Teresa Morris, Director, Advocacy & Government Relations

Greetings NOVA Members –

Another month of stay at home orders and Congress is still working on more stimulus funding to help those suffering during this crisis. 

As we mark three packages that have already passed and been signed into law- the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, CARES Act, and most recently the Paycheck Protection Program and Healthcare Protection Act; healthcare workers are still working on the frontlines saving lives.

NOVA remains vigilant in advocating for all VA healthcare workers and has launched a COVID-19 Resource page on its website and released another statement on the pandemic.

https://www.vanurse.org/page/COVID-19Resources

I continue to discuss VA issues with Hill staff and VSO leadership and have made suggestions on items we may want to see in a 4th stimulus package. They include possible bonus/hazard pay for frontline workers, retention incentives, and increases in pay scale tables.

Media stories continue to be posted on lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), COVID-19 testing, and other equipment for frontline workers, and the VA has continued to respond that they are following CDC guidelines.  

Following our first survey (emailed in March), NOVA has sent a second one to membership asking the tough questions to see where we stand at this moment.  Our first survey provided interesting responses to questions about PPE, staffing and communication within VHA facilities – it can be found on our COVID-19 Resource page.

I ask all of you to read your emails and answer the survey questions so we can again provide up-to-date information to Hill and VSO leadership. This helps to provide information and credibility as to how the frontline staff are prepared and feeling during this crisis.

I urge you to continue your advocacy efforts and to let Congress know what is happening during the crisis – the good and the bad.

A reminder that both House and Senate VA Committees  have resources on their website and social media sites with current information for Veterans and their caregivers.

Finally, it looks like Congress may come back in mass to DC during May – social distancing and wearing masks as they debate FY 2021 funding, and other priorities – even during a pandemic – legislation will continue...

Thank you again for all you do and for your heroism every day!  Wishing all of you a wonderful Nurses Week and Happy Birthday Florence Nightingale. 

Stay Tuned!

The Associate Membership is offered to supporters and sponsors of NOVA, including corporations and organizations.

Associate Members play a vital role within NOVA, supporting our mission and vision. They help educate our  members about products and services improving Veterans’ quality of care and clinical  outcomes. Become an Associate Member so your company or organization experiences more recognition, value and resources.  

Thank you to our current Associate members!

https://www.vanurse.org/page/AssociateMembership?&hhsearchterms=%22associate+and+member%22

If you would like to support NOVA by becoming an Associate member, please complete the application. 

https://cdn.ymaws.com/nova.site-ym.com/resource/collection/6EDD745C-F869-41CD-A3F4-B086DD340A49/AssociateMembershipApplication.pdf

Improving Your Mental Health During COVID-19

                                              "The role of the VA nurse is more important than ever,                                                  making self-care a critical part of getting the job done."

Nurses and NOVA members are on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic and risk their lives every day to care for their patients despite the fear of being exposed to the virus, long hours, and risk of inadequate or not enough personal protective equipment. The stress of working and the traumatic situations encountered during the pandemic can make it difficult for NOVA members to stop and think about their self-care.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), a mental health organization that advocates for, educates, supports, and raises awareness of mental illness and those affected by it, 1 in 5 adults in America experience a mental illness and nearly 1 in 25 adults in the nation live with a serious mental illness.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and NOVA has some tips on how to improve your mental health. Below are four tips NOVA members can use to protect their mental health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Find Ways to Keep Positive

Sometimes it can be hard to focus on the positives in life. Try and find hopeful stories in your community, support local businesses help families and children in need, or if you are able, donate critical supplies or money.

“My experience has been very positive,” said Yvette Twum-Danso MSN, RN, CCRN-K. “I work the COVID-19 screening and testing areas every other weekend. I have adequate PPE, supplies, effective communication to perform my nursing leadership functions. On the weekend, we have executive leadership support, many times lunch is provided for the employees. The executive leadership verbalized a ‘thank you.’ When the weather changes we have a successful system in place to accommodate the nurses. My overall experience has been second-to-none.”

There are ways to find the positives during the pandemic, sift through the noise and you can find it.

Validate Your Emotions

It’s normal to feel a wide range of emotions during this stressful time, and there’s no right or wrong way to process them. Leaders may be a resource to help alleviate fears and navigate workers’ emotional response.

“I have worked in a leadership role to ensure nurses are safe and have all the PPE they need to do the job,” Catherine Giasson, DNP, MHA, RN, NE-BC said. “A great deal of time is spent calming staff fears and educating nurses on how to manage COVID-19.”

Self-encouragement can be helpful in accepting and processing how you feel: you are doing the best you can, you are human, and your emotions matter.

Let It Out

Expressing thoughts by talking or writing about it can help people who are experiencing anxiety and may even diminish those feelings. Try keeping a journal, talk to family members or trusted friends, or quickly jot down notes throughout the day and throw out the negative thoughts.

Self-Care by Having Fun

Make your time outside work count for self-care by doing activities you enjoy. Whether you enjoy staying active through exercise, a family game night, or watching a movie on Netflix, that dedicated time can help boost your mood.

“I practice self-care by exercising, gardening, and spending quality time with my husband and daughter,” said Twum-Danso. “I attend church virtually. I watch Netflix and play board games with my family. I video chat with my family who reside in different states. I take naps and go to bed in a timely manner.”

For Thelma Roach-Serry, BSN, RN, NE-BC, she carves out some time to reset while also spending time with her family to unwind. “Taking time to laugh with others,” Roach-Serry, said. “Making ‘me’ time to rest, exercise, eat well, mediate, reflect, and read. Doing activities with family to be creative and have fun.”

Kelly D. Skinner, DNP, APRN, NP-C, GNP-BC, CRRN, WCC, CFCN, likes to keep things in full swing while taking some time to destress. “Keeping busy for me is key,” Skinner said. “I like to remain productive, but when I am feeling a little stressed, a hot bath and a good night’s sleep is the perfect panacea.”

Take these tips to help you protect your mental health and well-being and remember NOVA members play a valuable role during the pandemic, remember, you are making a difference.

Do you feel that you are in crisis? Below are some phone numbers and websites to help you out.

Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) suicidepreventionlifeline.org

Veterans, Military and Families Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255 Press 1 veteranscrisisline.net

COVID-19 Response and Nurses Week 2020

As COVID-19 reaches all corners of America, the nation is recognizing a different kind of hero in a different kind of war: America’s healthcare workers. 

On the frontlines every day, they care for the hundreds of thousands of patients affected by COVID-19, including those in the care of Veteran Affairs (VA).

In addition to our patients, more than 1,500 VA health care workers have been affected by the disease, with nine losing their lives against a virus we are all working against. NOVA nurses are fighting to protect their patients and communities with a dedicated response plan. This Nurses Week we are celebrating our NOVA and VA health care heroes.

VA Initiative for COVID-19

On March 27, the VA released its COVID-19 response plan that will “…protect and care for Veterans, their families, health care providers, and staff…” Described as “an aggressive public health response,” the plan shifts some outpatient care to telehealth and postpones some procedures that have been deemed elective and non-emergent. These measures enable Veterans to receive care through minimal contact health care workers and helps preserve dwindling personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies for more critical uses.

The plan also calls for the creation of two zones in all inpatient units: one dedicated to COVID-19 patient care, and a second for “all other care.” The two-zone approach is designed to help minimize the risk of infection—for both patients and workers—while patients are triaged.

All 135 VA nursing homes, which house more than 42,00 Veterans who are mostly older and have multiple complex health conditions, will now adopt a “No Visitor” stance. This also includes the 24 major spinal cord injury and disorder centers run by the VA. All nursing homes will suspend new admissions and staff will be screened daily and be dedicated to working at Community Living Centers.

Recognizing VA Nurses

These efforts come at a time when health care workers are more vital than ever before, and their safety, in addition to that of patients, is a paramount concern. VA nurses are on the frontlines battling the virus with dwindling resources and working around the clock to keep their VA patients healthy. These heroic efforts make this year’s National Nurses Week (May 6-May 12, ending on Florence Nightingale’s birthday) particularly meaningful.

NOVA is providing the following ideas and resources to help ensure your National Nurses Week celebration is the best it can be.

A NOVA Welcome

What better way to celebrate the work of a VA nurse than by welcoming them to the NOVA community? If your facility allows, set up a table and distribute NOVA membership applications and materials. 

Make it informative by hosting an educational webinar on topics affecting VA Nurses and the Veterans they care for. Encourage potential members to explore NOVA’s website to learn more about NOVA’s online resources, how to join, view other chapters, and more.

Show off your NOVA pride by wearing a NOVA Nurses Week t-shirt and other apparel. Consider raffling off or distributing NOVA swag including pins, tumblers, pens, and bumper stickers.

Acknowledge and recognize VA nurses at your facility who have obtained a VA-approved national certification.

Finally, promote your Nurses Day activities on social media. If you do not already have one,
consider creating a Facebook page or event for your chapter. 

Show Your VA Nurse Pride

Log into your favorite social media platform and follow the instructions below:

Facebook

· Share posts from the NOVA Facebook page directly with your friends and family
  or make posts of your own. “Like” the NOVA page to talk and interact with other
  VA nurses by sharing, liking, and commenting on posts related to National
  Nurses Week.
· Share the page with other colleagues or industry professionals who currently do
  not “like” the NOVA page. You can share the page by clicking the “Invite Friends”
  link in the community column to the right. 

Twitter

· Share and/or create tweets that direct others to the NOVA Twitter page and
  NOVA’s official website. A tweet is limited to 280 characters (including links), so
  omit punctuation and abbreviate words when needed. Use Bitly.com to shorten
  links to save space.

· Include the NOVA handle (@NOVANurses) in your posts; doing so will help drive
  other Twitter users to visit and follow the page.

· Don’t forget to hashtag! Use #NursesWeek and/or #NOVANurse in your posts.
  Hashtags are words or phrases that can be tracked by clicking on them. You can
  also use these hashtags on other social media platforms as well.

Instagram

On Instagram share high quality digital photos related to NOVA and Nurses Week with your professional network.

· Take pictures within the app or use photos that already exist in your camera
   roll showing off your NOVA swag.

· Save photos posted by @NOVANurses to your smartphone, then share with
  our Instagram followers

· Connect your Instagram account to your personal Facebook account for
  increased exposure and engagement.

· Instagram prevents links in captions or comments from being clickable, so
  avoid using them.

· Use handles (@NOVANurses) in your posts to help drive other Instagram users to visit
  and follow the page.

· A don’t forget to use relevant hashtags!

LinkedIn

· Share posts from NOVA’s LinkedIn page directly with your connections on
  LinkedIn or create posts of your own.

· “Follow” NOVA’s page on LinkedIn and interact with others by sharing, liking, and
   commenting on posts related to National Nurses Week 2020.

Sample Social Media Posts

If you’re not a social media maverick, use the following sample social media posts to get your National Nurses Week celebration going. And, since people are more likely to look at and engage with a post with a photo, snap a photo and share it with your post! 

·         I'm proud to be a VA Nurse! #NursesWeek #NOVANurse

·         VA Nurses care for America's Heroes! #NursesWeek #NOVANurse

·         NOVA is proud to be the Voice of the VA Nurse! #NursesWeek #NOVANurse

Celebrate with NOVA

Share any articles, updates and pictures with captions that highlight the great work you do on behalf of Veterans every day. These can include local community activities with Veterans, health care initiatives at your facility, awards, chapter events, or anything else that would be appropriate for social media. Your story may be shared on social media and in the NOVA News e-newsletter. 

Click here to share your story! 

Yvette Twum-Danso, MSN, RN, CCRN, PhDc
NOVA Chapter 362: Columbia, SC VA Health Care System

NOVA Chapter 362 participated in the COVID-19 preparedness at the facility level. Many NOVA nurses helped with screening employees and Veterans. The nurses went the extra mile to ensure they were prepared for the COVID-19 pandemic for both the outpatient and inpatient settings. We were optimistic and thankful for our facility’s leadership and each other! 

The following photos captured the essence of NOVA nurses’ magnitude and strength:

                                                               Yvette Twum-Danso, RN FIT TEST

                                                         Kimberly Bond, RN & Wanda Cooper, RN

                                                                     Clinical Skills Engagement

                                                 Teresa Flemming, RN & Jennifer Walker, RN

                                                   Primary Care: Clinical Skills Engagement

                                           Samaria Beaufort-Baylock, RN & Russell Watkins, RN

                                    Nurse Case Managers: VVC and Telephone Clinic Engagement

                                                      Columbia SC VA (NOVA & Non-NOVA) 

                                                                 Emotional Support for Nurses

                                          Emergency Blood Drive: COVID-19 Mission Ready

                                     Yvette Twum-Danso, RN and American Red Cross Nurse

         Kimberley Bond, RN: Blood Donor & Kimberly Gray, RN: Blood Donor