HEALTHCARE
COVID‐19 Update : Nursing , Patient Care , New Vaccines
Chief Nursing Officers offer an inside look at how nurses are dealing with the pandemic .
Compiled by John Joseph Parker Contributing Editor
As we honor nurses during National Nurses Week / Month , we salute the women and men on the front lines during the COVID‐19 pandemic . COMMERCE asked Chief Nursing Officers and executives to discuss the demands placed on nursing professionals , how they are coping and what they have learned from the experience . Their stories , featured in this special section , represent the finest traditions of the nursing profession .
Bergen New Bridge Medical Center By Thomas E . Amitrano , RN , MPA , Chief Nursing Officer , VP , Patient Care Services
Bergen New Bridge Medical Center is the largest hospital in New Jersey , with many diversified areas where our nurses provide care including emergency services , acute and ambulatory care , surgical services , mental health and substance use treatment and long-term care . Throughout the pandemic , they have shown their resiliency and ability to pivot to ensure that the continuum of care we provide for our patients was never compromised . As the CNO , I am thankful and proud to see my nurses , who are experts in their field , now providing community health support by caring for patients in our vaccination centers . Our nurses have answered the call to care , battling COVID‐19 for more than a year , and we have made available to them our robust mental health support services to help them recharge and heal . locations , or continuing to battle on the front lines , our organization is one of the most recognized healthcare systems in the country for nursing excellence due to the truly heroic efforts of our nurses . A critical part of our work at Hackensack Meridian is focusing on improving the clinical experience through well-being and wellness initiatives . This has only become more important during the pandemic , and we have advanced various initiatives and interventions to help support our nurses during this particularly challenging time . In doing so , we are helping our nurses build resilience and improve their emotional health , while further optimizing patient care delivery .
Holy Name Medical Center By Michele Acito , DNP , RN . NE-BC , NP-C , EVP , Chief Nursing Officer
Holy Name Medical Center ’ s Magnet-recognized nurses stayed strong as the pandemic placed grueling demands on their work and home lives . The calling to become a nurse has never been as important as it was this past year . In fact , applications to Holy Name ’ s Sister Claire Tynan School of Nursing increased 90 % in 2020 / 2021 . My own experience , in losing my mother-in-law to COVID‐19 , and other nurses ’ personal losses weighed heavily on us , yet we became one team in saving lives , conserving precious PPE , and safeguarding patients and staff from virus transmission . Holy Name ’ s nurses combined best practices in patient care with ingenuity to collaborate with our facilities team in constructing five new ICUs containing 76 beds within three weeks . The nurses also helped to create and beta-test 250 patent-pending negative-pressure isopods that protect COVID patients and staff . Our nurses are uplifted by the hope the vaccines bring , as our team has been central to the vaccine rollout and distribution in partnerships with the municipalities of Teaneck and West New York to operate two of New Jersey ’ s largest and most efficient vaccination centers , which together average 4,000 doses per day based on supply . For nurses and all employees who seek support in coping with the trauma of their shared experiences during this pandemic , the medical center offers Resiliency Rounds , group therapy facilitated by a board-certified therapist , an Employee Assistance Program , and virtual meditation .
Jefferson Health — New Jersey By Helene Burns , DNP , RN , NEA-BC , SVP , Chief Nursing Officer
March 6 , 2021 marked one year since the first admitted COVID‐19 patient at Jefferson
Cherry Hill Hospital . The past year has been
Hackensack Meridian Health By Theresa M . Brodrick , Ph . D ., RN , NE-BC , EVP , Network Chief Nurse Executive
The pandemic has challenged us to rise to the highest levels of the nursing profession , and we are incredibly proud of the essential role our nurses continue to play in Hackensack Meridian Health ’ s response to COVID‐19 . Whether delivering compassionate , patient-centered care , pursuing innovative research to improve outcomes , applying evidence-based principles to prevent disease and address care quality , serving as vaccinators at the mega site and our hospital
In addition to their normal duties , New Jersey nurses are using their skills to administer COVID‐19 vaccines at sites across the state .
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Photo : Getty Images / iStockphoto
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