Reflection on Learning 02/07/2022

4

Week 4 Discussion

Leonard Einstein

Mary Register

Health Policy NR 708

01/23/2022

Week 4 Discussion

Q1 The initiative selected is the COVID19RNStories website. This is a system-wide nursing website that allows RNs in the integrated health system to share their stories related to the current Covid-19 pandemic. According to Rosenfeld, DeMarco, and Rodenhausen (2022), between April and August 2020, around 100 diverse stories were posted on the website with four major themes being noted. I support the initiative sine it allows RNs to share their experiences and observations on how they deal with the pandemic both professionally and personally. Their experiences will help in the crafting of evidence-based policies to better deal with the current pandemic and any future healthcare emergencies that may emerge. Furthermore, Rosenfeld, DeMarco, and Rodenhausen (2022) reiterate the importance of storytelling as a tool. The stories can be a significant part of the nurses’ professional development and can help the public get visibility on the efforts of nurses countrywide. More so, the stories can help nurses reflect on how they handle the pandemic in order to help them make better decisions in the future.

Q2 The tweet related to the intuitive above is “JONA Online@JONAonline: The creation of the COVID19RNStories website allowed RNs in @nyulangone to share their experiences, perceptions, observations & concerns during the pandemic. @tweetAONL @anccofficial @ANANursingWorldhttps://journals.lww.com/jonajournal/Abstract/2022/01000/Forever_Changed__RNs_Speak_of_their_COVID_19.5.aspx …”

I can support the initiative because of the benefits it promises to bring to the healthcare community and the public in general. According to Galuska et al. (2018), when nurses communicate with each other and with the public through sharing their stories, then the lessons gained will translate to better healthcare services to patients. Also, these stories will inform better systemic change to facilitate long-term improvements in the healthcare sector. At the start of the current pandemic, there were very many unknowns regarding the Covid-19 virus. However, through the sharing of information by stakeholders across the world, society has been able to get a grip of the problems and craft countermeasures. The preventive measures to minimize the spread of the virus have only been effective due to the sharing of stories and professional opinions. More so, the sharing of stories allow people to better deal with mental health problems that arise due to poor coping mechanism during the pandemic.

Q3 Within the political climate of government today, the initiative has significant hope of moving forward. Currently, partisan political affiliations are adversely impacting the fight against the pandemic (Lipscy, 2020). It has become difficult for the government to make relevant policies to fight the pandemic due to constant political debates and court. Recently, the Supreme Court quashed a plan by President Biden to enforce the vaccine-or-test requirement for major private organizations. The decision was made by a conservative-majority court. The decision will slow down the attempts of the government to have more people either vaccinated or tested to prevent the spread of the virus. in this environment where politicians are driving public perception about how best to fight the pandemic, the initiative to have nurses tell their stories is vital in ensuring that people getting the perspective of healthcare workers rather than politicians. Healthcare workers should be at the forefront of informing the best practices to be followed by citizens in the country. Therefore I feel the initiative can move forward well and help society embrace better practices to fight the pandemic. The public will start swaying towards decisions that are scientific-based rather than ones that are politics-based.

Q4 Composed tweet in response to the original post: “It’s about time nurses share their experiences and expert opinions about the pandemic. The public has been in the dark for too long!”

References

Galuska, L., Hahn, J., Polifroni, E. C., & Crow, G. (2018). A narrative analysis of nurses' experiences with meaning and joy in nursing practice. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 42(2), 154-163.

Lipscy, P. Y. (2020). COVID-19 and the politics of crisis. International Organization, 74(S1), E98-E127.

Rosenfeld, P., DeMarco, K., & Rodenhausen, N. (2022). Forever changed: RNs Speak of their COVID-19 experiences through a system-wide nursing web site. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 52(1), 12-18.