V E TE R AN S AFFAI R S & M I LITARY M E D I CI N E O UTLO O K
SPONSORED BY NURSES ORGANIZATION OF VETERANS AFFAIRS (NOVA)
VA NURSES: STORIES FROM THE FRONT LINES OF A PANDEMIC By Teresa Morris, Director of Advocacy & Government Relations, and Kelly D. Skinner, NOVA President
n 2020 IS THE YEAR OF THE NURSE AND MIDWIFE, a time to celebrate Florence Nightingale’s 200th birthday (May 12), while recognizing Nurses worldwide for the dedication and care they provide their patients. Acknowledging the tireless work of our health care professionals on the front lines has never been more important or timely during this global pandemic. VA Nurses provide a unique kind of care, one that includes a wholehealth model designed to provide personalized and proactive care that is both physical and psychological. They are trained to understand military culture and the service-related injuries and illnesses – both physical and mental – that often come with it. They are uniquely qualified to combat this “war against COVID-19.” The almost 3,000 members of the Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs (NOVA) are among those providing care at the over 1,243 VA health care facilities within the U.S. and its territories. They are on the front lines during this pandemic and stand ready to take care of Veterans and their communities as VA activates its 4th Mission* in areas where there are a high number of COVID-19 cases. As this article went to print, VA hospitals in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Michigan and Louisiana have opened beds to non-Veteran patients, and others may follow as cases surge in known “hot
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spots.” During a national emergency/health crisis, VHA facilities and their health care professionals provide a safety net for the nation’s hospitals – the following are some of the nurses who will be caring for Veterans and nonVeterans in communities around the country. These are their stories: Cecilia McVey, MHA, RN, FAAN, is the Associate Director for Nursing and Patient Care Services at the VA Boston Healthcare System. “As a Nurse Executive of one of the largest VA health care systems, I am honored to care for our Veterans and staff for the past 50 years. We are living in unprecedented times and I am seeing staff go above and beyond despite the risk to themselves and their families to provide the best care anywhere! We are nurses that, unlike many other professions, dedicate ourselves to saving lives … in floods, tornados, blizzards, sunshine, and rain. 2020 is The Year of the Nurse and never has it been more important for the need for nursing care across the United States. It matters when we don’t go to work. I am privileged to work among the most amazing staff of nurses, physicians and others. It is because of all of them that our Veterans get the best in clinical care. We will always be there for our Veterans and our communities. We are VA STRONG!” Kelly D. Skinner, DNP, APRN, NP-C, GNP-BC, CRRN, WCC, CFCN, the Spinal Cord Injury Clinical Specialist at the VA Boston Healthcare System, is
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PHOTO BY KELLY D. SKINNER
VA Nurses at VA Boston Healthcare System stand ready to serve Veterans and their community. This photo: VA Nurses on a Spinal Cord Injury Unit. Opposite page: VA Nurses in the Community Living Center.
