INTENSIVE CARE FOR NURSES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
A nurse’s DNA is programmed and primed to help in an emergency. The nation is in deep gratitude to the brave healthcare workers who are at the frontlines of this war against an invisible enemy, the coronavirus, and its disease, COVID-19.
There are many seasoned nurses currently on the sidelines of this crisis due to retirement, elevated risk, disability, geography, or mismatched skill set, who feel great pride in and empathy for our fellow nurses. We know that nurses accept the brunt of personal health risk because they spend the most time at the bedside providing direct care. We are heartbroken that they are working without what they need and are facing the most strenuous and chaotic working conditions some have equated to a battlefield. Addititionally, student nurses nearing graduation experience significant anxiety as their training programs have been abbreviated before entering a daunting work environment. We want to support these students in transition, and nurses already on the frontlines, to strengthen and heal their hearts as they care for an unprecedented number of critically ill patients.
About Nurse2Nurse Network
The Nurse2Nurse Network was founded as a volunteer community in April 2020 due to these realities:
- Pandemic nurses are witnessing and experiencing daily trauma, which increasines their risk for post-traumatic stress reactions.
- Graduating students and new graduate nurses feel unprepared to meet the challlenges of COVID-19 as they enter a healthcare system that is already struggling to keep pace with the need. The training and support investment needed for their successful transition to practice may not be adequate or easily accessible.
- Previously unimaginable ethical decisions and violations in standards of care are disturbing to the consciences of nurses as well as jeopardize their well-being.
- Social distancing and separations from family and friends add to the experience of isolation and stress of pandemic nurses
- Overtime requests/expectations don’t allow for enough rest and recovery between shifts.
- Aside from military nurses, few have have been trained to function, long-term, under such stressful conditions.
- The threat to nurses’ mental health and well-being is significant. Female nurses are already one and a half times more likely to die by suicide than the general female population. Reinforcement of resilience and self-care skills are essential.
Potential Mentors
Nurse2Nurse Network is recruiting potential volunteer mentors who are seasoned nurses, currently not serving in the pandemic. They possess wisdom from having navigated life and professional crises of their own. They have an ability to listen well and allow pandemic-working nurses to process their experiences. They are able and willing to volunteer 2 to 4 hours per week in the following activities in support of a pandemic nurse, new nurse, or graduating student nurse: interacting with the pandemic nurse via Zoom/Skype/regular telephone call, email/text (by mutual agreement), in meditation/prayer for themselves, their nurse, the overall situation, and participate in brief training modules and communication/coordination with program leadership.
SIGN-UP BELOW UNDER ‘JOIN OUR NETWORK’ AND WE WILL BE IN TOUCH SHORTLY
Update 6/6/2020: We are grateful that so many experienced and enthusiastic nurse mentors have registered. Temporarily we are pausing adding more mentors until our sign-ups by the nurses in need of support is in closer equivalence with the mentor sign-ups. For now, mentor applicants are on a waiting list. We hope you will still sign up so that we can stay in touch in the meantime. Thank you for your spirit of service!
Pandemic, New Nurses, and Graduating Student Nurses
Sign up below. The form includes needed information about your contact info, location, your work situation, and the type of support, and mentor, that would be most helpful to you. We will match you to a mentor as soon as we can. You don’t have to process your fatigue, frustration, anger, fear, and/or guilt with a family member or co-worker. A nurse mentor is a knowledgeable, mature, wise, compassionate, neutral and safe sounding board!
SIGN-UP BELOW UNDER ‘JOIN OUR NETWORK’ AND WE WILL BE IN TOUCH SHORTLY.
Program Leadership
Dr. Karen Wade is an organizational psychologist and registered nurse, certified in psychiatric mental health nursing. She speaks and consults in the areas of positive culture, leadership development and career clarity. Her book, Should I Leave Nursing? 7 Steps to Career Clarity was published just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a guide to career and life enrichment whether one chooses to remain and thrive in nursing, or change professions. Further information about Dr. Wade is available at her website, drkarenwade.com or on LinkedIn. Karen is looking for nurses or other professionals with relevant skills willing to join the leadership team. You can contact her at leadership@nurse2nursenetwork.com .
Interested In Joining Us?
Sign Up Below!
For Volunteer Mentors
(temporary waiting list)
For Pandemic Nurses, New Nurses, and Graduating Students
(no waiting list)
