What Has The Pandemic Taught You?
Mark your calendars and get your tickets now, because the NACNS annual conference is fast approaching on March 14th-17th in Baltimore, Maryland.
This year, the theme of the conference is the Rise of the CNS. Back in person for the first time in two years, the annual conference will feature workshops, networking opportunities, an awards presentation, and three keynote speakers.
To get to know the keynote speakers a little better, we asked them all a question about what they’ve learned through the past two years, and how that will affect nursing in the future. See what they had to say below. For more information on the annual conference and to register, click here!
As we enter the third year of the pandemic, what is the most important thing this situation has taught you and how will what you’ve learned inform your future decisions?
Andrew Miller, MA Denver Health’s LGBTQ Center of Excellence
One thing I’ve learned throughout the pandemic is the importance of flexibility and teamwork. This pandemic has been a challenge on so many different fronts for all healthcare workers and finding ways to accommodate and work together has been our saving grace, especially on some of the harder days. I am in constant awe of the incredible and brave frontline workers who I get to work with daily and their dedication to providing affirming and respectful care, even when times are scary.
Andrew Miller (he/him/his) provides training, consultation, and capacity-building assistance through the Denver Health’s LGBTQ Center of Excellence. Specializing in Transgender and Gender Expansive affirming care, Andrew provides trainings spanning across medical systems, public health departments, academic settings, and community-based non-profit programming. After graduating with a Master’s in Multicultural Clinical Counseling in 2019, Andrew combined his over ten years of national training experience with his passion for creating accessible, affirming clinical settings, and has focused his work towards medical and public health settings.
Mary Zellinger, RN, MN, ANP-BC, CCRN-CSC, CCNS, FAAN, FCCM
Teamwork, communication, and mentoring have always been cornerstones of successful interprofessional practice. During the pandemic, the need for effective and timely communication was especially essential. The importance of sharing information at least daily with colleagues internally in our healthcare system, and externally through list-serves, personal contacts, and organized webinars allowed all of us to learn from other’s experiences and quickly incorporate advances into our own practice. Ensuring frequent communication with staff to provide support and share new information in a rapidly changing environment, frequent communication with patients who were unable to have family members with them, and frequent, scheduled communication with other team members and peers demonstrated to me that the impact of clear, informative, and ongoing communication prevents isolation and supports our mission of optimizing patient, staff, and community health.
Mary Zellinger RN, MN, ANP-BC, CCRN-CSC, CCNS, FAAN, FCCM was the CNS for Cardiovascular Critical Care at Emory University Hospital for over 42 years and was a collaborative faculty member of the Emory University School of Nursing in Atlanta, Georgia before retiring in November 2021. She received her BSN from Duke University, her MN in Adult Health/Critical Care, and her Post Masters Nurse Practitioner degrees from Emory University.
Deborah Klein, MSN, APRN, ACNS-BC, CCRN-K, FAHA, FAA
One important thing the pandemic has taught me is that moral injury is real; nurses are tired, frustrated, and angry. Many are retiring, traveling, or are leaving nursing resulting in dire staffing shortages. We must develop strategies that address moral distress and staffing shortages including ensuring a healthy work environment, effective communication, and meaningful recognition that creates well-being at work. My future actions will focus on developing and supporting these strategies.
Deborah Klein, MSN, APRN, ACNS-BC, CCRN-K, FAHA, FAA recently retired as the Clinical Nurse Specialist for the Cardiac ICU, Heart Failure ICU, and Cardiac Short Stay/PACU/CARU at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio where she also served as Vice-Chair for the Ethics Committee. She has 45 years’ experience as a nurse and 39 years as a Clinical Nurse Specialist.
Watch the keynote speakers live at the annual conference. For more information on the annual conference and to register, click here!