rochelle Bradley to take a knee in remembrance of Floyd’s death. Bradley told CNN that “Kneeling here today for nine minutes and knowing that that’s how long George Floyd was on the ground with his airway compromised really bothered me as a nurse.”

For healthcare workers, the protests also reinforced their sense of unity in the era of COVID-19. In Boston, nurses who gathered to kneel in front of Brigham and Women’s Hospital carried a sign reading, “You clapped for us. We kneel for you.” One nurse interviewed, Roberta Biens, said, “I just want everybody to know they’re not alone, we’re with them and we’ll stand in front of them or behind them, wherever we need to be to support them.”

Minneapolis nurses appeared in force at the protests. One local ER nurse told the Insider, “COVID is a temporary and critical health crisis. Racism, through violence and disease, has been killing our patients since the hospital was built and will continue killing them long after COVID is gone.” And in an official statement, the Minnesota Nurses Association said, “Nurses continue to see the devastating effects of systematic racism and oppression targeting people of color in our communities. We demand justice for George Floyd and a stop to the unnecessary death of black men at the hands of those who should protect them.”

Hospitals in New York City united to stand behind the protests. The Gothamist scanned official Twitter posts and noted, “The six major hospital systems in the city–NYU Langone Health, Mount Sinai Health System, New York-Presbyterian, NYC Health + Hospitals, Northwell Health, and Montefiore Health System–have all posted publicly in support of the demonstrations…”

Weighing the Call to Civic Action Against Public Health Concerns

Medical practitioners are understandably divided about engaging in public assemblies while the coronavirus is still at large, but many believe the risk is worth taking. On June 8, World Health Organization (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “WHO fully supports equality and the global movement against racism,” but added, “As much as possible, keep at least 1 meter from others, clean your hands, cover your cough and wear a mask if you attend a protest.”

Asked by Health.com about the danger of public protests, Natalie DiCenzo, an Ob-Gyn resident in New Jersey, responded that “the risk of remaining silent and complacent in the face of racism and police violence is also deadly. I believe that with the proper precautions, these protests can be done relatively safely when it comes to COVID-19.”

Nearly 2,000 US “public health professionals, infectious diseases professionals, and community stakeholders” also expressed direct support for the national protests in a widely circulated June 4 letter (initiated by faculty from the University of Washington School of Medicine). Following a statement that “White supremacy is a lethal public health issue that predates and contributes to COVID-19,” the letter recommended a series of safety measures to protect protestors from the virus. Among other issues it urged “that protesters not be arrested or held in confined spaces, including jails or police vans, which are some of the highest-risk areas for COVID-19 transmission, “ and that no use be made of “tear gas, smoke, or other respiratory irritants, which could increase risk for COVID-19 by making the respiratory tract more susceptible to infection…”

On Twitter, nurses participating in the protests offered their own practical suggestions. A DC pediatric nurse told attendees to bring gloves, sunglasses or goggles for eye protection, and “an extra mask. Yours will get hot and sweaty so switching it out halfway through is smart. If you have a cloth mask throw a bandana on top too…” Following participation in protests, some nurses have also taken the step of self-quarantining for two weeks.

Nurse of the Week: Logan Marx Has a Passion for Nursing and Community Service

Nurse of the Week: Logan Marx Has a Passion for Nursing and Community Service

Former Peace Corps volunteer and Nurse of the Week Logan Marx has “two passions and they don’t intertwine very well, so I’m choosing to follow both of them.” While he finishes his last semester at University of South Florida Nursing School and prepares to enter critical care nursing as a Coverdell Fellow —a special fellowship for returning Peace Corps members—Logan also works with children at a community program for expanding health education among Tampa’s migrant population.

Of the children’s program (at the Wholesome Community Church in Wimauma), Marx says, “From the start, I wanted to focus on kids because I just love working with them. One thing the Peace Corps does well is the training stage where we focus on understanding our community and the population we’ll be working with. When we find out what’s really happening and where there are holes, we can help them fill. [In Wimauma] we’d been doing health screenings and fairs with adults, and I noticed they’d put the kids in another room and have them color or something. I realized that’s where we need to focus.”

A native of Dallas, Texas, Marx feels at home in Latinx communities: “I had this incredible Spanish teacher who just gave me a love for the Latino culture. That opened my eyes to the possibility of studying abroad during college, which I did, which made me desire to know more, learn more, and experience more growth.” His background served him well after he joined the Peace Corps and worked in Guayaquil, Ecuador for three years. The experience in Guayaquil also inspired him to go into nursing: “Ecuador was my way of getting 2,000 hours of clinical experience. My whole experience in Ecuador completely changed my perspective on health care, and that’s what made me decide nursing was the route that I wanted to go,” he says.

Marx is eager to begin working as an ICU nurse after he graduates, but he hasn’t forsaken his other “passion.” In addition to noting that “ultimately, I think a Masters in Public Health would be great,” he also dreams of one day returning to the Peace Corps as an overseas director. For now, though, nursing is Logan’s ruling passion. According to USF Nursing News, “On his first day of clinical visits at Tampa General Hospital, he met a woman from the Dominican Republic who was preparing to have her leg amputated. He was able to converse with her and her family in their native language, and that seemed to make all the difference, for her and him.” As Marx says of the experience, “It just reassured me that nursing is the right path.”

For more details on Logan Marx, visit here.