Carol McTavish, LPN
NOVA Chapter 226
VA Boston Healthcare System
Boston, MA

 Carol McTavish began her nursing career at the VA Boston Healthcare System in October 1992 after graduating from the Lemuel Shattuck School of Nursing in Boston, MA. She admits, “I felt an instant bond with the Veterans.” Carol worked on a medical oncology unit for 8 years. While working there, she was honored to receive the LPN of the Year Award. Carol later worked on the Dialysis Unit from 2001-2012, and obtained the Dialysis Nurse Certification and Dialysis Technician Certification. She currently works in the Preadmission Testing Clinic and has been recognized as the recipient of the Employee of the Month Award and the Secretary’s Award for Excellence in Nursing. Carol has been the Chairperson of the LPN Professional Standards Board for the past 15 years, and enjoys presenting to the new hires during New Employee Orientation.

Carol is an active member of NOVA. She has served as co-chair of the NOVA LPN/LVN Committee and is a member of the NOVA Awards Committee. Carol attended the NOVA Annual Meeting in Miami, Florida in October 2019 and NOVA on the Hill Day in Washington, D.C in March 2020. She is scheduled to present a webinar entitled: “Evolution of the LPN in the VA” on June 24, 2020. This will be her third time presenting a NOVA webinar. Carol shared that, “I am truly honored to come to work to serve the Veterans and to serve as a mentor to the many LPNs that I have met over the years. Working at the VA and being a member of NOVA provides me that opportunity.”

Teresa Morris, Director, Advocacy & Government Relations

Greetings NOVA Members!

As we enter June, Members of Congress are moving closer to the final months of work and the end of the 116th Congress. With little time left to debate critical issues and with COVID-19 still very much with us – it will be a race to the finish to get funding bills passed and other important legislation finalized prior to them leaving DC to campaign for the November elections.

As I write this article, the House passed another stimulus package (HEROES Act) which included several provisions designed to give VA the tools needed to continue providing care during the public health emergency. The Senate has indicated they are not in favor of the $3 trillion dollar package and may work on their own language. As details emerge, I will of course pass along information to the NOVA membership as to anything affecting you and your role caring for Veterans.

NOVA continues advocating for all VA healthcare workers and has made our suggestions to Hill staff on what we deem important in any next steps in a stimulus package. We continue to update our COVID-19 Resource page and finished putting together our second survey taking the temperature of how things are going among frontline workers and within facilities nationwide.

The survey questions were updated but remain in the same context as the first so as to get a sense of how everyone is feeling about personal protective equipment (PPE), testing, communication within VA facilities, and other concerns.

Survey results showed some improvements in availability of PPE, but many are reusing what is provided daily, and find getting PPE difficult when needed. Communication between leadership, staff and Veterans is changing rapidly causing some confusion overall. Concerns about how the opening up of VA facilities (the Secretary announced his plans to begin reopening of various facilities in a phase in type manner) remained high as noted by the many comments made by NOVA nurses. 

To take a look at the survey questionnaire and responses, visit the NOVA website. Click Here

I urge you to continue your advocacy efforts and to speak opening and candidly to your leadership and also to let Congress know what is happening during the crisis – they want to know how things are going especially for those on the frontline taking care of Veteran and community patients.

A reminder that the Department of Veterans Affairs and both House and Senate VA Committees have resources on their website and social media sites with up to date information on the pandemic for Veterans and those taking care of them.

Thank you again for all you do and for your heroism every day!   

Stay Tuned!

Yvette Twum-Danso, MSN, RN, CCRN, PhDc

NOVA Chapter 362

Columbia, South Carolina 

Despite the COVID19 pandemic, Chapter 362 has been making the best of the situation in South Carolina. As many VA nurses celebrated nursing week in May 2020: The Year of the Nurse; the Columbia, South Carolina NOVA Nurses stayed resilient. Even though the nursing week activities were modified due to COVID19; Chapter 362 had an amazing nursing week-we celebrated with each other. We celebrated with many exciting themes: Retro White Day, NOVA Spirit Day, and Nursing Spirit Day.

Chapter 362 Achieved Outstanding Nursing Performance

Chapter 362 Welcomes New Members

Eva Rigney recruited by Karen Scott

Dr. Jennifer Stratman recruited by Heather Roth

Sarah Murphy recruited by Yvette Twum-Danso

Harriet Milligan recruited by Maggie Keller

We are grateful beyond measure for good health and phenomenal colleagues during this COVID19 pandemic to encourage, uplift, and inspire!

Please continue to stay strong, resilient, and compassionate!

#ProudVANurses2020!

Dear NOVA Members,

On behalf of the National NOVA Board of Directors, I would like to wish you a Happy National Nurses Week. Thank you for providing exceptional care day in and day out to America's heroes amid the global pandemic. Please enjoy this Nurses Week Video which was created as a tribute to every one of you. 

Teresa Morris, Director of Advocacy & Government Relations, and I wrote an article entitled: “Veterans Affairs Nurses: Stories from the Front Lines of a Pandemic” that appeared in Veterans Affairs & Military Medicine OUTLOOK and DefenseMediaNetwork.com during Nurses Week. We seized the opportunity to honor VA nurses. Read this article to learn more about VA nurses who deserve special recognition for their nursing excellence, bravery, and compassion during these unprecedented times. The article is featured on pages 22-23 and a NOVA advertisement is displayed on page 72.

2020 is “Year of the Nurse”, therefore, I would like to acknowledge the ongoing fortitude and unyielding commitment of our NOVA members. More than ever, you should be celebrated for your good work and sacrifices, feel appreciated, and have your spirits lifted whenever possible. You continue to risk your personal safety in order to provide exceptional care to our Veterans. You are heroes on the front lines of the coronavirus crisis. It is truly inspiring; makes me proud to be a nurse. Here’s to NOVA nurses, the Best of the Best!

With appreciation,

Kelly D. Skinner

Vanessa Coronel, BSN, RN

VA Boston Healthcare System

Boston, MA

NOVA Emeritus Member Denise Dulude was one of the first nurses to come out of retirement and olunteer to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. This article will highlight her nursing background at the VA and why she heeded the call to fight this pandemic.

Background

Denise began her VA nursing career in the 1980s. She started as a staff nurse on a neurology floor and later became the Nurse Manager for neurology’s stroke center. Her progression in the clinical and leadership ladder has been impressive- being the nurse manager for several units including Emergency Department, Cardiac Care Unit and Outpatient Specialty Clinics. In her 37-year career in nursing, Denise has been known to be a great mentor to staff, nurse managers and associate chief nurses. 

Reasons for Choosing VA

Back in the 1980s, the VA offered to excuse all federal student loans for nurses who worked for two years. As a new nurse faced with student loan payments, Denise considered this a good deal. After two years, she had grown to really appreciate serving the Veterans. Denise shared that “The Veterans truly appreciate you- they have this authenticity that is very hard to describe. The VA is more than just a hospital for our Veterans- it is a meeting place or more like a second home for them. They look forward to interacting with fellow Veterans and they feel true appreciation as reflected by the quality of care that the VA provides. It is only the VA that truly knows our Veterans and how to provide the specialized care that they deserve.” 

Nursing Platform of Increasing Vaccinations

In early 2000, Denise was the Patient Care Coordinator in the acute care setting. Being on the night tour, she noticed that nurses did not have access for vaccination and other employee health resources. Typically, employee health was only open during weekdays. Denise began to vaccinate nurses during her leadership rounds. She worked closely with Infection Prevention and after three years, had recruited more nurses to join her in vaccinating the frontline staff. Denise added additional services such as tuberculosis testing and personal protective equipment fitting. In 2010, she spearheaded process improvement projects to increase flu vaccination among Veterans. Hence, Denise is well known at the VA Boston as the original flu fighter.

Denise Dulude administering flu shot to the VA Secretary Robert McDonald in October 2014.

As a Halloween treat. Denise Dulude and Sue Shannon are offering flu shots to employees and Veterans via the rolling flu cart in 2015.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic in Nursing

In her 37-year career, Denise has been involved with several disaster response initiatives (Post-9/11, Measles Outbreak, TB Exposure, and Boston Marathon Bombing), however Denise has not seen anything like the COVID-19 pandemic. Although, she can totally relate to the pandemic’s impact in nursing. The majority of the frontline staff dealing with this pandemic are nurses and are putting their own safety at risk and they worry for their own families as well. They are juggling their commitment to providing care and other priorities which is a huge burden and can create a lot of stress. 

VA Boston’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

VA Boston has a robust process in ensuring that frontline staff have the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). As part of the COVID 19 Incident Management Team’s Personal Protective Equipment Staff, Denise has been spearheading efforts to ensure that frontline staff have the knowledge, competencies and resources to utilize proper PPE appropriately. Her duties include working with the PPE Support Staff to facilitate the proper use of PPE, track inventory and usage levels and visual inspection of VA staff for proper PPE (as shown in the picture below). VA Boston continues to work with other VAs and the private sector to ensure the appropriate PPE par levels. Mitigation strategies are also in place in anticipation of the COVID-19 surge. 

Denise Dulude in PPE rounds with Nicole Condon checking if frontline staff have the appropriate PPE.

Lessons Learned from a Pandemic  

Denise had three words to say: “Communicate, communicate, communicate. Nurse Leaders need to ensure transparency of information.” Denise mentioned that the VA Boston conducts weekly town hall meetings where executive leadership has an open forum with all employees. Employee Assistance Program (EAP), a confidential program helps VA employees work through various life challenges that may adversely affect their job performance, health or personal well-being. Located on all three campuses, EAP is a helpful resource for employees who find themselves overwhelmed by the pandemic. The Holistic Committee offers meditation and relaxation classes. Most importantly, the VA nursing culture of teamwork persists. As Denise has mentioned: “We are all in it together and we shall overcome this.”

Reason for Coming Out of Retirement to Help Fight Covid-19

Denise mentioned that she goes where help is needed. Perhaps it is inherent in nursing to help others. Denise may have retired but one could ever take the nurse out of Denise. Thank you, Denise, for your dedication to our Veterans and Happy Nurses Week!