Newark, New Brunswick, & Blackwood, NJ
“’When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you’ (Isaiah 43:2, ESV). This is what keeps me anchored, my patients think I have it all figured out but the truth is HE has it all figured out, so I just keep working through it all.”
March 2020
“I went back to the ER to help fight COVID as an RN. As a family nurse practitioner in emergency care, I was terrified by what I saw. Never in my life did I believe I would be rendering care during a pandemic while starting a gofundme drive to provide PPE to my coworkers after establishing connections with local paint distributors. COVID has been nothing short of a nightmare, but knowing I helped patients and my colleagues makes this journey a little easier. Stay safe out there!
“As a nurse, you are the eyes and ears for the patient. Never fear advocating for your patients’ health and for your personal safety. Please fight to ensure that you have proper PPE at all times. If we don’t care for ourselves, who will be left to care for our patients.
“On March 30th, just as face coverings and masks were being instituted, I came down with COVID-19. I was ill for 2 1/2 weeks but was able to recuperate and work from home the entire time. My husband also got sick but happily, my two teenage daughters did not.
“I felt the shame and stigma of being ill and the guilt of being sick at a time when so many people were in need. I returned to the front line with compassion, strict attention to protocol, and enthusiasm to help those in need and a commitment to reducing risk to not only viruses but racism in medicine and nursing.
“It is okay to be scared. If we were not scared, we would not be human. Courage is feeling the fear and doing it anyway. Self-care is mandatory, find out what it means to you and stick to it. It is not a luxury. Bad things happen to people despite doing everything ‘right.’ Hang in there, keep in touch with your feelings and colleagues, see the difference you can make with one person, as well as the bigger picture. See the connections between COVID-19 and the systems that we all need to manage. Be a leader, use your power to improve health care in this country.”
“As nurse informaticist in my organization, I had to come up with new ways to provide efficient clinical IT training for new hires as the nation transitioned to largely working from home.
“Prior to COVID, we used WebEx mainly for conducting meetings with screen share options. However, with this tool, I was able to demo and provide hands-on training with the new hires and other clinicians from other hospitals who have been assigned to our hospital due to COVID-19 demand.
“New hires can learn 1:1 with me, while navigating the clinical applications real-time. Doing so allows for flexibility and safer environment when social distancing is required.
“With patient visitors being restricted during the COVID-19 pandemic, our organization had to think of ways to allow continued patient/family communication during the patient’s stay. Through the use of technology, we developed protocols on iPad use for patient/family communication.
“A multi-disciplinary approach is needed to successfully implement iPad use in lieu of in-person family visits. Social workers and other providers work closely with the nursing department to identify patients who meets the criteria for iPad use. The information technology department also plays a significant role in ordering and setting up the iPads, making sure the devices are ready for patient use. Apps such as FaceTime, Zoom, and Skype are the tools patients use to get in touch with their families.
“As a nurse informaticist, I believe there are still more ways that health care can maximize the use of technology during this unprecedented time. I am glad that I am in this role where I know that my technological and clinical expertise can help lead innovation in delivering quality care to our patients and their families.”
“After four years of nursing school I took on the challenge of working my first RN job in a high pace, trauma-driven emergency department close to my hometown in NJ. After some time I decided to chase my city dream and took a new position in one of New York City’s best hospitals. I happened to start this new job in February and my new emergency department quickly turned into a COVID war zone.
“When I first signed up to be an emergency nurse I knew I was signing up to be prepared for any disaster. I never imagined a pandemic to break out in the span of my career, let alone two years out of school. I especially did not expect to take a new job in the epicenter of the American outbreak. It’s been a tough uphill battle trying to stabilize the most unstable. It’s even worse to see families split apart as they say what might be their last goodbye to their loved ones as they drop them off desperately to our ED. And it’s the worst when desperate family members call for updates and there’s nothing good to be said.
“Nurses are leading this war. We’re at the forefront and spend the most time with the sickest patients. We’re the only interactions these people have in their most vulnerable time. I’m so humbled to have the opportunity to help make a difference when the world has had to come to a standstill.”
As the new dean of Rutgers School of Nursing, I am excited to present to you the inaugural issue of Rutgers Nursing magazine.
I will confess, however, that this is not the welcome letter that I had originally drafted as interim dean just a few months ago, in a pre-COVID world. Since then, a pandemic has shaken the globe claiming tens of thousands of lives, an economy has struggled in its wake, and the tragic killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery have once again shined a light on issues of racial and systemic injustice.
At the time of the original writing, I spoke honestly of our faculty, staff, and students as representing Excellence in Action. At this very moment—with our school located in a region that has been hard hit by the pandemic, and a profession that is committed to reducing social disparities in health care, be they racial or economic—Excellence in Action is more than an ideal—It’s a reality that I experience in powerful ways as I interact with our community.
Over the last several months, our expert faculty collaborated with instructional designers and converted in-class education to state-of the-art remote education in one week, allowing learning to continue even in the midst of a public health crisis. At the same time, we prepared 100 undergraduate students to conduct COVID-19 testing and contact tracing as part of their unique community health experience, and accelerated the curriculum so that 354 new nurses could support their valiant but weary colleagues by graduating ahead of schedule.
Partnering with more than 14 health care systems and 200 clinical sites, our faculty practitioners have been on the front lines caring for COVID positive
patients and providing patients with access to primary care during these challenging times.
Excellence in Global Partnerships
Despite the pandemic, our Center for Global Health Nursing, in collaboration with the Rutgers Global Health Institute, is working with the University of Botswana to train a distinguished oncology nursing workforce. Likewise, our programs in other regions of Africa and South America are addressing similarly important issues, such as reducing maternal mortality.
With $55 million per year in external funding, our expert nurse scientists and practitioners are producing cutting-edge evidence to inform health equity initiatives at home and abroad. From developing and testing mobile mental health interventions in Europe, to reducing unnecessary emergency department visits in the U.S, our nurse scientists are influencing practice, policy, and patient outcomes through their important work.
As one of the largest schools of nursing in the U.S., we see an annual enrollment of nearly 2,000 students. Committed to preparing a nursing workforce that reflects the diversity of our country, we are proud that nearly 59 percent of our students come from minority backgrounds. Woven into the DNA of our profession is the call to provide compassionate and competent care without discrimination, while upholding the dignity of every person. To support the experience of our entire School of Nursing community—students, staff, faculty, and alumni—I have created and will chair the Dean’s Standing Committee on Anti-Racism and Anti-Bias.
More than 12,800 strong, Rutgers School of Nursing alumni are making an impact across the nation, and across the globe, in myriad settings and roles. Alumni include fellows of the American Academy of Nursing, designated Academy Edge Runners, elected policymakers, and the New Jersey commissioner of health, to name a few.
We hope that you enjoy reading this inaugural issue of Rutgers Nursing magazine. Finally, to nurses everywhere—thank you for all that you do!
Linda Flynn, PhD, RN, FAAN
Dean and Professor
“I was swab testing with other nurses, the cars drove up and everyone in the car looked scared, uncertain about what the results would be. One of them was a nurse that I worked with previously –both she and her children tested COVID-19 positive. The swabbing was uncomfortable for just about everyone. Once the day was over, I was unable to return as I had to work.
“Watching all the nurses on the front lines prompted me to assist in whatever capacity I could. A colleague of mine from a local health department was overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases, so I volunteered to open cases and follow up and begin the process of “contact tracing”.
“Contact tracing is not always embraced by patients and sometimes they believe that the questions are too invasive. Quarantine is often the most difficult for COVID-19 positive patients who must be isolated from their families. In fact, one family had five members–parents and 3 teenagers– and all of them were diagnosed COVID-19 positive over a three-week period. Isolation was difficult for all of them.
“Another patient I spoke to called EMS and her husband was admitted to the hospital and passed away a few days later. She was crying on the phone, it was so sad. She was asymptomatic and was not tested for COVID-19. A friend of mine passed away and it’s been a difficult time for his family and our family. Heartbreaking moments.
“I am blessed that my family is well and that I can help out in some way. Educating people who do not speak English affords me an opportunity to listen and educate some of the most vulnerable members of our community.
“It’s often difficult to be a nurse during this pandemic. One has to stop for a moment and seek out a friend or relative to talk to. Mental health and self-care are very important. We are all in this together and I know things will get better…in time. Until then, I want you to know how very appreciated you are. Remember- save one person you’re a hero, save 100 and you’re a nurse.'”
Chacon expects to complete the RN to BS in Nursing program in December 2020. After earning her first bachelor’s from Rutgers in kinesiology and exercise science in 2014, she completed an associate’s degree in nursing and began working as a pediatric nurse in 2018.
“Even though I am a pediatric nurse, I was floated to several COVID ICU units during this pandemic. At first this experience was a little scary because I had never cared for adult patients before. However, I realized that this was the time to be brave and to help as much as possible by using my nursing skillset.
“I was floated as a support nurse to help ICU nurses who had up to four critically ill patients. My role included administering medications, performing patient care, and helping the primary nurse with anything else that was needed. As the pediatric cases increased in the area, I was also a primary nurse to these patients.
“I found that the COVID-19 pandemic reminded me of why I became a nurse. The main reason being that I want to provide compassionate care to those who are in need.
“The hospital I work for does not allow any visitors and nurses are also encouraged to limit exposure by only entering rooms twice per shift. This is why I took advantage of any opportunity to interact with my patients. Many times if they were awake I would happily wave and even dance outside the room to get them to smile.
“I noticed that one of my intubated patients had his phone set to Spanish. So I made it a point to speak to him in Spanish every time I walked into the room to provide care. I imagined that this patient may have felt comfort from someone holding his hand and speaking words of encouragement in his preferred language.
“This experience has taught me that nurses are very resilient. I am truly inspired by all the nurses that I met from different departments in the hospital during this process. We are adaptable and so compassionate with our patients. It was moving to see something beautiful emerge amidst the terror of this pandemic.”
Yanisko is enrolled in the Family Nurse Practitioner-Emergency Care DNP program at the School of Nursing, where she expects to graduate in 2022. She works in an acute care hospital in Pennsylvania. She has been certified and has worked as an EMT.
“Our ED did not have the volume like New York City and northern New Jersey, so many of us were floated to the ICU, including me. I was in an RN support role and was able to assist with proning, med passes, etc. I was there for about two weeks. The 20-bed unit was packed with COVID-positive patients, many intubated.
“One of the hardest days was when we lost a 35-year old female. We coded her for 30 minutes. She had been intubated for about a week. Many times we had her family speak with her on the phone as we held it near her. I remember sweating under my N95 and PPE during that code, as we did manual chest compressions.
“Last week we lost an EMS colleague to COVID. He was 40 years old and known to many in our ED. He worked with the ground critical care transport team for our network.
“If there is anything I’ve been in awe of, it is the sheer grit and tenacity I have observed with my RN colleagues. I have watched other nurses sit at the bedside of dying patients, watched nurses speak calmly to their intubated patients, Everyone has been supportive, asking how each other is holding up, and crying together when needed, providing each other with words of encouragement. I am so proud to be a nurse.”
“My experience of COVID-19 pandemic was in New Jersey and Nigeria. Between February-April, I spent part of the semester working on my global health grant project in Nigeria developing capacity for adolescents living with HIV as peer supporters. The lock-down negatively affected access to non-COVID health services. Due to international flight restrictions, I returned to New Jersey on a U.S. embassy evacuation flight.
“The RN-BS students in clinical community health promotion course were excited to settle in at their clinical sites. As registered nurses, they also worked in acute care settings. The COVID-19 pandemic gave them first-hand experiences in public health emergency preparedness and management.
“At health departments, students participated in COVID-19 testing, but school health clinical ended abruptly. I immediately provided alternate options for clinical hours through case discussions/ reviews, webinars etc.
“With restrictions on family support at hospitals, nurses used Face-time, Skype and WhatsApp to connect patient and families. Our students were allowed to earn clinical hours for times spent counseling and supporting patients/family connections to reduce impact of isolation, death, dying and grieving.
“‘Check-in” with the students at the beginning of each conference was critical to ensure they verbalize their experiences, concerns, fears and challenges with school work. This is necessary to identify their needs for support or referral for psychological assistance. They shared work place challenges such as: non-availability of protective gear; their exposure to COVID-19; false-negative COVID test results despite symptoms; and fears, fatigue, anxiety, and sadness from witnessing so many deaths. Our check-ins helped students to calm down and re-focus on course work.
“One of my students wrote:’ following the social workers during this time was an emotional experience that also provided me with beneficial information on how to provide essential emotional support for the patients, families, and staff…’ With the COVID-19 isolation and hospital visit restrictions, students in acute care settings were able to step in to bridge gaps and innovate psycho social support services for patients and families. This prevented very ill patients from dying alone.”
“My trust in God and the experiences I’ve had with Him in the past. I’ve seen him move mountains (obstacles), and I believe I’ll see him do it again. The field of nursing is a great place to believe. It’s a place where I’ve seen dead situations come to life again, a place where healing is possible. That’s what keeps me going at this time.”
“As an RN I get the privilege of helping people through acute and chronic illnesses; watching them transition into better health and/or return to their baseline. I do not just care for the patient, but rather in caring for the patient I am also caring for their families and loved ones affected by the patient’s state of health.
I’ve been in their place, I’ve had to depend on healthcare workers to properly care for my loved one. Having been in their place, I am driven to be the healthcare professional I needed/wanted during my families’ time of need. Today, as we face a pandemic, I am driven to be a part of the movement towards a better state of health and a reduction in the global spread.”
“During this time, the pediatric population is not really being affected by the virus so our census has been much lower than usual. With schools closed and people not going out as much, kids are not getting admitted as much. Elective surgeries are being put on pause. So our volume is down.
“On the other hand the adult ICUs are full–almost all are vented patients. In response to this my hospital has started sending the PICU nurses to the adult ICUs to help out.
“I’ve been working with the adult ICU nurses helping to ease their patient load. We are out of our element and comfort zone, but we are doing the best we can so that the nurses don’t get too overwhelmed. As far as I know, we will be going upstairs until this calms down.
“At this time it’s all hands on deck. We all need to step up and help each other out. I’m seeing PACU nurses being trained and floated to the adult ICU. People who worked in the ICU years ago are being asked to come back to help. Nurses not experienced taking care of vented patients are being sent around to help with meds and tasks. Taking care of two, three, and sometimes even four vented patients is a daunting task. We have to support one another and get through this together.
“Big shout out to my classmates, Rutgers School of Nursing 2017, and other friends who are working in the New York City ICUs and EDs.”
Kalachian shared her experience not just working daily with COVID-19 patients, but how the pandemic has impacted her own family’s health. In early April, during her self-quarantine with mild symptoms, she relayed that her father and mother had both tested positive for the virus. While her mother also had mild symptoms, her father had work to regain his strength after being bedridden for almost three weeks. “My dad is doing much better,” she said. “God has definitely been keeping us.”
“‘Armed for battle?’ asked the nurse standing across from me as we watched each other don personal protective equipment. It took me 15 minutes to plan my tasks and don 8 pieces of PPE before seeing just 1 patient; there were still 3 more. Last week I had volunteered to float to the orthopedic floor before finding out about its transformation into a COVID unit.
“As I attempted to take a deep breath through the muggy mask, I looked around through the foggy face shield at my dear colleagues gearing up and the manager giving out directions. Yes, I was armed for battle. We were fighting a war with the unseen enemy invisible to the naked eye, the little devil in the shape of a spiky ball, yet we know it’s here.
“This disease has restructured the role of nursing. I’ve functioned as a nurse, aide, respiratory therapist, as well as housekeeper, increasing my own exposure to this deadly virus in order to reduce the exposure of multiple colleagues. Almost every workday, one of my loving family members would urge me to call out of work. Tempting, but a sense of duty nudged at me.
“Today is Day 6 of my mild symptoms (sore throat, runny nose, anosmia, ageusia) and my dad’s result comes back “detected” for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. According to the employee self-monitoring program, I need to call out sick for the next 14 days. I can’t help but feel like I’m abandoning my duty, leaving four patients without a nurse, causing my colleagues to be exposed all the more to make up for losing me. In an attempt to justify my dilemma, a friend says, ‘Please don’t feel that way. You did your part at the hospital, now you’re doing your part by staying home.’
“Every day, you live and leave a legacy; you live in the legacy of the heroes before you, and you leave a legacy for those to follow you. When you suit up with your PPE armor and prepare for war with the unseen viral enemy, remember what it is that you do: you do nursing. You care for the sickest of the sick, which is not only a science but an art; an art that requires training and dedication, and an almost superhuman foresight. Your training and zeal have culminated for such a time as this, for it is the human life for which we do business. Have courage, take heart, and pray (Holy Bible, 2 Corinthians 1:9).”