No Country for Old People

In my editorial in the March issue, I ask, “Where do we go from here?’” in thinking about what’s next for nursing. In particular, I wonder if we’re going to make any strides in improving the quality of how we care for older adults who need long-term care.

Disasters give rise to assessments of what went wrong.

After prior disasters like hurricanes, heat waves, and flooding, there has often been a flurry of initial concern, with many committees convened to look at the deaths that occurred.

More recently, the New York Times has reported on the fate of nursing home residents during the Covid-19 pandemic in relation to the deterioration of quality in nursing homes once they are owned by for-profit entities—as 70% of nursing homes now are. So here we are once again, this time decrying the conditions revealed by Covid-19. Will things change this time?

In answer to this question, I’m especially pleased with the article in our March issue by 22 nurse gerontology experts. They issue a call (a challenge?) for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes to rewrite standards to finally address under-resourcing and ensure residents get the […]

2021-03-15T15:33:48-04:00March 15th, 2021|COVID-19, nursing roles, patient safety, Patients|1 Comment
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Congress Adds a Nurse

U.S. Representative Cori Bush goes to Washington.

U.S. Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO). Photo courtesy of Cori Bush.

“It’s critical that nurses have a seat at the table when it comes to the policies coming out of Congress. Every single policy needs a nurse’s eye. We talk a lot about the social determinants of health, because it’s all connected . . . nurses see things in a different way.”

As described in this month’s Profiles column, U.S. Representative Cori Bush, RN, arrived in Washington, DC, in January, bringing with her a nurse’s eye and experience as an activist and pastor.

An election representing several firsts.

Her election marked several firsts: she is the first nurse and Black woman Missouri has sent to Congress, and she is also the first woman representative in her district in its almost 200-year history. Bush joins two other nurses in Congress, Representatives Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas and Lauren Underwood of Illinois. […]

2021-03-12T11:21:43-05:00March 12th, 2021|Nursing, nursing perspective, nursing roles|0 Comments
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‘What a Decade This Year Has Been’: Nurses Worldwide Double Down on Commitment to Care

The year nobody expected.

A mere dozen months ago, we were all set to celebrate the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife, poised to shine in the global spotlight with the spring release of the first State of the World’s Nursing report. There were plans to fete us with dinners and awards. “Give them ribbons, buttons and badges to wear,” one website suggested.

How quaint and frivolous that sentiment seems now in light of the continuing shortages of the masks, face shields, gowns, and gloves that we need to protect ourselves, our patients, our families and communities from COVID-19

Nurses in the spotlight.

The pandemic changed everything—except for the fact that nurses did land squarely in the spotlight this past year. Nurses—as always—were asked to multitask when the first confirmed cases led to sustained global transmission. We dug in even as we pivoted, attempting to prevent hard-won health gains from being reversed. For example, women still needed prenatal care. Lockdowns didn’t preclude families from requiring essential preventive and lifesaving treatments for countless infectious and chronic diseases—including malaria, HIV, TB, diabetes, and cancer—that suddenly took […]

2020-12-04T10:33:26-05:00December 4th, 2020|COVID-19, Nursing, nursing perspective, nursing roles, Public health|0 Comments
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COVID-19: It’s Not Only About Hospital-Based Nurses

‘We all just went charging towards this monster…’

We’ve all seen the photos of nurses in PPE providing care to patients who are obviously very ill with COVID-19. These nurses have justifiably received recognition and accolades for their commitment to duty under the most challenging circumstances and often at great personal risk.

I recently spoke with Megan Brunson, the president of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), who is also a supervisor in the cardiovascular ICU at Medical City Dallas Hospital.

Brunson described her own experiences, but also what she was hearing from her colleagues as they all “just went charging towards this monster called COVID.” She also talked about how the organization was rapidly developing resources, not only for clinical care but to help nurses deal with emotional stress. One initiative is partnering with DearWorld.org to create a collection of portraits and stories from nurses caring for patients with COVID-19.

Disrupting work in many settings.

But it behooves us to realize that this pandemic has not caused stress and critical challenges just for acute care nurses; nurses in many settings have been challenged and have had their work disrupted.

In the last two weeks, I spoke with nurses and nursing leaders of several organizations to learn about how the coronavirus pandemic has changed their work. […]

2020-05-15T17:09:36-04:00May 15th, 2020|COVID-19, infectious diseases, Nursing, nursing roles|0 Comments
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A Nursing Way with Meaning

“I have found that the residents of Johnson Tower teach me more about being a nurse and a human being than you would imagine.”

Despite our seriously malfunctioning health care system, sometimes we are lucky enough to be reminded of the richness of our practice. Most of us experience a bright spot or two on most days—a patient’s condition finally improves, and we know we had a hand in that; we are able to spend some “quality time” to help a patient cope with her illness; a discharged patient returns for a happy visit.

Thriving, not just surviving.

A few of us, though, are lucky enough to have nursing work in which we can thrive, and not merely survive, every day. In this month’s Reflections column, “The Way of Johnson Tower,” nurse practitioner Mark Darby describes his work in an unlikely setting: a medical clinic located in a public housing high-rise. Resources may leave something to be desired—occasional leaks from the laundry above seem to target the clinic’s centrifuge—but his practice is rich and fulfilling.

“All these people, despite their circumstances, teach me more about generosity, perseverance, and hope than I could learn anywhere else.”

[…]

2019-12-02T12:57:58-05:00December 2nd, 2019|Nursing, nursing roles, nursing stories, Public health|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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