[Joseline]

Hello Avery,
I am so sorry for all the negative feedback you have received from coworkers and classmates when you have mentioned that you are studying to earn your Doctorate in Nursing Practice. I identified with you. So far, I am the only one from my cohort pursuing graduate-level education. During the undergrad program, many in my cohort wanted to only finish the ADN program. Some student nurses in my cohort stayed to pursue the BSN. Very few have expressed the desire to pursue graduate-level education and are contemplating far in the future. Since my undergrad, I knew I wanted to pursue the DNP but I received a lot of discouragement from my cohort and from many registered nurses during my clinical rotations. Many of the registered nurses and unit managers in different units disagree with undergrad student nurses and discourage them to go to grad school right after finishing the BSN. I was advised to work and get experience first as a registered nurse to find out what I like first. I have been told that the extra money I am investing I will never see again. Now that I am working as a registered nurse, I have been told that all the effort will not be worth it in the end.

[Joseline]

“The personal becomes dangerous” thoughts remind us of our history, not only as healthcare providers but also about the vulnerability the human race faces. The moment someone thinks is safe can be the most vulnerable moment in their life. The events on 9/11 and the flu pandemic of 1918, as well as the 2008 economic crisis, are great examples to teach us about the vulnerability we all faced. Nowadays, touching things, breathing the air in an enclosed space, and even being around some people can be risky. It is events such as the recent pandemic that call us to redefine our socials life, our social skills, what is acceptable in society, what to expect in a formal interview, and the professional protocols; everything is constantly changing and being redefined. The “normal” has changed to the “new normal”. In-person it is not required for issues and events such as going to the doctor, assessments can be done online, through messages, and through video. With the pandemic, the world was forced to change; whether people were ready or not, whether the world wanted or not, changes needed to be made to save the world. The thoughts on “The personal becomes dangerous” remind us that yet vulnerability will always be present, resilient, and the ability to adapt can always provide a new way.

[Joseline]

This video is eye-opening for nurses not working at the bedside. It should be even more eye-opening for people not related to healthcare. Knowing that nurses feel overworked and many of them were already overworked prior to the pandemic should mean a lot to our society. To trained nurses at the bedside, especially in critical care takes time. The video is full of thoughtful ideas about how the healthcare system can continue to provide care, ensuring that every patient gets a trained nurse capable of providing the care the patients need and ensuring that nurses do not feel overwhelmed or under stress while providing the appropriate care. Reinventing the workflow in hospitals can ease the burden on nurses. The approach of bringing nurses from other countries is not ethical because it worsens the nursing shortage in other countries. The principle of valuing nurses as one of the most valuable resources across the world should be a priority in all healthcare facilities and reflected in their mission, vision, principles, and daily workflow. Reinventing the workflow and having medical assistants record assessments, send labs, bring specimens to labs could improve the amount of time nurses spend at the bedside. This could decrease the burden of nurses, their burnout, and the daily stress of nurses. Thinking about nurses as assistants in the healthcare setting is wrong. Nurses are professionals who deserve to be at the center of care provided in hospitals. Patients spend more time with a nurse than any other healthcare provider in the hospital. By providing one medical assistant and changing the workflow in hospitals many lives can be saved as nurses can spend more time in providing clinical care.

[Author]

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