EDUCATION SPECIAL ISSUE 2021
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Table of Contents
In This Issue 5
Editor’s Notebook
Features 6
Professional Development Goes Back to Class: How Innovative Methods Are Changing the Way Nurses Learn By Julia Quinn-Szcesuil
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How Hospitals are Embracing Virtual Nursing By Michele Wojciechowski
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A Long Road to Care: Nurses at Post-COVID Clinics Help Patients Recover from Lingering Health Problems By Linda Childers
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A Conversation About Addressing Racism in Nursing at the Bedside and Beyond By Janice M. Phillips, PhD, RN, CENP, FAAN
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Education Special Issue 2021
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Editor’s Notebook
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The Power of Critical Thinking
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In the digital era of information—and often misinformation—a commitment to being a lifelong learner becomes critical to ensuring the well-being and safety for all, especially for those working in health care who have made an oath to protect their patients. In our special education-themed issue, Julia Quinn-Szcesuil explores how nurses are changing the way they learn. Lectures and presentations are making way for more interactive, tech-based methods that allow nurses to be more actively engaged and fully absorb the information. Some credentialing centers, such as the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing and the Competency & Credentialing Institute, are even rethinking the way nurses earn and renew their certifications.
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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals have been forced to rethink their approach as well. Michele Wojciechowski reports on how virtual nursing is being used to effectively manage and improve patient care. Telehealth has undoubtedly transformed health care. During the worst of the pandemic, nurses were not only able to monitor numerous patients and their vital signs remotely and alert the bedside nurse if anything required attention, but also, they were able to connect virtually with patients sent home with pulse oximeters and oxygen concentrators.
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Nearly two years later, we are still learning about the long-term effects of COVID-19. According to a University of Washington study, between 10-30% of patients exposed to the coronavirus are what they call “long-haulers.” Linda Childers speaks with nurses working in post-COVID clinics about the challenges this patient population faces. And finally, Janice Phillips speaks with two prominent nurse leaders, NBNA President and CEO Martha A. Dawson and NCEMNA President Debra A. Toney, on the newly formed National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing and what they hope to accomplish. Whether it’s enhancing your professional knowledge through certification to succeed in your career or learning to identify your own unconscious biases to help fight systemic racism, it’s important that we continue on our journey of lifelong learning. —Megan Larkin
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Professional Development Goes Back to Class: How Innovative Methods Are Changing the Way Nurses Learn BY JULIA QUINN-SZCESUIL
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ny professional needs to keep current with industry developments, and nurses know positive patient outcomes depend on their understanding of the latest developments. Obtaining and maintaining specialty certification, long a traditional step for professional development and advancement, is seen as a reliable path for nurses to gain additional knowledge and skills. But some are finding the course delivery for these professional development opportunities hasn’t kept pace with the innovation that’s quickly transforming health care. Some nursing organizations say adapting to the times means reassessing how nurses learn and redesigning courses and activities to include artificial intelligence (AI), gaming methods, or quizzes. Making the courses accessible from mobile devices and available on demand for convenience removes some barriers as well. What does this broadened approach mean for nurses?
Development and Joint Accreditation Program for the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Traditional lectures and presentations have a place in education, but they aren’t always the best way for nurses to learn and retain new knowledge, especially in non-degree settings such as certification or CE. Innovation, Graebe says, changes the way nurses learn across the entire arc of their careers. “Professional development and continuing education isn’t a one and done,” she says. “It should be outcomes driven.” Graebe says that begins with an accreditation process that looks at the content integrity and standards for credentialing bodies and assesses how nurses produce, use, and engage with course content. Connecting professional development to high-quality patient outcomes is essential, she says, so any kind of professional enrichment should target the right method for an identified skill, knowledge, or practice gap.
Research Foundation and president elect of the American Board of Nursing Specialties (ABNS) says information learned years ago might not be relevant to the patient in the room today. “You have to be a lifelong learner,” he says. “To take good care of your patients and to maintain competency, you have to do that.” But the traditional way of learning doesn’t necessarily make a better nurse, he says, and revising education for health professionals is how improvement happens.
Starting with Standards
“The more engaged a nurse is, the more likely the learning will stick and the nurse will be able to apply it,” says Graebe. “That’s not just a knowledge gain, but it can be applied in a practice environment.”
A screen shot from BCEN’s Learn “Human Trafficking” CE course showing “hot spot” interactivity as learner gets to know what red flags to look for in Lesson 1: “What is Human Trafficking?” (Image courtesy of BCEN)
Changing the way nurses learn is no small task. For years, nursing education was grounded in the classroom, says Jennifer Graebe, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Director of Nursing Continuing Professional
But some are finding the course delivery for these professional development opportunities hasn’t kept pace with the innovation that’s quickly transforming health care.
Respecting the Learning Process Jim Stobinski, PhD, RN, CNOR, CNAMB, CSSM(E), CEO of the Competency & Credentialing Institute (CCI)
Tech-based approaches that require active engagement and also give nurses control over the process are important for a couple of reasons. “The more engaged a nurse is, the more likely the learning will stick and the nurse will be able to apply it,” says Graebe. “That’s not just a knowledge gain, but it can be applied in a practice environment.” If nurses connect what they are learning with their job
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duties, they’re going to have a better learning experience and see improvement in their daily practice. The assumption that earning continuing education credits will help nurses stay current or increase their competency isn’t always accurate, Stobinski says. In response to this perceived imbalance, CCI overhauled its own certification approach, even building a custom learning management system (LMS) that offers new content that’s based less on time logged and more on learning objectives. It
also tracks the different ways nurses choose to engage. In a big change, CCI nurses no
The assumption that earning continuing education credits will help nurses stay current or increase their competency isn’t always accurate, Stobinski says.
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Many organizations expect and want nurses to achieve certification, so making sure the materials used for certification, professional development, and continuing education is directly related to a nurse’s responsibilities is critical. longer renew their certification solely by CE. “We award professional development points for engaging and learning activities,” says Stobinski. To boost the appeal even more, CCI-credentialed nurses access all the information in the LMS for no charge.
Weaving Tech-infused Course Content By continually refreshing content and using technology for some engaging features, learning remains exciting and effective, says Janie Schumaker,
MBA, RN, CEN, CPHQ, CENP, FABC, CEO of the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN) and past president of the ABNS. Boardcertified nurses, she says, have the knowledge, tools, and skills to be confident in their roles, so keeping those nurses committed to gaining new knowledge has a positive long-range impact on the nursing industry. Many organizations expect and want nurses to achieve certification, so making sure the materials used for certification, professional development, and continuing education is directly related to a nurse’s responsibilities is critical. As workplaces become ever more tech-oriented, learning opportunities need to keep pace. Standard slide presentations and lectures are giving way to course features like gamification, 3-D figures, or even trivia-style activities that are easily accessible from a mobile device, says Schumaker. Each BCEN course has a corresponding job aid, often with
potential situations nurses may encounter, available as a reference. “Then, when nurses are in a clinical setting, they can draw that line,” says Schumaker. “You can read it in a book, but a scenario helps drive it home.”
Innovation Begins with Learning Flipping the traditional certification and continuing education structure isn’t without controversy. While these changes won’t appeal to every nurse, they align with nursing industry progress. “You have to think of who your audience is,” Stobinski says. “We believe whatever we do for professional development should contribute to competency as a nurse.” Graebe agrees, saying that progressive developments naturally impact the how, when, what, and why nurses learn. Even evaluation and remediation can happen in real time with digital courses, as nurses can receive immediate
feedback and improve right away. As cutting-edge modalities shift the landscape of certification, continuing education, and professional development, the focus remains on patient outcomes and helping nurses do their jobs. “We recognize that learning happens all the time, so we look at how we can facilitate that and capture it in activities,” says Graebe. “Professional development is going to have a huge place in the future to keep nurses at the bedside and engaged.” Nurses need to see real career growth from their efforts, and they want to be energized by what and how they are learning. “Nurses,” Schumaker says, “want something other than the talking head.” Julia Quinn-Szcesuil is a freelance writer based in Bolton, Massachusetts.
Examples from BCEN’s popular “Ventilators Part 2: Advanced Management” CE course showing ventilatory settings information and an interactive patient scenario (Images courtesy of BCEN)
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Education Special Issue 2021
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How Hospitals are Embracing Virtual Nursing BY MICHELE WOJCIECHOWSKI
Nurses are checking on people virtually now, both in-patient and outpatient. Find out how it all works.
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Education Special Issue 2021
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uring the pandemic, many hospitals began using telehealth, even in the form of virtual nursing. Both Banner Health and New York-Presbyterian Hospital are just two hospital systems that had virtual nursing programs in place prior to COVID-19—but the programs became imperative during the COVID crisis. Banner Telehealth began with a couple of nurses just working the night shift. Today, 15 years later, 35 nurses work a 24-hour operation, seven days a week. “Our nurses provide a second layer of support for our bedside staff and safety for our patients,” says Zenaida Pena, RN, MSN, RN Manager and TeleICU Nurse for Banner Telehealth for the past 10 years. “During the pandemic, our bedside nurses were incredibly busy providing care to the sickest of the sick. Our nurses rounded on the patients— monitored labs, vital signs, and alarms. In so doing, they were able to prevent sentinel events because they were able to see trends and escalate these patients to our TeleICU providers. . .If the bedside RN is tied up with their other patient, our nurses can keep an eye on their other critical patient, especially during the pandemic when it took longer donning PPE from one patient to another.” With Banner Telehealth, each TeleICU nurse monitors between 65-75 patients per shift. Pena explains that they monitor patients as well as “their vital signs, labs, orders, EKG rhythms, alarms, and
overall status. The level of monitoring depends on the acuity of the patient. They reach out to the bedside nurse if they find something that needs care and attention. They also escalate issues or concerns to the TeleICU intensivists or nurse practitioners.” In addition, Pena says that these virtual nurses also input valuable and reportable information via their documentation—like the APACHE patient scoring, ICU and hospital length of stay, as well as ventilator days.
“Our nurses provide a second layer of support for our bedside staff and safety for our patients,” says Zenaida Pena, RN, MSN, RN Manager and TeleICU Nurse for Banner Telehealth for the past 10 years.
All the TeleICU nurses work at Banner Health’s facility in Mesa, Arizona, which is designed for in-patient care. “We monitor all patients in the ICU of most of our Banner Health facilities in the multiple states where we have presence—Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and Wyoming,” says Pena. “During the pandemic, we had many cameras which were deployed in multiple nonICU units which allowed our providers to deliver assistance to any patient when needed.” Virtual nursing also helped New York-Presbyterian Hospital
(NYP) during the toughest days of COVID. “The Clinical Operations Center is a remote monitoring command center where nurses can track physiological data for patients,” says Victoria L. Tiase, PhD, RN-BC, FAMIA, FAAN, Nurse Informaticist and Director of Research Science for NYP. “This was of great importance during the COVID surge. As patients were triaged home with pulse oximeters and oxygen concentrators, nurses were able to virtually connect with patients in their homes.” In 2016, NYP launched a number of telehealth services, including virtual nurses. Today, they have nurses who support call centers and handle case management. These nurses all work at NYP and speak with patients either by phone or through the patient portal and mHealth application called NYP Connect.
“The Clinical Operations Center is a remote monitoring command center where nurses can track physiological data for patients,” says Victoria L. Tiase, PhD, RN-BC, FAMIA, FAAN, Nurse Informaticist and Director of Research Science for NYP.
weight, glucose level, and other vitals. Nurses can monitor from a distance and send surveys to patients to check in on [their] status. NYP has programs that have been piloted with diabetes patients and congestive heart failure patients,” explains Tiase.
Initial drawbacks with the program were engaging the right patient populations as well as having training materials in multiple languages, says Tiase. Initial drawbacks with the program were engaging the right patient populations as well as having training materials in multiple languages, says Tiase. The biggest rewards for nurses are “leveraging technology to create efficiencies in nursing workflows and reduce the documentation burden of clinicians. The remote aspect in tracking patients from afar and the ability to monitor progress can potentially reduce readmissions or transfers to a higher level of care.” Michele Wojciechowski is a national award-winning freelance writer based in Baltimore, Maryland. She loves writing about the nursing field but comes close to fainting when she actually sees blood. She’s also author of the
“There are multiple programs that utilize nurses. For instance, patients can share information on blood pressure,
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A Long Road to Care: Nurses at Post-COVID Clinics Help Patients Recover from Lingering Health Problems BY LINDA CHILDERS
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Education Special Issue 2021
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n any given day, Maryjane Keller, RN, ANP, a critical care nurse practitioner at UTHealth’s COVID-19 Center of Excellence in Houston, Texas, sees how the coronavirus continues to take a toll on patients. Despite being weeks or months out from their initial COVID-19 infection, some patients, referred to as “longhaulers,” continue to struggle with symptoms including respiratory issues, cardiovascular problems, extreme fatigue, anxiety, depression, and loss of taste and smell. A recent study, conducted at the University of Washington, found that between 10-30% of COVID patients become long-haulers. Last September, UTHealth opened their post-COVID clinic to screen, assess, and treat patients with lingering coronavirus symptoms. They join a growing number of clinics across the country who are providing specialty care to patients. While much is still unknown about the best methods to treat post-COVID patients, the CDC recently released guidelines for treating post-COVID patients.
to treat lingering symptoms. In February, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched the first phase of a research initiative to explore why some COVID-19 patients become long-haulers. The UTHealth clinic takes a multidisciplinary approach to caring for patients with postacute COVID-19 symptoms. After an initial assessment to ask questions about their symptoms, an individualized plan of care is developed for each patient. With a team of doctors representing specialties ranging from neurology to cardiology and pulmonary medicine, patients avoid having to seek out multiple doctors on their own and receive all of the care they need under one roof.
Maryjane Keller, RN, ANP
A recent study, conducted at the University of Washington, found that between 10-30% of COVID patients become long-haulers. Since COVID-19 is a new disease, nurses and other health professionals are still gaining a better understanding of the long-term effects of the virus and the best way
“The most important thing nurses can do when working with post-COVID patients is to listen, never discount their symptoms or imply they’re psychological,” Keller says. “Some of these patients have faced a stigma for contracting the coronavirus and others haven’t had their symptoms taken seriously.” The good news, Keller says, is that once post-COVID patients begin receiving care at
Christina Davis, RN, CCRN a specialty clinic they typically begin to see improvements in their health. “Most of our patients are doing well and improving over time,” Keller says. “Some of the more severe cases, such as patients who suffered permanent lung damage will need lung transplants.” In addition to the physical toll of post-COVID symptoms, Keller says many patients also experience financial hardships as the result of contracting the coronavirus. “Approximately half of our patients aren’t able to return to work because their jobs are physically demanding,” Keller says. “The good news is we’re seeing some long-hauler patients report a significant improvement in their symptoms after receiving their second dose of the COVID vaccine.”
Navigating the Road to Recovery As a patient navigator at Saint Barnabas Medical Center’s Post-COVID Comprehensive Assessment, Recovery and Evaluation (CARE) program in Livingston, New Jersey, Christina Davis, RN, CCRN, helps to guide long-haulers through the recovery process. After establishing they have had a documented positive
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COVID-19 test, Davis takes a full health history of each patient. This is followed by a call to the patient from a staff pharmacist, who goes over what medications the patient has taken, documenting what worked to improve their symptoms and what didn’t. Davis says the most common post-COVID symptoms they treat at the clinic are shortness of breath, extreme fatigue, cognitive changes, loss of taste and smell and Tinnitus (ringing in the ears). At the six to nine-month recovery period, Davis reports that 75% of patients report varying degrees of improvement and 6% report a complete resolution of symptoms. “One of the most important things nurses can do when working with post-COVID patients is to really listen to patients as they describe their symptoms and the impact their condition has on their life,” Davis says. “A patient might say they have loss of taste and smell and as you talk more, you learn they’re three months pregnant and are losing weight because they physically can’t tolerate family dinners.” In these cases, Davis says patients may benefit from sensory rehab and seeing a nutritionist to ensure they don’t continue losing weight. If they are experiencing additional symptoms, they will be referred to another member of the clinic’s multidisciplinary team such as a neurologist or behavioral health specialist. “On average, each patient may have three to four specialty referrals,” Davis says. “Each patient receives an individualized treatment plan.” “Ninety-one percent of the patients we see have at
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Prevention is Key to Curbing COVID-19
Brenda Davis, RN, BSN, CIC
least two lingering symptoms 4-6 weeks after contracting COVID-19,” Davis says. “Sixty-six percent have three or more symptoms and fortyfive percent have four or more symptoms.”
With the new Delta variant, a more contagious strain of the coronavirus, causing an uptick of cases among the unvaccinated, many nurses are working to ensure that vulnerable patient populations receive the vaccine. Brenda Davis, RN, BSN, CIC, Senior Director of Nursing at The Catholic Care Center, a senior living facility in Wichita, Kansas, saw how the first wave of the coronavirus devastated nursing homes and minority communities. As a member of the Wichita chapter of the National Black Nurses Association, Davis and her colleagues have been traveling to historically Black churches in the city and offering COVID19 vaccination clinics on Saturdays.
“We started going into the community in March and each Saturday we vaccinate approximately 120-130 people,” Davis says. “The preachers explain to their congregation why they should get the vaccine, and they have trust in their faith leaders and the Black nurses.” Studies have shown that Black, Latino, and Native American patients are disproportionately affected by the pandemic, are at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19, and often have worse outcomes. Currently, these minority groups are also being vaccinated at a lower rate. Transportation issues, a lack of access, and a trust in the medical system are among the reasons many people of color are hesitant to get vaccinated. The Black and Latino churches across the country that have
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Education Special Issue 2021
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partnered with nurses to offer vaccine clinics have proven to be an effective model. The hope is that an increase of vaccines will result in fewer cases of COVID-19 and patients with long-hauler symptoms. After the first wave of the pandemic, Davis says most older adults and seniors are ready to receive a vaccine. “They want to be able to see their grandkids,” Davis says. “Surprisingly, it’s younger people who are more hesitant. We talk with them, address their questions and concerns, acknowledge their fears, and offer them facts and a different perspective.” Linda Childers is a freelance writer based in California.
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In UniSON:
together we commit, together we act
IN UNISON, THE MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOL OF NURSING ACKNOWLEDGE THE DEVASTATING IMPACT OF STRUCTURAL RACISM AND OTHER FORMS OF STRUCTURAL OPPRESSION ON OUR COUNTRY, COMMUNITIES, AND SCHOOL. We condemn oppression in all forms within the School, among our partners, and in the broader community. We strive to understand how to make a more supportive, welcoming, and restorative community. We will work to stop the perpetuation of white supremacy, which results in the unfair treatment of our students, colleagues, patients, and neighbors. Our inaction, when our neighbors are deprived of quality education, fair policing, housing, employment, food, and health care, is not acceptable. We, in unison, will create an environment where all are welcomed and supported to be successful. READ THE FULL STATEMENT AT nursing.umaryland.edu/unison.
The University of Maryland School of Nursing recently released this anti-oppression position statement, formally signaling our School’s commitment to dismantling structural racism and other forms of structural oppression. We are working to advance efforts to weave the statement’s sentiments into the fabric of daily life at the School, including our academic offerings. We invite you to join us to contribute your background and perspectives to the critical work we do to cultivate healthier communities locally, nationally, and around the world. EXPLORE YOUR OPTIONS:
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A Conversation About Addressing Racism in Nursing at the Bedside and Beyond BY JANICE M. PHILLIPS, PHD, RN, CENP, FAAN
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Education Special Issue 2021
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interviewed two of the nation’s most influential minority nurse leaders, National Black Nurses Association President and CEO Martha A. Dawson, DNP, RN, FACHE, and National Coalition of Ethnic Minority Nurse Associations President Debra A. Toney, PhD, RN, FAAN, who serve as co-chairs for the National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing to gain their perspectives on the work of the Commission and implications for addressing racism in nursing at the bedside and beyond. Phillips: What sparked a need for the Commission? Dawson: The organizations that comprise the Commission have for years raised their individual voices to condemn all forms of racism within our society, health care system, and the nursing profession. However, to forge real change, we all knew that we needed to use our collective voices and influence to tackle the issue in our own backyard. Racism in nursing impacts a nurse’s overall quality of life and is in direct contradiction to the Code of Ethics for Nurses, which obligates all nurses to speak up against racism, discrimination, and injustice. In 2020, there was a renewed call for “America to reckon” with a dark history of racism and discrimination. We know that racism is historically rooted in the nursing profession and continues to taint our profession. Nurses from marginalized and underrepresented races and ethnicities experience demoralization, exclusion, and trauma from unfair structural and systemic workplace practices as well as micro
and macro aggressions from predominantly white groups and others who may view themselves or their group as superior. A national reckoning aside, work to address racism in nursing has always been urgent because it impacts not only nurses, but the patients, families, and communities that they serve. It’s time for all nurses working in every health care setting to confront the prevalent systemic racism in our profession. It is not enough for us to be the most trusted, we must become the most caring profession. After all, this work and our profession is about Human Caring.
A national reckoning aside, work to address racism in nursing has always been urgent because it impacts not only nurses, but the patients, families, and communities that they serve.
Phillips: What are some of the key priorities for the Commission? Dawson: Since nurses are the largest group of health care professionals in the U.S. and work in nearly every setting, the issue and impact of systemic racism in nursing is vast and complex with many layers. The Commission is examining racism in nursing through the lens of education, practice, policy, and research. Across these four pillars, the Commission will address the role of leaders in dismantling racism, owning their work culture, and creating organization
justice. Organizational Justice addresses perceived fairness in how resources and rewards are distributed, how policies and procedures are used, and fairness of decision-makers’ behaviors and support. Our approach is to help nurses acknowledge and unlearn some behaviors, learn new theoretical concepts to start crucial conversations, and to promote sustainable change from the top down. In tandem, we are also acknowledging and documenting the historical context of racism in nursing. This is hard, and calls for us to be in uncomfortable spaces, but it is necessary. Simply put, our profession has treated racism as a small, localized abnormality when it is an open wound.
The Commission is examining racism in nursing through the lens of education, practice, policy, and research. Across these four pillars, the Commission will address the role of leaders in dismantling racism, owning their work culture, and creating organization justice.
nurses to share their first-hand accounts and lived experiences on racism is non-negotiable. This past spring, the Commission conducted five listening sessions specifically targeting Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). We are using these insights to inform our strategic approach and to help us authentically describe the shared experiences of BIPOC nurses in academic and health care settings, and the subsequent impact on their professional advancement. We have also issued an open call for all nurses to share their story anonymously and safely without fear of retribution. We encourage nurses to share the bad and the good, including stories of support, solutions, allyship, mentorship, resilience, and perseverance. The intent of both the listening sessions and call for stories is to inform the Commission on policies and practices to address systemic racism in nursing. There will be so many takeaways for nurses at the bedside and beyond as the Commission continues an in-depth exploration into this critical issue for the profession. At this current juncture, it is our hope that nurses will begin to acknowledge that racism in our profession is a real problem. Often, acknowledgement of an issue is a seemingly small but important step to activate action.
Toney: In addition to the priorities Dr. Dawson mentioned, I also want to note that the Commission has conducted listening sessions and is capturing stories from nurses. Being intentional and thoughtful in creating safe spaces for
Phillips: When can we expect a report or key recommendations? Toney: Our first report is a comprehensive analysis from the five listening sessions conducted this past spring. The nurses who participated confirmed, if you will, our
Phillips: What do you see as some of the takeaways for nurses at the bedside and beyond?
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“hypothesis” that the roots of racism in nursing run deep. In this report, the Commission offers first-of-its-kind analysis gleaned from the experiences shared by BIPOC nurses into the issue and impact of systemic racism in nursing. The report reveals uncomfortable truths about nursing’s role in oppressing BIPOC nurses, perpetuating limiting stereotypes and assumptions, propagating “Tokenism,” committing spirit murder, and more. If there is any silver lining, it is that this report validates BIPOC nurses’ feelings and experiences. We will also release an issue brief to help align all nurses in how we individually or collectively discuss the topic of racism in nursing or engage in work to address it. In this brief, the Commission, through the guidance of an expert scholar-
in-residence, offers definitions and context for consideration. Words matter and alignment is key with so many lived experiences and perspectives at play in this body of work. Phillips: Are there any connections between the Commission’s work and the recently released Future of Nursing Report?
We have also issued an open call for all nurses to share their story anonymously and safely without fear of retribution. We encourage nurses to share the bad and the good, including stories of support, solutions, allyship, mentorship, resilience, and perseverance.
Dawson: The Commission joins other nursing organizations in commending the release of The National Academy of Medicine’s recent 2020-2030 Future of Nursing report. The Commission has reviewed the report and we are pleased that language that speaks to the issue of racism in nursing is incorporated. The report urges nurse leaders to address racism and build systems to achieve health equity. This call-toaction aligns with our work to address racism in nursing. From our perspective, the Commission stands ready to lead the national discussion about the issue of racial inequities in nursing as well as the social determinants of health within nursing. However, the Commission’s focus is on upstream work addressing racism in the profession, colleague to colleague.
The Commission cannot tackle this work alone. Our goals are bold and can only be achieved with the help of all nurses
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at all levels and across all health care settings.
Phillips: Any parting comments you would like me to share regarding to your leadership role in moving the agenda on racism and nursing forward? Toney: The Commission cannot tackle this work alone. Our goals are bold and can only be achieved with the help of all nurses at all levels and across all health care settings. This body of work will take us into uncharted territory that will challenge our belief systems and push us to move beyond our comfort zones. But that is how we will make progress. This work is urgent because when nurses have safe and liberating environments, they are best positioned to provide quality and culturally relevant care for all patients and communities. Janice M. Phillips, PhD, RN, CENP, FAAN, is an associate professor at Rush University College of Nursing and the director of nursing research and health equity at Rush University Medical Center.
About the Commission The National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing is leading a national discussion on racism in nursing and is exploring the experiences of nurses of color across diverse settings and roles to understand the impact of systemic racism and to develop an action-oriented approach to address racism across the spectrum of education, practice, policy, and research.The Commission is led by nurse leaders from leading
nursing organizations including Ernest J. Grant, PhD, RN, FAAN, President of the American Nurses Association (ANA); Martha A. Dawson, DNP, RN, FACHE, President of the National Black Nurses Association (NBNA); Deborah A. Toney, PhD, RN, FAAN President of the National Coalition of Ethnic Minority Nurses Association (NCEMNA); and Daniela Vargas, MSN, MPH, MA, RN, PHN, member of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN).
Member Nursing Organizations profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting a safe and ethical work environment, bolstering the health and wellness of nurses, and advocating on health care issues that affect nurses and the public. ANA is at the forefront of improving the quality of health care for all. For more information, visit www.nursingworld.org.
• American Academy of Nursing • American Association for Men in Nursing • American Association of Colleges of Nursing • American Nurses Credentialing Center • American Nurses Foundation • American Organization of Nursing Leadership • ANA Eastern Region of Constituent and State Nurses Associations • ANA Midwestern Region of Constituent and State Nurses Associations • ANA South Eastern Region of Constituent and State Nurses Associations • ANA Western Region of Constituent and State Nurses Associations • Asian American/Pacific Islander Nurses Association • Chi Eta Phi • Minority Fellowship Program at the American Nurses Association • National Alaska/Native American Indian Nurses • National Association of Licensed Practical Nurses • National League of Nursing • Organization for Associate Degree in Nursing • Philippine Nurses Association of America • Minority Nurse
For additional information on the Commission and related activities, visit: • https://www.nursingworld.org/news/news-releases/2021/ leading-nursing-organizations-launch-the-national-commission-to-address-racism-in-nursing/ • https://www.nursingworld.org/~49be5d/globalassets/practiceandpolicy/workforce/commission-to-address-racism/final-racism-in-nursing-listening-session-report-june-2021.pdf
The American Nurses Association (ANA) is the premier organization representing the interests of the nation's 4.2 million registered nurses. ANA advances the
The National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN) is actively involved in issues affecting Hispanic nurses and the health of Hispanic communities on local, state, regional, and national levels. The organization is committed to providing equal access to education, professional, and economic opportunities for Hispanic nurses and towards improving the health and nursing care for Hispanic consumers. Founded in 1971, the National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) is a professional organization representing 308,000 African American registered nurses, licensed vocational/practical nurses, and nursing students in 108 chapters and 34 states. The NBNA mission is “to serve as the voice for Black nurses and diverse populations ensuring equal access to professional development, promoting educational opportunities and improving health.” NBNA chapters offer voluntary hours providing health education and screenings to community residents in collaboration with community-based partners, including faith-based organizations, civic, fraternal, hospitals, and schools of nursing. For more information, visit https://www.nbna.org/. #NBNAResilient ### The National Coalition of Ethnic Minority Nurse Associations (NCEMNA) is a coalition of five national nursing organizations that represent diverse communities. Our members include the Asian American/ Pacific Islander Nurses Association (AAPINA), National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN), National Alaska/Native American Indian Nurses Association (NANAINA), National Black Nurses Association (NBNA), and the Philippine Nurses Association of America (PNAA).
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