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
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
KAREN BECK WADE
BRENDA KUCIRKA
ELAINE MCKENNA
I began my nursing career in 1974 as a NICU nurse, and then in 1977 I made the move to psychiatric nursing which I always knew would be my permanent professional home. I recently retired from teaching psych nursing at a large university in PA and now enjoy my work with individuals. I strive to foster their development as people, and to come to terms with or resolve challenges and traumatic life events. I actively work with people to develop healthy coping strategies to manage stress effectively. I believe in the resiliency of people and our responsibility to support each other.
DIANE MOHIT
I have been a registered nurse for 52 years. My biggest achievements during this time involved 13 years of international nursing where I taught medical-surgical nursing to undergraduate Iranian students from 1968 until 1982 followed by 21 years providing mental health nursing care to veterans. The focus of my responsibilities from 2001 to 2012 was the provision of trauma-focused treatment for veterans returning from deployment to Afghanistan and Iraq. The last 7 years I’ve maintained an adjunct faculty position at a college in New York teaching undergraduate psychiatric mental health nursing. I have maintained a private psychotherapy practice since 2002.
Interested In Joining Us?
Sign Up Below!
For Volunteer Mentors
For Pandemic Nurses, New Nurses, and Graduating Students
