Letter to the Editor
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Future Nurses , Worried About Your Education in This New Face- Masked World ? Nursing Educators Have Got You Covered ! By Shannon Schulenberg
What do you want to be when you grow up ?” Remember that question ? For many , the answer has always been : a nurse . At least it was for me . I ’ ve gone from a nursing student , to bedside nurse , to charge nurse , and now nurse educator . Needless to say , I love nursing ! Nurses are some of the best people that I know . Most are flexible , dedicated , hard-working , and have a great sense of humor . But nursing isn ’ t always pretty , and over the past few months I ’ ve been worried for the future of nursing .
Try to think back to life pre-Covid-19 . It probably seems like a long time ago . Remember the images that you saw of nurses on TV or social media ? Angelic , smiling , helpful beings , with our hands comfortably rested on the shoulder of a grateful patient ( who was also frequently pictured smiling back at with adoration ). Is that the image you remember ? Or is your mind now filled with nurses in bright yellow gowns , gas masks , face shields , and surgical gloves ? As a nurse and nurse educator , what scares me is that out there somewhere , there is a person who used to have a dream of becoming a nurse , and now they are second guessing their choice . My potential nursing student sees a picture on Facebook of an exhausted nurse with a bruised face from their mask , and is thinking , “ maybe not nursing .” with local populations in need . Opportunities like these have given nursing students a chance to see firsthand how this pandemic has affected their communities , as well as how they provide skilled nursing services to respond to a true global health crisis . Jenny *, another recently licensed registered nurse stated that she felt her nursing school “ did an excellent job ensuring we had every opportunity available to help us learn what we needed ” to help people in need !
Covid-19 is a health crisis , but it is making nursing education stronger and more innovative than ever . So those of you that have a dream of becoming a nurse , your local school of nursing is ready for you ! Healthcare still needs your smiling face and caring hands to comfort patients . And , you ’ ll be in great company with the nurses that have recently graduated from nursing school . They ’ re highly qualified and excited to join the nursing workforce . Logan , the nursing grad who had expressed his concerns about bringing Covid-19 home to his family , also stated that the pandemic had done nothing to diminish his desire to become a nurse . He replied , “ If anything , I feel more invigorated to begin my career and get in the thick of it .” • * Names have been changed to protect privacy .
It isn ’ t just the fear of contracting Covid-19 that may be causing our future nursing generation to rethink entering this profession . There is the very real fear of the risks that nurses and nursing students face in passing the virus on to others . When asked about Covid-related concerns , Tom *, a recent nursing graduate from a large university in the Washington D . C . metro area , stated “ the idea of contracting it myself doesn ’ t worry me , but I would be dismayed if my parents got sick because of exposure at my job .” He isn ’ t alone in his fears . It ’ s a concern shared by all healthcare workers during this difficult time . No amount of PPE use or education can eliminate this fear , and alleviating fear and emotional distress is part of what I ’ ve been trained to do as a nurse educator .
Another concern that potential nursing students may have is about the quality of their nursing education during a pandemic . Now this issue , I am happy to say that I can speak to and help with as a nurse educator . If the general public thinks that nurses have risen to the occasion during Covid-19 , then they ’ ve got to know how nursing education is addressing the pandemic as well ! Nursing schools are minimizing risk and exposure by converting many formerly in-seat courses to online classes whenever possible . Skills and simulation laboratories are being used to help students learn fundamental nursing skills while maintaining social distance , wearing masks and wearing face shields . Local hospitals are allowing nursing students back for hands-on training on non- Covid units to minimize their health risks .
When not in the hospital setting , nursing educators are engaging students in guided case studies and virtual simulations . Nursing students are also able to participate in unique , pandemic-related learning opportunities like contact tracing and telehealth nursing
A response from the Imprint Editor , Megan Johnston : Wow ! What an incredible statement which I can speak to on the side of a nursing student . I personally started my academic journey before the pandemic and was thrown into it during my Nursing Fundamentals lab course right before my clinicals began . I completely agree that while the pandemic was frustrating as a nursing student , the faculty and learning opportunities provided by my school showed me that my program was not giving up on me and was dedicated to helping me become the best nurse possible . Also , the pandemic was a motivator to get into the work force and help the nurses that I saw struggling so much , especially with low staffing and burnout .
While the thought of spreading COVID-19 to my family because of my career choice was constantly in the back of my mind , nursing was my love and my life and so I decided to get rid of this fear by staying away from home , getting vaccinated , and practicing proper hand washing frequently . While the fear is still there , it has diminished due to the precautions I take and is something that I can only do my best to avoid .
Lastly , I believe the concern of future nursing students changing their mind about their career choice in nursing is valid . I have spoken with several high school students throughout my nursing school career the last two years who have verbalized these fears to me . Educating them on the importance of nursing , how my school has responded to the pandemic , and providing them with a means of support has been helpful in reassuring them .
Please future nursing students — do not give up ! We are ready for you , and you are wanted and needed !
4 NSNA IMPRINT • SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2021 • www . nsna . org