It is Thursday afternoon and in my medical intensive care unit there are twelve critically ill patients. I am one of six nurses scheduled for duty that day. Normally we would have a 2:1 ratio, a nurse for every two patients. However, like most days, this is not a normal day. Difficult decisions will need…
What is the American Nurses Association? There are a variety of professional organizations for both student and full-time nurses. So, what makes the American Nurses Association (ANA) different? The ANA is the only comprehensive professional organization that represents the interests of the nation’s 4 million registered nurses. According to the National Health Council, the American…
Why, amid a pandemic, do we not have new nurses hitting the floors and providing care? Testing, testing, testing. We have heard about the desperate need for COVID-19 testing. There is another type of testing that we also need to increase: Nurse licensure testing for new graduates to become registered nurses. Currently, many nurses cannot…
ANA President, Dr. Ernest Grant, shared a crucial community message. In Racism, Brutality, and Senseless Violence Against Black Communities, he stated, “I have a deeper moral vision for society, one in which we have a true awareness about the inequities in our country which remain the most important moral challenge of the 21st century.” To…
Wanted! Registered nurses ready to work in COVID-19 isolation units that look like a set from the movie ET. Must be willing to perform life-saving care for thousands of sick individuals. Must be able to have tough conversations with patients and families. Must be willing to take on thousands of dollars in student debt. It…
COVID-19 has unveiled something nurses have known for a long time….for the best possible health outcomes, we need hospital environments that support nurses. Empowering nurses to guide staffing decisions may, even in the midst of a crisis, make this terrifying experience better and safer. We have heard about the critical issue of PPE shortages. I…
NURSES! Please Tell Us Your COVID 19 Story Your nursing experiences with the COVID 19 pandemic demonstrate the nursing profession at its best. Your stories are of great interest to fellow nurses, as well as to the general public. Are you working with COVID 19 patients on an acute inpatient unit? What has the experience…
The World Health Organization (WHO) extends COVID-19 pandemic as the effects of this virus still warrants a public health emergency of international concern. This is our reality and the American Nurses Association – Illinois wants everyone to be as safe as possible. The safety and well-being of our children, families, and communities is paramount. Furthermore,…
Nurses make things work. We make do. We save lives. Also, we strive to do better. I’m a nurse and my family has been sending me donated cloth masks. My favorite is one that says You and Me on it. There is also one covered in pink flowers that I like. If I have to…