Ohio Nurse - June 2021

Page 10 Ohio Nurse June 2021
Non-Frontline Nurses continued from page 9
name a few, working together to ensure patient safety
and an efficient, effective vaccine process. Ms. Kubitza
enjoyed the opportunity to meet other UH employees
and reconnect with former colleagues. At the end of a
shift at the vaccine clinic or in the hospital as a Helping
Hand, she felt she was truly making a difference, and
experienced that sense of satisfaction that all nurses
can relate to after a busy productive shift!
After getting her first dose of vaccine, Barbara
Yoost, MSN, RN, CNE, ANEF started vaccinating
as a member of the Medical Reserve Corp (MRC) for
both Cleveland Public Health Department (CPHD) and
Cuyahoga County Health Departments (CCHD). Since
March 3rd, she has vaccinated over 1000 people during
72 hours of volunteer service at six different locations.
Both agencies offer clinics in areas with the most need
and are experiencing excellent turnout. On one day,
the CCHD vaccinated over 2000 at their clinic!
“It feels good to contribute in a safe and professional
way to the fight against COVID-19,” declared Ms.
Yoost. She planned to continue vaccinating people in
Cuyahoga County until the end of May, then continue
with the Ottawa County MRC during the summer.
A link to Ohio MRC is provided at the end of this
article for anyone interested in finding out more about
volunteering to give vaccinations.
Food Delivery Volunteers
Throughout the pandemic, due to business
closings and unemployment, many Ohioans required
additional food assistance. And non-frontline nurses
have been there to help. Mary Lipovan, MBA, MSN,
RN mentioned that Western Reserve Area Agency
on Aging nurses have supported numerous food
and grocery giveaways in all five Northeast Ohio
counties they serve. Shirley Hemminger MSN RN
also has assisted with food giveaways by placing
boxes of fresh produce donated from the Cleveland
Food Bank, into the trunks of people’s cars. These
pop-up food giveaways have taken place throughout
the greater Cleveland area. Ms. Hemminger was
recruited for this volunteer service through Greater
Cleveland Volunteers, an organization that recruits
and matches volunteers with needs of over 100 local
non-profit agencies. A link to their website follows
this article for anyone interested in finding out more.
After Vaccines... After Lockdown
Many of the stories Ohio Nurse received mentioned
how grateful and appreciative others were after nonfrontline
nurses had been able to help them. And
in equal share, nurses reported the benefits they
received themselves when they volunteered or
helped to fight COVID-19 in any way. Perhaps one
heartwarming story best expresses these positive
feelings. Shirley Hemminger MSN RN volunteered
to help in an extended care facility when it reopened
once again, allowing visitors. She wheeled a resident
who had mild dementia out of her room to see her
husband and daughter for the first time in months.
And . . . the resident no longer recognized them, as
she had pre-pandemic. The husband was devastated,
tears of frustration streaming down his face. Ms.
Hemminger summoned an appropriate staff member
who worked with the resident and family, asking
key questions, providing cues. Suddenly, an earlier
memory was triggered, and the resident once again
knew her husband and daughter. They had a second
tearful reunion, this time with tears of joy.
Into the COVID-19 Future
Thankfully, the COVID-19 picture is improving,
with cases, hospitalizations and deaths finally on
the downturn. But more still needs to be done before
we’re finished with this pandemic – vaccines, public
information, support for colleagues, and for those
most affected. Opportunities for non-frontline nurses
continue to abound.
For Ohio nurses interested in volunteering with
Ohio Responds/Medical Reserve Corps. Please visit:
https://www.ohioresponds.odh.ohio.gov
Greater Cleveland nurses can find out about volunteer
activities by visiting: https://greaterclevelandvolunteers.org
Kris Cope, DNP, RN, NE-BC
Think about that nurse leader who inspired you
most. What was it about that person that you remember
most? Perhaps it was the way they were able to do
many difficult things and still make it look easy. Maybe
it was the way they treated you or others. Regardless
of the reason, if a nurse leader made a positive impact
on you or your nursing career it is most likely that
they have characteristics that model the role of the
professional nurse.
There can be many roles and responsibilities of a
nurse leader. Some of the responsibilities of a nurse
manager include creating and managing schedules,
managing budgets, training staff, and completing
performance appraisals. All of these are important
tasks; however, they do not make a nurse a leader.
In nursing, a leader should be able to effectively
work with individuals and teams to ensure safe and
effective care is accomplished. Not only should the
leader advocate for the patient, but for all patients
beyond the bedside, to create policy change at local,
state, and national levels. The leader with involvement
in professional organizations can be an advocate for
What is a Nurse Leader?
the nursing profession, through support of standards
of practice, quality of care, education, and political
advocacy. It is not enough to be concerned about
staffing and competency. Leaders also need to
ensure safe working environments, free from hazards
including workplace violence. He or she will also
recognize the health and wellbeing of the nurse, as
nurse that is not healthy can affect quality of care and
patient outcomes.
A nurse leader should encourage innovation in
practice, for self and others, and create a culture of
awareness for growth. The Code of Ethics for Nurses
includes many of these ideas and more, such as
research and scholarly inquiry, professional practice
standards, and lifelong learning (American Nurses
Association (ANA), 2015). Although not new, Provision
8 of the Code of Ethics states “The nurse collaborates
with other health professionals and the public to protect
human rights, promote health diplomacy, and reduce
health disparities” (ANA, 2015, p.31). The leader should
recognize the growing need for a diverse work force in
order to provide the necessary collaborative structure.
A leader is also charged with addressing the social
determinants of health to improve health equity as seen
in the recent publication The Future of Nursing 2020-
2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity. “Nurse
leaders can play an important role in acknowledging
the history of racism within the profession and in
helping to dismantle structural racism and mitigate the
effects of discrimination and implicit bias on health”
(National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and
Medicine, 2021, p. 11). Leaders will foster growth
for new diverse leaders and encourage the use of
innovative methods to close gaps related to health
disparities.
So, think again about that leader that inspired you.
Think about yourself as a nurse. Then think about not
only the qualities that make you a good nurse, but think
about the qualities, roles, and responsibilities that would
make you a great leader.
American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of ethics for
nurses with interpretive statements. https://www.
nursingworld.org/coe-view-only
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
(2021). The future of nursing 2020-2030: Charting a
path to achieve health equity. The National Academies
Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25982.
Photo credit: daveynin
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