How to market your nursing skills

Janine Kelbach, RNC-OB knew after having her second child that the overtime and nightshift hours weren’t going to make her feel like the best mother, wife, and nurse. We recently hosted an event with her where she discussed ideas on how you can start to market those core skills you developed at the bedside to empower you away from the bedside and help serve people in a different way (and make money while doing it!). Here's what you should know! Read more

Colds and flus are down like never before... should masking continue? —

A recent study led by the Vanderbilt University Medical Center found that across 44 children's hospitals in the United States, the number of pediatric patients hospitalized for respiratory illness is down 62%. Additionally, deaths in children due to the flu have fallen from about 150 to one during the 2020-2021 flu season. Adults are also seeing similar patterns, as US deaths from the flu among adults—usually reaching the thousands—are remaining in the hundreds. For example, in 2018-2019 (a "moderate" year of flu activity) nearly 34,000 Americans died from the flu. That's a 3,300% decrease in flu deaths in 2020-2021! So, what do you think? Is this a reason to continue normalizing the use of masks during particularly bad cold and flu seasons (and beyond COVID-19)? Read more

How to travel nurse as a pair —

So, you and your bestie have just decided to take the plunge into travel nursing, and you want to seek your first assignment together. But, how can you ensure that you both receive the same travel assignment? Well, there are a few things you'll need to keep in mind, from uploading your drivers licenses and nursing certifications to scheduling your interviews. Here's what you need to know to land that perfect travel opportunity as a pair! Read more

Student street medicine team provides much-needed support —

This recent article follows the efforts of medical students from the University of South Florida in Tampa Bay, who provide care to their homeless and sheltered communities: "We have a couple of different clinics and [...] organizations that provide basic hygiene kits, health care, medications, prescription medications," said Lauren Holt, a third-year medical student and the president of Tampa Bay Street Medicine (TBSM). The outreach started back in 2014 and has continued to flourish until COVID-19 hit. “We had to halt for a little while until we were able to have enough PPE to safely do our clinics and our street runs," said Dr. Asa Oxner the director of TBSM. Now, however, the group is hard at work with the vaccination effort and is continuing to provide compassionate healthcare to those most in need. Read more

Coronavirus Updates

At least 12 states ready to push COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to all adults —

Good news for those still waiting to be eligible for their COVID-19 vaccines, as at least 12 states are ready to expand vaccine eligibility to all adults (16+). As of Monday, March 29, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Ohio, North Dakota, and Kansas made the move, while Illinois, Minnesota, Connecticut, Arizona, California, and Colorado are close behind (if not already making some exceptions)! However, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, spoke on Monday, sharing worry of "impending doom" regarding a potential fourth wave of infections as US cases rose 10% over the previous week. She confirmed that vaccines are still on the way, but asked that people please wait to relax preventative measures and begin traveling again. Read more

Pfizer states vaccine is 100% effective and safe for adolescents after clinical trial —

After completing a clinical trial with adolescents aged 12–15, Pfizer-BioNTech states that their COVID-19 vaccine is 100% effective and well tolerated among this group. Pfizer will share their results with the FDA and await approval for emergency authorization use, as has already been done for their vaccine produced for those 16 and older in the United States. Common side effects—pain at the injection site, fatigue, and some fever—were recorded, but they seem to line up with the side effects exhibited by those between the ages of 16–25, so nothing new. With some luck, Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children's Hospital, believes that we'll see children 12 and older ready to receive vaccinations by the fall. Read more

What's causing the Hispanic vaccination gap? —

Hispanic communities in the United States remain behind in vaccination efforts for COVID-19, a recent study found. In states where Hispanics make up at least 10% of the population, they are lagging behind vaccination rates by more than 20%. Why? Barriers to access are the main reason expected, with many communities falling behind due to a lack of information about the vaccines and eligibility, the digital tools needed to make vaccination appointments, the costs of healthcare and insurance, and the fact that most information about vaccines (and registration) are only available in English. However, federal efforts to close this gap by focusing on community health centers nationally has proven successful, with more than a quarter of those nationwide who received their first vaccine dose (from a health center) being of Hispanic descent. Read more

Travel nurses crucial to timely vaccine distribution —

This inspiring piece follows the journey of two nurses who traveled to California to help with the vaccination efforts early this year. Their stories are only a sample of the nearly 2,000 travel nurses deployed by the California Department of Public Health to help with vaccinations. Reshicka Upshaw, a 40-year old mother of seven, incentivized by the growing need, decided to leave her home and children in Cincinnati to fly to San Bernardino, CA, a county that had been hit hard by COVID-19. Like many nurses at the vaccination site, her hours were long and challenging. In order to have time to call family, sometimes her days started as early as 3:35am. The site was set up like a drive through and might see as many as 1,000 vaccines distributed each day. Another nurse, Lesha Moore, left Detroit to join the effort as a travel nurse. Her first time in California, she was surprised by the state’s economic inequalities as well as the impoverished residents who weren’t coming to get vaccinated. The need for help was apparent, and she was happy to help in any way she could: “It might not be OK [yet], but we are working toward a better way." Read more

Upcoming Events

4/8: 3pm PDT – Blueprint to Bedside: A Nurse Inventor's Guide to Innovation —

Have you ever thought about inventing a medical device? There are countless nurses with ideas on how to improve healthcare and patient quality of life, yet many never follow through with bringing their visions to life. Join Brian Mohika, RN of CathWear and Joey Ferry, RN of SafeSeizure to learn about how to build a prototype, find money to fund your project, and stay motivated. All nurses are invited to this event, just make sure you RSVP!️