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R3: Resilient Nurses Initiative Seeks to Redefine the Nursing Narrative

A film created to spark meaningful conversations about nursing.

With support from a state-funded grant, the R3: Resilient Nurses Initiative has embarked on a project to further its mission of promoting renewal, resilience, and retention in the nursing profession—a short film. In collaboration with the Dracopoulos-Bloomberg iDeas Lab at the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, the team created Harnessing the Promise of Nursing.

The film includes interviews with a diverse array of Maryland nurses

The film aims to spark meaningful conversations that help nurses reconnect with their power, purpose, and value—ultimately strengthening and sustaining the nursing workforce.

Featuring interviews with Maryland nurses across generations and practice areas, the film offers a diverse range of voices and perspectives. It seeks to shift outdated narratives about nursing by highlighting both the profession’s challenges and its profound rewards. Through this lens, the film explores strategies for building a more sustainable future for nurses.

‘Capturing authentic, first-person experiences.’

A central theme of the project is the importance of nurses using their own voices to shape the story of their profession. By capturing authentic, first-person experiences, the film reclaims the narrative—centering it on pride, agency, and the essential role of nurses in health care. It also explores the generational, experiential, and cultural […]

2025-06-30T16:04:36-04:00June 30th, 2025|Nursing|0 Comments
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The World Can Use Our Help: A Nurse’s Thoughts on Retirement

After a varied, fulfilling, and fascinating 43-year career as a nurse, I finally retired. To be honest, I was a little anxious about it. After all, what would I do with all that free time?

So many of my colleagues were continuing to work long past the age of 65. But my husband and I had planned to move across the country when we retired, from Connecticut to California where our daughter and her family were living. Now that time had arrived.

Once we settled in the San Francisco Bay area, I looked around to see what I could do. I have always said that “everyone needs to be needed.” But where was a retired nurse needed? It soon became evident that volunteer opportunities abounded. I volunteered one day a week in a clinic for the underserved and unhoused, providing patients with health education. That is, until the clinic closed due to financial constraints. Back to square one.

An eye-opening experience.

Then the perfect opportunity presented itself. […]

2025-06-25T09:36:20-04:00June 24th, 2025|nurse retirement, Nursing, Public health, volunteering|6 Comments
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Kennedy’s Replacement of Entire Vaccine Advisory Committee Causes Widespread Alarm

Heather Hazzan, SELF Magazine

Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has fired all 17 members of the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP), the body of experts that reviews vaccine safety and efficacy data and makes recommendations on vaccine scheduling as well as precautions and contraindications to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In a June 9 news release, HHS announced the dismissals, claiming it as a “bold step to restore public trust in vaccines.” In a post the next day on the social media platform X, Kennedy accused the committee of financial corruption and of “malevolent malpractice” for allegedly not requiring placebo-controlled trials for childhood vaccines, a misleading and inaccurate claim he has made frequently in the past.

Refuted and misleading claims.

In a May ‘Fact-Checked’ news release, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) refuted his claims, stating that most childhood vaccines were tested originally in randomized clinical trials that included placebo or comparison groups. AAP also noted that when testing a replacement for an existing vaccine, the comparator is the existing vaccine, not an inert placebo, because “when a safe, effective vaccine already exists against a […]

2025-06-13T08:31:49-04:00June 13th, 2025|COVID-19, infectious diseases, Nursing, pediatrics, Public health|0 Comments
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Navigating Shifts in Health Equity Research Funding Priorities: A Nursing PhD Candidate’s Perspective

“I don’t mention my background to suggest that I’m unique, but rather to show how my experiences reflect those of many patients who would benefit from research designed by people who understand their needs.”

AJN has recently discussed the impacts of research budget cuts in The Repercussions of Trump Administration Cuts to NIH and Research Funding and Maternal Health: Funding Cuts Amid an Ongoing Crisis. As a third year in Columbia University’s nursing PhD program, I have also been directly impacted from recent government funding changes.

An application withdrawn without review.

The F31 is a predoctoral fellowship through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that provides funding for dissertation research and training. I applied for the version designated for applicants from underrepresented backgrounds, following the application guidance at the time. But a few weeks ago, I was notified that my application had been retroactively withdrawn without review, as it no longer aligned with the current administration’s research priorities. My application was not transferred to the general F31 pool for funding consideration, which made the decision feel especially unfair.

I spent well over 100 hours on this F31 grant proposal. In collaboration with my research mentors, I focused on the following research question: How do nurses help patients manage […]

2025-05-29T12:11:08-04:00May 29th, 2025|equity, Nursing, nursing research|0 Comments
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Shingles: The Disease, the Vaccine, and the Role of Nurses in Vaccination Conversations

Shingles: The Disease

Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a painful viral condition caused by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), the same virus responsible for chickenpox. While anyone with a history of chickenpox is at risk of developing shingles, the likelihood increases with age and in those with weakened immune systems. The disease can lead to significant morbidity, including postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), a debilitating complication characterized by persistent nerve pain. Fortunately, effective vaccination exists, and nurses play a critical role in raising awareness, educating patients, and promoting vaccine acceptance.

Image © Shutterstock

Shingles occurs when the varicella-zoster virus, which remains dormant in the dorsal root ganglia after a person recovers from chickenpox, reactivates. This reactivation typically happens decades later, often due to age-related decline in cell-mediated immunity or immunosuppressive conditions. Upon reactivation, the virus travels along sensory nerves to the skin, causing a painful, blistering rash.

Clinical Manifestations

2025-05-21T09:33:47-04:00May 21st, 2025|Nursing|1 Comment
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Views expressed on the blog are solely those of the authors or persons quoted. They do not necessarily reflect AJN’s views or those of Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
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