Every year, on May 6-12, National Nurses Week celebrates nurses, their impact, and the sacrifices they make to care for others. This year’s theme, chosen by the American Nurses Association, is “The Power of Nurses,” which recognizes “the invaluable contributions nurses make in healthcare and our lives while addressing the real-life challenges they face every day.”
Nursing is the largest healthcare profession in the United States and Indiana University School of Nursing is rising to the challenge to meet the growing need for the next generation of nurses.
Although considered a very trusted and rewarding profession, nursing can be an incredibly high-stress job. According to research by Jennifer Embree, DNP, RN, chief wellness officer at the IU School of Nursing, and her mentee and DNP student Tatiana Laitano Rodriguez, nurses have reported feeling they lack the time or resources for self-care. They also reported a lack of conflict resolution skills. In response, Embree, along with Laitano, has developed solutions, such as incorporating wellness education into conferences and other continuing education opportunities for nurses. Some hospitals have also started giving their employees free access to the Calm app to manage stress and assist with self-care efforts.
In addition to policies and guidelines set by their place of work, nurses are also impacted by the legislation passed on both the state and national levels. Legislation dictates the way nurses can provide care, including issues such as insurance reimbursement rates for nurse practitioners, workplace safety, Medicare accessibility and coverage, and the scope of practice for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, which was a prominent point of discussion in last year’s Indiana legislative session.
Three IU School of Nursing graduate students, Alta Skelton, Rachael Harless, and Laura Koke, traveled to a summit in Washington, D.C., this March where they had the opportunity to meet with lawmakers on Capitol Hill and address the issues impacting them.
Through policy-focused graduate classes taught by Sharron Crowder, PhD, RN, clinical professor and assistant dean for Health Policy Initiatives, IU nurses are prepared to advocate for the profession. The Eagles Health Policy and Advocacy Mentoring Program and legislative fellowship also offer graduate students interested in policymaking the opportunity to connect with lawmakers and gain hands-on experience.
This motivation is fostered early on in nursing education. Faculty like Bryan White, MSN, RN, encourage, and prepare the next generation of nurses. White teaches classes, such as Complex Processes and Pathophysiology and Pharmacology for Nursing Practice. Before teaching, he worked as a travel nurse in cities across the United States. In addition to his clinical experience in Indiana, he’s able to share unique perspectives with students about what healthcare looks like in different parts of the country. His lessons help prepare future nurses with the theoretical and hands-on knowledge they need to provide the best care to their patients.
When discussing Lyme disease, for example, White is able to share his experiences from working as a nurse in Minnesota, where the disease is more prevalent.
“It’s given me a national approach to nursing,” White explained. “I have a lot of examples I use in class and stories I’ve experienced, both good and bad, to help contextualize some of the concepts we teach.”
From the classroom, to the bedside, to Capitol Hill, IU nurses are equipped to meet the emerging needs of healthcare head-on as we recognize National Nurses Week.
