Virginia Nurses Today - August 2022

The Official Publication of the Virginia Nurses Foundation 

August 2022 Quarterly publication distributed to approximately 111,000 Registered Nurses 

Volume 30 • No. 3 

We are pleased to provide every registered nurse in Virginia with a copy of Virginia Nurses Today. 

For more information on the benefits of membership in of the Virginia Nurses Association, 

please visit www.virginianurses.com! 

Page 3 

VNF Underwrites Training of 

Nearly 200 School Nurses 

Retired 

Registered 

Nurse and 

Centenarian 

Gertrude 

Clarke Still 

Loves Nursing 

Page 10 Page 18 

Register now for 2023 Class! 

Page 24 

Dr. Loressa Cole to be honored 

with the Virginia Nurses 

Foundation’s 2022 Nancy 

Vance Award at annual gala, 

September 10 

The Virginia Nurses Foundation (VNF) is pleased to 

announce Dr. Loressa Cole as the 2022 Nancy Vance 

Award recipient. The Nancy Vance Award is the Virginia 

Nurses Foundation's highest honor and is awarded 

biennially at the Virginia Nurses Foundation’s Gala. 

This is the highest award given by VNA and honors 

and continues the legacy of Nancy Vance’s excellence 

in service. It is bestowed upon a VNA member who 

has made significant contributions to our community 

through their exceptional leadership, sustained 

dedication and inspiring achievements. 

Dr. Loressa Cole, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN is 

Chief Executive Officer of the American Nurses Association (ANA) Enterprise, 

which consists of the ANA membership organization representing the nation’s 

4.3 million registered nurses; the American Nurses Credentialing Center 

(ANCC), which promotes excellence in nursing and health care globally through 

credentialing programs; and the American Nurses Foundation, ANA’s charitable 

arm. Prior to assuming this role, Dr. Cole was the ANCC Executive Director and 

Executive Vice President. 

Dr. Cole is an accomplished health care leader with more than 30 years of 

nursing and management experience. Before joining the ANA Enterprise, she 

served as the Chief Nursing Executive for LewisGale Regional Health System in 

Salem, Virginia, where she directed system-wide clinical operations, partnering 

with other C-suite leaders on strategic and tactical planning, and execution. 

Previously, she served as Chief Nursing Officer at Lewis Gale Montgomery 

Hospital in Blacksburg, Virginia, where she led the hospital to achieve its initial 

Magnet® designation in 2009 and its redesignation in 2013. Dr. Cole began her 

career as a staff nurse in medical/surgical and critical care settings. 

Active in many professional organizations, Dr. Cole served as President of 

the Virginia Nurses Association from 2012 until 2014. She is a member of the 

American Organization of Nurse Executives, the Virginia Organization of Nurse 

Executives, and the American College of Healthcare Executives. 

She has presented at a wide range of conferences, including the 2011 and 

2012 ANCC National Magnet Conference. She earned her DNP at Case Western 

current resident or 

Dr. Loressa Cole to be honored with...continued on page 2 

Non-Profit Org. 

U.S. Postage Paid 

Princeton, MN 

Permit No. 14 

US Supreme Court’s Decision 

to Overturn Roe vs. Wade 

is a Serious Setback for 

Reproductive Health and 

Human Rights 

“The recent Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade is deeply 

troubling,”says VNA President Linda Shepherd, MBA, BSN, RN, NEA-BC. 

“Regardless of individual beliefs, political affiliations or conservative vs liberal 

leanings, the decision represents a serious setback for reproductive and human 

rights and runs counter to the nurse’s ethical duty to advocate for patients.” 

“In the wake of this decision,” added VNA & VNF CEO Janet Wall, MS, “we 

anticipate a sharp increase in the health risks associated with reproductive 

health for patients with little to no economic means and an exponential 

worsening in health disparities within already marginalized communities.” 

According to the Pew Research Center, “A majority of Americans disapprove 

of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling overturning the Roe v. Wade 

decision... Public support for legal abortion remains largely unchanged since 

before the decision, with 62% saying it should be legal in all or most cases.” 

The American Nurses Association, like the Virginia Nurses Association, is 

deeply concerned by the Supreme Court’s decision. In a recent response to the 

action, ANA states: 

“The ruling removes the right of all women to access high-quality healthcare 

and make personal decisions about their sexual and reproductive health care. 

In doing so, it potentially paves the way for laws that will fundamentally come 

between patients and health care professionals, including nurses, who must be 

guided by ethical obligations to their patients and the profession.” 

Past VNA President and current ANA Enterprise CEO Loressa Cole, DNP, 

MBA, RN, FAAN, NEA-BC had this to say: “Nurses have an ethical obligation 

to safeguard the right to privacy for individuals, families, and communities, 

allowing for decision making that is based on full information without coercion. 

As the largest group of healthcare professionals, nurses have for decades 

assisted their patients with weighing the benefits, burdens, and available 

options, including the choice of no treatment, when discussing sexual health 

issues and pregnancy. 

In March 2022, ANA affirmed that abortion is a reproductive health 

alternative that nurses can discuss when counseling patients. Nurses have a 

duty to respect the decisions of their patients, including those decisions that are 

related to sexual health and pregnancy. Respect for patient decisions does not 

mean that the nurse must agree or support the decision. Nurses can exercise 

their right to refuse to participate in sexual and reproductive health care based 

on ethical grounds, as long as patient safety is assured and care by others has 

been arranged. 

“No matter their philosophical differences or belief systems, all nurses must 

strive to remain consummate health care professionals and display empathy 

and respect to all,” said Cole. “This is a complicated issue and deeply personal 

for all, including nurses. Nurses, leaders, all health care professionals, and the 

public must engage on this issue with empathy and respect.” 

ANA and VNA will continue to advocate for reproductive justice and sexual 

health that supports a patient’s decision and rights in a just society.

Page 2 | August, September, October 2022 

Join nurses from throughout Virginia for a 

grand celebration of nursing!! 

Virginia Nurses Today | www.VirginiaNurses.com 

Please plan to join us at the Westfields Marriott 

in Chantilly, VA (NOVA) on September 10 for the 

much-anticipated return of our in-person awards 

ceremony! Camaraderie with long-missed colleagues, 

recognition of the incredible accomplishments of 

nurses from throughout the commonwealth with our 

“Leadership Excellence” awards and more… It’s all 

on the evening’s agenda! This event is long overdue 

and not-to-be-missed! 

Dining tables (each of which can accommodate 

10 guests) and individual tickets are now on sale at 

https://virginianurses.com/mpage/Gala 

Purchase 

Tables & 

Individual 

Tickets Here. 

is the official publication of the Virginia Nurses 

Foundation: PO Box 13619, Richmond, Virginia 

23225, VNF’s affiliate, the Virginia Nurses 

Association, is a constituent of the American 

Nurses Association. 

www.VirginiaNurses.com 

admin@virginianurses.com 

Phone: 804-282-1808 

The opinions contained herein are those of the 

individual authors and do not necessarily 

reflect the views of the Foundation. 

Virginia Nurses Today reserves the 

right to edit all materials to its style 

and space requirements and to 

clarify presentations. 

VNF Mission Statement 

VNF is committed to improving the health 

of Virginia’s communities by developing an 

educated and diverse nursing workforce 

through leadership development, research, 

and innovation. 

VNT Staff 

Janet Wall, CEO 

Elle Buck, Managing Editor 

Virginia Nurses Today is published quarterly 

every February, May, August and November by 

the Arthur L. Davis Publishing Agency, Inc. 

Copyright © 2020, ISSN #1084-4740 

Subscriber rates are available, 804-282-1808. 

For advertising rates and information, please 

contact Arthur L. Davis Publishing Agency, 

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VNF and the Arthur L. Davis Publishing 

Agency, Inc. reserve the right to reject any 

advertisement. Responsibility for errors in 

advertising is limited to corrections in the 

next issue or refund of price of advertisement. 

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT 

We are going totally DIGITAL. This will be our 

last print copy of Virginia Nurses Today. As with any 

changes, we may have some growing pains as we 

adjust to this new format but we are confident that this 

is the right direction for VNF to take. 

Under investigation 

by the Virginia 

Board of Nursing? 

Acceptance of advertising does not imply 

endorsement or approval by the Virginia 

Nurses Foundation of the products advertised, 

the advertisers or the claims made. Rejection 

of an advertisement does not imply that a 

product offered for advertising is without 

merit, or that the manufacturer lacks 

integrity, or that this association disapproves 

of the product or its use. VNF and the Arthur 

L. Davis Publishing Agency, Inc. shall not be 

held liable for any consequences resulting 

from purchase or use of advertisers’ products. 

Articles appearing in this publication express 

the opinions of the authors; they do not 

necessarily reflect views of the staff, board, or 

membership of VNF, or those of the national 

or local chapters. 

Eileen M. Talamante, Esq., R.N. 

Eileen is a nurse and an attorney, and is 

here to help you with licensing issues, 

investigations, and disciplinary matters 

before the Virginia Board of Nursing. 

2020 Outstanding 

Advocate Award 

goodmanallen.com 

ETalamante@goodmanallen.com 

(804) 565-3526 

DEDICATED TO SERVING THE LEGAL 

NEEDS OF VIRGINIA NURSES. 

Dr. Loressa Cole to be honored with...continued from page 1 

Reserve University, her Master's in Business 

Administration (MBA) at Averett University, and 

her BSN at Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. 

Cole is ANCC board-certified as a nurse executive, 

advanced, and was inducted as a fellow into the 

American Academy of Nursing in 2020. 

Celebrate Nursing on September 10 

Dr. Cole will be honored during VNF’s annual 

gala on September 10 at the Westfields Marriott 

in Chantilly, VA. Camaraderie with longmissed 

colleagues, recognition of the incredible 

accomplishments of nurses from throughout the 

commonwealth with our Leadership Excellence 

awards, accolades to legislator advocates for nurses 

and more… It’s all on the evening’s agenda! This 

event is long overdue and not-to-be-missed! 

More on Nancy Vance: 

• Click here to learn more about Nancy Vance's 

exceptional life and career. 

• Click here to view the list of previous awards 

winners.

www.VirginiaNurses.com | Virginia Nurses Today August, September, October 2022 | Page 3 

Legislative Update 

Save the Date for VNA’s 2022 Virtual Legislative Summit! 

Are you ready for the November 8 Election? 

More information to come at: 

virginianurses.com/legislativesummit 

Join us VIRTUALLY for our annual 

Legislative Summit on November 15, 2022. 

Learn how to be a powerful advocate for nursing and for the health of 

all Virginians! Plus, you’ll want to join us as we examine the critical issues 

facing nursing and healthcare and discuss the statewide impact of the 

results of the November 8 election. You'll get a detailed look into upcoming 

nursing legislation and nursing’s 2023 legislative priorities for next year. 

We’ll be talking about legislative solutions for our nurse staffing shortage, 

school nurses, APRN issues, reproductive and human rights and more!! Be 

sure to check out the full agenda on our website, www.virginianurses.com/ 

page/LegislativeSummit, later this fall! 

The conference will be professionally produced and live streamed directly 

to your computer, tablet, or phone on November 15, 2022. We're providing 

fantastic content related to nursing and healthcare legislative issues and 

advocacy, and we’re using a variety of interactive strategies to ensure an 

engaging opportunity for all participants. When you register for the live 

Legislative Summit, you will also receive access to the conference recording 

on-demand for three months, giving you the flexibility to view the program at 

your convenience! 

Make a Plan to Vote! 

Election Day is November 8! Making sure you have a plan to vote is essential 

for casting your ballot! Answer the questions below to make sure you're 

prepared! 

Do you know your polling location? 

If you don't know, you can find out here: 

Find your polling location 

What time will you vote? 

Figuring out what time during your busy day to vote is essential? Will you go 

before work, after work, or during lunch? 

Do you need a ride? 

Some political parties and local entities arrange ride services for voters who 

cannot get to the polls themselves. To find a ride near you, simply do a web 

search for “[your county] Virginia, rides to the polls 2022!” 

Do you have young children? 

Having children definitely impacts your plan to vote! Will they be in school or 

daycare? Do you need to take them with you to the polls or can you drop them 

off with a family member or babysitter?


VNA President's Message 

Disengaged Nurses Speak Out! 


As we examine the staffing crisis and how to tackle this 

complex issue in both the short- and long-term, it seems 

obvious that we reach out to the approximately 115,000 

registered nurses whose licenses are either identified as 

inactive or expired in the past four years. Some of these 

nurses, we knew, had left the nursing workforce during 

the pandemic. We sought to understand why nurses have 

left their careers, what we can learn from them and apply 

to the current workforce challenges, and what it might 

take – if anything – to entice them back to the workforce. 

VNA recently conducted a survey of these nurses and 

received 2,684 responses. 

Top Reasons Why Nurses Disengaged 

Nurses Working in Hospitals vs All Respondents 

Who They Are 

57% of the responding nurses hold licenses that have 

expired in the past four years, while 35% have inactive 

licenses, and another 7% continue to work under a 

multistate license. Some further demographics about 

our respondents: 

• Age: 86% are 51+ years old, 7% are 31-40, 5% are 

41-50 and nearly 2% (54) are 20-30 

• 74% practiced nursing for more than 21 years, 

21% had practiced 6-20 years, and 5% had only 

practiced 0-5 years. 

• The highest degree earned was bachelor’s (40%), 

associate’s (34%), master’s (22%), and 3.5% their 

doctorate. 3.5% had earned their doctorate, while 

the highest degree 

earned by other 

respondents included: 

• The vast majority 

of respondents selfidentified 

as caucasian 

(89%), followed by 

Black (5%), Asian 

(2.5%) and Hispanic/Latino (2.5%) 

Linda M. Shepherd, 

MBA, BSN, RN, 

NEA-BC 

• They most recently work in hospitals (44%), 

ambulatory care (9%), long , and another 7.3%, 

long term term care facilities (5%), and k-12/ 

academia and public health (4-4.5% each). 

Answering the ‘Why” 

Seventy percent have simply retired, while health 

concerns unrelated to the pandemic account for another 

12.2%, and family obligations rank third at 11.5%. 

Interestingly, 7.3% of respondents told us they are 

taking a break from nursing, but may return to the 

profession, while another 7.3% sadly reported that they 

are pursuing a non-nursing career. Another 6.2% are 

seeking a slower career pace, and 5.2% are not working 

due to mental and physical health concerns related to 

the pandemic. 

What would it take? 

When we removed those who had indicated that they 

were retired, and looked at all remaining respondents, 

the top six responses they indicated for leaving nursing 

are: 

1. Competitive pay 

2. Greater flexibility 

3. An employment contract 

4. A voice in which departments I work 

5. Zero-tolerance workplace violence and incivility 

policy 

6. Nothing could entice me to return to work 

Reasons Nurses Working in Hospitals Disengaged 

Taking a deeper dive, we examined the responses 

of those nurses who had most recently worked in a 

hospital or acute care setting and found that, when 

compared with all respondents: 

• A lesser percentage (6.87%) of hospital 

respondents left in order to retire 

• Family Obligations topped the hospital 

respondents’ list at 13.6% of reasons other than 

retirement 

• 9.65% of hospital respondents, compared with 

7.29% of all respondents, are pursuing a nonnursing 

career 

• 9.21% of hospital respondents, compared with 

7.29% of all respondents, are taking a break, but 

may return to nursing 

The results attest to the fact that nurses employed 

in acute care, many of whom cared for patients with 

COVID, have struggled significantly more with the 

hospital work environment both related and unrelated 

to the pandemic, including their ability to juggle work 

and family obligations and maintain their mental and 

physical health. 

What Would it Take? 

Removing from consideration those nurses who have 

retired, what would nurses who have left the workforce 

need in order to consider returning? The top two 

issues are the same across the board. All respondents, 

including those working in hospitals, expect competitive 

pay and greater scheduling flexibility. They also 

want a voice in which departments they work and an 

employment contract that leaves no room for confusion 

on these points and more. Nurses, like all healthcare 

professionals, also deserve an employer that not only 

doesn’t condone violence and incivility in the workplace, 

but takes actions to back up their words (#5 on the list)! 

Nurses are well-educated professionals who bring 

tremendous knowledge and expertise to the practice 

setting, and should be treated accordingly! In the 

months ahead, VNA will be developing contract templates 

and coaching nurses on how to negotiate a contract, 

including developing messaging that will resonate with 

CEOs and CFOs. We also plan to convene nurse leaders, 

CFOs and other leadership from various practice settings 

for a meeting of the minds. And we will take legislative 

action where needed. Be sure to participate in our fall 

conference, September 9-10 at the Westfields Marriott in 

Chantilly (NOVA), because The Time is NOW! 

Together, we have tremendous influence and can 

effect change! Join us!

School of Nursing – MSN – PMHNP 

Psychiatric Mental Health 

Nurse Practitioner and postprofessional 

Psych-Mental Health 

Nurse Practitioner Certificate 

Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner is an advanced practice nursing role. Graduate 

education prepares the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) to become a 

licensed independent health care provider with prescriptive authority and the post-professional 

PMH Nurse Practitioner Certificate program is designed for advanced practice nurses with 

Master’s Degrees who wish to advance their psychiatric mental health knowledge base. The 

PMHNP provides mental health care throughout the lifespan. This program provides the 

knowledge, skills, values and experience to assume the role of PMHNP in a variety of settings. 

Preparation includes content necessary to provide psychotherapy and medication to individuals, 

families and groups within hospitals and community settings. This role incorporates skills to: 

• Assess, diagnose and treat individuals and families with mental health challenges or 

psychiatric illnesses 

• Identify risk factors for psychiatric illness 

• Contribute to policy development, quality improvement, practice evaluation and 

healthcare reform 

Completion of a graduate nursing program allows for certification by the 

American Nurses Credentialing Center (AACN) to obtain a PMHNP certification 

which is required to obtain a state license to practice. 

Learn More 

https://odu.edu/nursing/graduate/msn/nurse-practitioner 

MSN – Family Nurse Practitioner 

Family 

Nurse 

Practitioner 

Enhance your expertise in theory, research, and advanced nursing 

practice through academic courses and clinical experiences that take a 

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and underserved communities through telehealth and interprofessional 

education. The program bridges to the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) 

program. Full-time and part-time options. 

Learn More 

https://odu.edu/nursing/graduate/msn/nurse-practitioner/fnp



CEO Reflections 

Positioning Nurses to be Influencers! 

Every nurse is or has the ability to be a leader 

in their own right. Leadership does not necessitate 

a list of credentials behind your name, nor does it 

require that you are part of the C-suite. Leadership 

is about advocacy of your patients or clients, on 

behalf of your colleagues, and for nursing as a 

profession. Leadership is about using your voice, 

be it at the bedside or in a legislative committee 

hearing, because you have important knowledge 

and perspectives to share. Because you have a voice. 

Does every nurse have a responsibility to flex that 

knowledge and influence pivotal conversations? I 

would suggest “yes.” It is together that we can best 

advance nursing to the benefit of both the profession 

and the communities we serve. 

Five years ago, the Nurses on Boards Coalition 

was founded. Its members include the American 

Nurses Association, the American Nurses 

Foundation and a host of other national nursing 

organizations, and its mission is to improve the 

health of communities through the service of nurses 

on boards. 

NOBC is committed to increasing nurses’ 

presence and influence on boards, panels, and 

commissions possessing the strategic influence to 

improve the health of communities and the nation. 

This includes corporate, governmental, non-profit, 

advisory or governance boards or commissions that 

have fiduciary or strategic responsibility. 

Having already achieved the key strategy of 

placing 10,000 nurses on boards, NOBC can now 

measure nurses’ impact on boards and raise 

broader awareness that all boards would benefit 

from the unique perspective of nurses to achieve the 

goals of improved health and efficient and effective 

healthcare systems at the local, state, and national 

levels. 

The pandemic has placed a harsh spotlight 

on health disparities within our marginalized 

communities, as well as racism in nursing. So, in 

addition to exponentially increasing the number of 

all nurses participating on boards of influence, it 

is particularly important that our communities are 

represented in the makeup of these boards, and that 

boards be inclusive so as to yield greater opportunity 

for all nurses, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, 

sexual orientation, religion, etc. 

As Sue Hassmiller, PhD, RN, FAAN, known for 

her extensive work and leadership with the Robert 

Wood Johnson Foundation and the Center to 

Champion Nursing in America, once said, “Board 

service can be rewarding to nurses both personally 

and professionally. It not only requires them to 

exercise leadership; it expands those skills and 

advances their capabilities and knowledge. It gives 

nurses the chance to meet people and enhance their 

professional networks. And it can be inspirational 

and empowering.” 

Not currently serving on a board, but interested? 

Add your name to the NOBC database, and review 

the many resources on board service included on the 

site. 

Already serving on a board or other entity that 

has the ability to influence community health? Make 

sure to add your name to the NOBC list so that we 

can accurately track nurses progression. 

Join VNA / ANA (https://www. 

nursingworld.org/MbrApps/JoinProfile) 

for $174/year and save 20% off your 

Leadership Development Pre-Con 

Workshop and Fall Conference rate! 

II 

Interested in honing 

your leadership skills? 

If you’re a new or 

emerging nurse leader, Janet Wall, MS 

we’ve got just the program 

for you! Registration is now open for the Virginia 

Nurses Foundation’s Nurse Leadership Academy. 

The Academy, which offers a robust year-long 

program of didactic learning and leadership project 

development, consistently receives rave reviews 

from participants, and will graduate its first class 

of fellows this December. Learn more and register 

for our 2023 class! The cost for this comprehensive 

[virtual] year-long program is $1,295/registrant 

or, for employers registering three or more nurses, 

$1,195/registrant. 

We’ve also planned a great Leadership 

Development Pre-Conference program to 

coincide with our September 9 & 10 in-person Fall 

Conference, The Time for Change is Now, which 

will be held at the stunning Westfields Marriott in 

Chantilly, VA. The 4-hour pre-conference will be 

led by Bullying & Incivility Content Expert Diane 

Salter, MSN, RN, CPAN, NE-BC with the Healthy 

Workforce Institute, and will examine Developing 

Effective Communication for a Healthier 

Workforce. Join us the morning of September 9 as 

we learn how to develop assertive communication 

skills among the healthcare team, incorporate 

body language techniques to strengthen 

team relationships, and create standards and 

systems that foster collegiality. Fall Conference 

registration fees are $249 for members and $295 

for nonmembers. Add the leadership development 

pre-conference and your total package rate will 

be $300 for members and $375 for nonmembers. 

Rooms at the Westfields Marriott are a very 

reasonable $159/night via our room block. 

IMPROVE 

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Take your professional career to 

the next level 

Earn your Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) 

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Choose from four concentrations: 

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BSN to DNP and Post-master’s 

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The DNP program at ODU was a transformation experience. From the 

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Jeff Doucette, DNP, RN, FACHE, NEA-BC, FAAN

have thousands 

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of 


Rest, Relax, Laugh: 

Spending Time with Yourself 

Dr. Phyllis Lawrence, DNP, RN, NEA-BC 

Reprinted with permission from 

Tennessee Nurse February 2022 issue 

Rest and Relax 

How many times have you been told that you need 

to get plenty of sleep for good physical health? Sleep 

is also instrumental in maintaining sound mental 

and emotional health. Rest is not only the act of 

sleeping, but you can rest your body, mind, and tap 

into your spirit simply by feeling renewed. Waking 

up and feeling that you have run a marathon is a 

sign of significant activity during your rest period. 

Either the mind continues to cycle, or you may be 

suffering from a sleep disorder. In either case, you 

are not at rest. 

To rest the mind, you must relax. Relaxation is 

defined as the state of being free from tension and 

anxiety (Google dictionary, 2022). The Cambridge 

Dictionary defines relaxation as a pleasant activity 

that makes you become calm and less worried. This 

definition supports the concept of complementary 

and alternative interventions and modalities. 

Relaxation can really be a state of mind. One of 

the most effective holistic modalities that promotes 

relaxation is meditation. Meditation is reflected 

in many forms, including guided imaginary, 

mindfulness, Zen meditation, Mantra meditation, 

Transcendental meditation, and Yoga meditation, 

just to name a few. Mindfulness has become popular 

over the last few years. Being mindful is the basic 

human ability to be fully present in the moment, 

aware of your surroundings, feelings, and emotions. 

Try it, sit still in a quiet place. Place your hands in 

your lap. Now close your eyes. What do you hear? 

What do you smell? Breathe slow and steady while 

maintaining the rhythm. Continue this practice for 

approximately 10-15 minutes. Notice the change 

in your stress level or anxiety. This simple exercise 

can alleviate stress and anxiety, and if engaged in 

regularly, lead to an optimistic outlook. 

Laugh for a Healthier You 

Have you noticed that when you laugh, you feel 

better? It is harder to cry while you are laughing. 

Research has found that laughing triggers the 

release of endorphins (nature’s feel-good chemicals). 

It has also been reported that laughter decreases 

stress hormones and increases immune cells. We 

have a natural response to infection, which helps 

produce antibodies, improving our resistance to 

disease and promoting our overall well-being. What 

makes you laugh? Is it a funny commercial, your 

loved one(s), maybe your co-workers? Laughter is 

the best medicine. In an article by Robinson, Smith, 

& Segal (July 2021), learn to create opportunities 

to laugh, watch a funny movie, TV show, or 

YouTube video, check out a comedy club, read the 

funny pages, check out the humor section in your 

bookstore, play with a pet, better yet host a game 

night with friends. 

I would like to share with you some of the things 

that make me laugh. Watching my favorite comedy 

movies, even though I know the punch line, dancing 

to my favorite 80’s jam on YouTube, and serving with 

a grateful heart. When I see someone smile, I smile! 

During hard times, laughter has been a saving 

grace for many. Whitman (2017) A new study reveals 

how laughter affects the brain, which may be an 

explanation why giggles play an important role in 

social bonding. 

When you take time for yourself, you validate your 

worthiness and value. Make it a point to celebrate 

your life. Buy that neat sweater, go to the movies 

with your spouse, family, or friends. Do something 

that you enjoy, and that makes you feel good. How 

about butter pecan ice cream? Take care of yourself 

so that you can take care of others. The first step 

to self-care is accepting that you are worthy of that 

care. The care you require may need to come from 

a professional source, and that’s okay. There are 

services available through most healthcare facilities 

and organizations. Sometimes you just might need to 

talk. It may be a good time to phone a friend. 

Take a moment and plan to rest, relax, and laugh. 

Try to include at least one activity to cover each one 

of the components. Start with resting and relaxing, 

then let the laughter begin. Remember, you are 

worthy, valuable, and appreciated. Self-worth can 

only be measured by you. So make every moment 

count, and be mindful of your value. I can sum it up 

in one word, priceless!! 

References 

L. Robinson, M. Smith & J. Segal (2021). Laughter 

is the Best Medicine. https://www.helpguide. 

org/articles/mental-health/laughter-is-the-bestmedicine.htm 

Mindful: healthy mind, healthy life (2022). 

https://www.mindful.org/meditation/mindfulnessgetting-started/ 

Whiteman, H. (2017). Laughter releases ‘feel good 

hormones’ to promote social bonding. https://www. 

medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317756 

Meet our newest Fall Conference 

presenter, Dr. Adrianna Nava 

Find your dream job now. 

We’re excited to announce 

Dr. Adrianna Nava, PhD, 

MPA, MSN, RN, President 

of the National Association 

of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN), 

will be joining us as a Fall 

Conference presenter! 

Dr. Nava is an advocate 

for increasing access 

to care for underserved 

populations. As a registered 

nurse, she witnessed 

firsthand how access-related disparities led to 

poor health outcomes, especially for racial/ethnic 

minority groups. In serving her patients, she saw 

an opportunity to contribute to decreasing Latino 

health disparities by building the leadership 

capabilities of nurses. She currently serves as 

President of the National Association of Hispanic 

Nurses (NAHN) and is focused on building the 

HAMPTON UNIVERSITY IS CURRENTLY HIRING: 

DEAN – School of Nursing-12 Month Administrative Position- 

Earned Doctorate -reports to Chancellor and Provost 

FACULTY – Earned Doctorate (Undergraduate and 

Graduate) – 9 month positions 

SUBMIT: Curriculum Vita, contact 

information, and contact information 

for three professional references 

CONTACT: Dr. Arlene J. Montgomery, Search Committee 

Hampton University School of Nursing 

200 William R. Harvey Way, Hampton, VA 23668 

arlene.montgomery@hamptonu.edu | 757-727-5654 

leadership capacity of nurses, specifically Latino 

nurses, who continue to be underrepresented in 

nursing and healthcare leadership positions across 

the country. 

Dr. Nava will be presenting for the General 

Session: Combatting Racism in Nursing. The 

National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing 

conducted a survey that found that 63% of nurses 

surveyed had experienced an act of racism from 

a peer or superior in the workplace. Dr. Adrianna 

Nava, Co-Lead of the Commission, will discuss how 

nurses must help combat racism in nursing by first 

examining their own personal biases and beliefs and 

then working together to address systemic issues. 

Learn more about the work of the commission and 

what you can do to improve the well-being of our 

workforce by ensuring an inclusive and supportive 

work environment for all nurses. 

To view the full program or register for The Time 

for Change is NOW! click here! 

Now Hiring: 

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services and information. 

The School Public Health Nurse works in the school health 

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This position includes a signing bonus of 

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Report on the Statement of Racial Reckoning at the 

ANA Membership Assembly 

VNA Secretary 

Tiffany 

Covarrubias-Lyttle 

BS, BSN, RN, PCCN 

VNA President-Elect 

Sherri Wilson DNP, 

MPA, RN 

The 2022 American Nurses Association (ANA) 

Membership Assembly was held in-person this June 

in our nation’s capital. Spirited debate took place 

around staffing standards, work-place violence 

and climate control. Unique to any dialog is the 

nurse’s ability to not only advocate for themselves, 

but to maintain a clearly determined stance to also 

advocate for those they serve. 

One particular motion brought forward 

for consideration was the Statement of Racial 

Reckoning. This statement was passed 

unanimously without any opposition. However, it 

is worth examining what racial reckoning means, 

particularly in the noble profession of nursing. 

According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, 

reckoning is “a settling of accounts.” [1] As this 

relates to the topic of race, a statement, while 

hardly able to reconcile a long history of slavery and 

systemic inequities in our country, is the foundation 

that can begin to have great visions built upon 

it. Just as developers would seek to build upon a 

terrain that has long been fallow, the foundation 

must be leveled and stabilized before anything can 

be built. This is what this statement brings, an 

opportunity for the leveling of unsettled terrain, and 

the stabilizing of the foundation. The call to build on 

this foundation is now an urgent one as we continue 

to see the health and wellness of those we serve 

being affected. 

The ANA’s National Commission to address 

Racism in Nursing conducted a comprehensive 

report series on Racism in Nursing. [2] The report 

explored the historical context of nursing’s role at 

the intersection of the following events in American 

history: the era of enslavement, colonialism and 

the Indigenous in the United States, American 

imperialism beyond the continental United States, 

and imperialism and racism in Latino nursing. 

The recent social and political climate has also 

highlighted the public policies, institutional 

practices, and cultural norms that make up 

structural racism, all catalysts to health inequities. 

An article published through the Journal of 

Nursing Administration highlights that minority 

populations, compared to white populations, have 

higher incidences of avoidable health disparities, 

chronic diseases, and more frequently experience 

delays in care. This in turn creates higher costs 

and exacerbates negative health outcomes. [3] The 

answer to this health crisis may just be nurses! 

The Future of Nursing 2020-2030 report clearly 

identifies that nurses can be the solution to racial 

health disparities through awareness, adjustment, 

assistance, alignment and advocacy. [4] But the 

bedside is not the only place in healthcare that 

minorities need to be represented; we should also 

be mirrored in administration to help make the 

decisions that will affect our communities, in 

academia to promote and mentor our future nurses, 

and research so that a complete understanding can 

be obtained from a whole population. 

“Promoting health and well-being has long been an 

essential role of nurses—they are bridge builders and 

collaborators who engage and connect with people, 

communities, and organizations to ensure people from 

all backgrounds have what they need to be healthy 

and well.” -Future of Nursing 2020-2030 [5] 

The health of our profession, patients and 

communities are dependent upon our ability to 

build our visions of equity. Where are we currently 

as a profession? According to the 2021 United States 

Census the general profile for race consists of: 13.4% 

African American/Black, 18.5% Hispanics/Latinos, 

and 6.9% Asian. [6] However, according to an HRSA 

National Sample Survey of Nurses, the race of our 

communities is not effectively represented within 

the nursing workforce, with only 7.8% African 

American/Black, 10.2% Hispanics/Latinos, and 

5.2% Asian. [5] A report put out by the American 

College of Healthcare Executives also demonstrates 

that while the population of patients that were 

also minorities grew from 21-31%, the reflection of 

diversity in the C-Suite remained a combined 14% 

[7] according to The Minority Nurse, with 63% of 

minorities in nursing being employed within hospital 

settings. [8] 

Here in the Commonwealth of Virginia, 

nurses are 110,000+ strong [5] but even in our 

great commonwealth, which does have better 

representation than many other states and 

commonwealths in the nation, there are disparities 

among the populations represented: 19% African 

American/Black, 10% Hispanic/Latino and 7% 

Asian. [9] 

What are the practical approaches for nurses 

to build a greater future? The Commission’s 

comprehensive Report on Racism in Nursing serves 

as a first step in helping our profession gain a better 

understanding of nursing’s role in the landscape 

of systemic racism, which will in turn, lay the 

foundation for healing. The Commission also seeks 

to collaborate with the broader nursing community 

and other stakeholders to seek to dismantle 

racism in nursing through continued engagement. 

Additional strategies promoted by the Commission 

include using the ANA’s Scope of Practice Statement 

to set antiracist behaviors and standards of practice 

within healthcare institutions. In addition, The 

Future of Nursing 2020-2030 report outlines a 

framework for addressing social needs: awareness, 

adjustment, assistance, alignment and advocacy. 

Awareness is the ability for each of us to 

understand the issues and to be bold enough to 

hold these issues with the same respect that we 

would any other area of practice. This is having a 

questioning attitude in areas of discrimination and 

under-representation, and diving into the research 

and evidence base. Do you know and understand the 

race-driven aspects of social determinants of health 

and how discrimination in your service area affect 

your patient populations? 

Adjustment is identifying the issue and making 

needed changes. When areas of discrimination and 

disparity are occurring, it is never enough to just 

be aware of the situation. We must be brave to call 

out the issues and make the necessary adjustments 

in collaboration with all those the adjustments will 

affect. 

Assistance is showing up and connecting the 

issue with those that can remedy it. As nurses, we 

can make an impact by making connections in our 

profession and in our patients with services that can 

help bring about change. Within nursing, we can 

find toolkits for addressing race and discrimination 

through organizations like the CDC, The Virginia 

Department of Health and commonwealth-based 

professional nursing organizations. Teaming with 

these organizations will help keep you informed and 

assist in the dialog for these crucial conversations 

while also giving you opportunities to get involved. 

Alignment is the act of supporting and being 

involved with and using your resources to promote 

healing and change. For nurses, this means being 

involved in your area of practice, system, and 

professional nursing organization, such as the 

Virginia Nurses Association (VNA) and American 

Nurses Association (ANA). Showing up isn’t just 

about networking; it is prioritizing resources to 

align with the needs for equity and inclusion. A 

very important area of alignment is mentoring 

which is emerging as an effective treatment to the 

crippling chronic disease of racism. [10] Not only is 

the mentor relationship beneficial for both parties, 

but the mentee has demonstrated better long-term 

projections in salaries, promotions, satisfaction and 

organizational commitment. [3] 

Advocacy is the powerful and meaningful action 

of collaboration between nurses and communities, to 

have a shared vision and then pushing that vision 

to spark social change. In this case, nurses have 

been granted the trust of their communities and 

with our strong collective voice, we can advocate for 

both the individual and the community. We can no 

longer tolerate discrimination, of any sort, and this 

is universally applicable for any practice setting. We 

are stronger together! 

As nurses, it is our duty to remove barriers to 

healing and promote the health of our profession 

and our communities. Just as we would speak up for 

our patients and take pride in their care, we must 

also speak up for our profession. We must end the 

disabling disease of racism and discrimination 

as it holds us back from the visions we have for 

health within our communities and profession. 

Collectively, we must align our voice, resources, 

and positions with practices that are inclusive and 

promote a healthy and diverse workforce, academia 

and research. It is imperative to mentor our future 

generations of nurses and show them that the 

sky isn’t the limit, it is only the beginning. We are 

starting this journey, but this time together, as 

nurses. 

Works Cited 

[1] Merriam-Webster, "Merriam Webster Dictionary," 18 

June 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/reckoning. 

[2] P. D’Antonio and D. Tobbell, "Report Series: Racism 

in Nursing.," National Commission to Address Racism 

in Nursing , 2022. [Online]. Available: https:// 

www.nursingworld.org/~49c4d0/globalassets/ 

practiceandpolicy/workforce/commission-to-addressracism/racism-in-nursing-report-series.pdf. 

[Accessed 

19 June 2022]. 

[3] T. Harris, "The Reality for Minorities Exploring 

Nurse," JONA, vol. 51 , no. 6, pp. E18-E19, 2021. 

[4] National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and 

Medicine, "5 The Role of Nurses in Improving Health 

Equity.," National Academy Press, Washington D.C. 

doi: 10.17226/25982., 2021. 

[5] U.S Department of Health and Human 

Services, Health Resources and Services 

Administration,Bureau of Health Workforce, National 

Center for Health Workforce Analysis, "2018 National 

Sample Survey of Registered Nurses," HRSA Health 

Workforce, , Rockville, Maryland, 2019. 

[6] United States Census Bureau , "United States 

Department of Commerce," 2021. [Online]. Available: 

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/VA,US/ 

PST045221. [Accessed 18 June 2022]. 

[7] R. Zambrano, "The Value and Imperative of 

Diversity Leadership Development and Mentoring 

in Healthcare," Journal of Healthcare Management, 

vol. 64, no. 6, pp. p 356-358 doi: 10.1097/ 

JHM-D-19-00209, 2019. 

[8] Minority Nurse , "Nursing Statistics," Springer 

Publishing Company, 2022. [Online]. Available: 

https://minoritynurse.com/nursing-statistics/. 

[Accessed 18 June 2022]. 

[9] Virginia Department of Health Professions, "Virginia’s 

Registered Nurse Workforce: 2020," Healthcare 

Workforce Data Center, 2020. [Online]. Available: 

https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/media/dhpweb/docs/ 

hwdc/nurse/0001RN2020.pdf. [Accessed 18 June 

2022]. 

[10] C. Vassie, S. Smith and K. Leedham-Green, 

"Factors impacting on retention, success and 

equitable participation in clinical academic careers: 

a scoping review and meta-thematic synthesis," 

BMJ Open , Vols. 10(3):e033480 doi:10.1136/ 

bmjopen-2019-033480, 2020. 

[11] National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and 

Medicine., "The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: - 

Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity: Report 

Brief," The National Academies Press. https://nap. 

nationalacademies.org/resource/25982/FON%20 

One%20Pagers%20Valuing%20Community%20 

and%20Public%20Health%20Nursing.pdf, 

Washington D.C., 2021.

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What’s all the buzz: Future of Nursing 2020-2030, 

Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity 

The Future of Nursing, first published by the 

Institute of Medicine in 2010, explores how nurses' 

roles, responsibilities, and education must change 

significantly to meet the increased demand for care 

that will be needed to advance improvements in 

America's increasingly complex health system. 

In the decade since, the world has come to 

understand the critical importance of health to 

all aspects of life, particularly the relationship 

among what are termed social determinants of 

health (SDOH), health equity, and health outcomes. 

In a year that was designated to honor and uplift 

nursing (the International Year of the Nurse and the 

Midwife 2020), nurses were placed in unimaginable 

circumstances by the COVID-19 pandemic. The 

decade ahead will demand a stronger, more 

diversified nursing workforce that is prepared to 

provide care; promote health and well-being among 

nurses, individuals, and communities; and address 

the systemic inequities that have fueled wide and 

persistent health disparities. 

The vision of the Committee on the Future of 

Nursing 2020–2030, which informed the current 

report, is the achievement of health equity in 

the United States built on strengthened nursing 

capacity and expertise. By leveraging these 

attributes, nursing will help to create and contribute 

comprehensively to equitable public health and 

health care systems that are designed to work for 

everyone. To achieve health equity, the committee 

also envisions a major role for the nursing profession 

in engaging in the complex work of aligning public 

health, health care, social services, and public 

policies to eliminate health disparities and achieve 

health equity. 

Specifically, with implementation of the 

Future of Nursing 2020-2030 (https://nam.edu/ 

publications/the-future-of-nursing-2020-2030/) 

report recommendations, the committee envisions 

10 outcomes that position the nursing profession to 

contribute meaningfully to achieving health equity. 

Those outcomes are identified in the chart at right. 

Achieving Health Equity Through Nursing: 

Desired Outcomes 

• Nurses are prepared to act individually, 

through teams, and across sectors to meet 

challenges associated with an aging population, 

access to primary care, mental and behavioral 

health problems, structural racism, high 

maternal mortality and morbidity, and 

elimination of the disproportionate disease 

burden carried by specific segments of the U.S. 

population. 

• Nurses are fully engaged in addressing the 

underlying causes of poor health. Individually 

and in partnership with other disciplines and 

sectors, nurses act on a wide range of factors 

that influence how well and long people live, 

helping to create individual- and communitytargeted 

solutions, including a health in all 

policies orientation. 

• Nurses reflect the people and communities 

served throughout the nation, helping to ensure 

that individuals receive culturally competent, 

equitable health care services. 

• Health care systems enable and support nurses 

to tailor care to meet the specific medical and 

social needs of diverse patients to optimize their 

health. 

• Nurses’ overarching contributions, especially 

those found beneficial during the COVID-19 

pandemic, are quantified, extended, and 

strengthened, including the removal of 

institutional and regulatory barriers that 

have prevented nurses from working to the 

full extent of their education and training. 

Practice settings that were historically 

undercompensated, such as public health and 

school nursing, are reimbursed for nursing 

services in a manner comparable to that of 

other settings. 

• Nurses and other leaders in health care and 

public health create organizational structures 

and processes that facilitate the profession’s 

expedited acquisition of relevant content 

expertise to serve flexibly in areas of greatest 

need in times of public health emergencies and 

disasters. 

• Nurses consistently incorporate a health equity 

lens learned through revamped academic and 

continuing education. 

• Nurses collaborate across their affiliated 

organizations to develop and deploy a 

shared agenda to contribute to substantial, 

measurable improvement in health equity. 

National nursing organizations reflect an 

orientation of diversity, equity, and inclusion 

within and across their organizations. 

• Nurses focus on preventive person-centered 

care and have an orientation toward 

innovation, always seeking new opportunities 

for growth and development. They expand 

their roles, work in new settings and in new 

ways, and markedly expand their partnerships 

connecting health and health care with all 

individuals and communities. 

• Nurses attend to their own self-care and help 

to ensure that nurse well-being is addressed 

in educational and employment settings 

through the implementation of evidence-based 

strategies. 

Source: The National Academy of Sciences 

The Virginia Nurses Association and Virginia 

Nurses Foundation met at the end of June to 

identify new three-year strategic imperatives, and 

will include details of the new strategic plan in 

the November issue of Virginia Nurses Today. 

Source: https://campaignforaction.org/ 

resource/recommendations-at-a-glance/ 

Source: The National Academy of Sciences 

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VNF supports the Youth Mental Health First Aid training 

of nearly 200 school nurses from throughout Virginia 

Last month, Virginia Nurses 

Foundation Ambassador and 

Richmond Public Schools 

Coordinator of Health Services 

Na-Keisha White, MSN-PH, 

RN, NBCSN led the training 

of nearly 200 school nurses in 

Youth Mental Health First Aid. 

This follows several smaller 

training programs she has led 

for the foundation. The training 

was held in Roanoke as part of the Virginia Departments 

of Education and Health’s Summer Institute for School 

Nursing, and is a huge stride forward in VNF ensuring 

that nurses and other leaders at K-12 schools are better 

prepared to respond to the needs of the commonwealth’s 

youth. VNF had previously supported Na-Keisha’s 

participation in the instructor-level training, thanks 

to funding from a Robert Wood Foundation (RWJF) 

Innovations Award, and is incredibly appreciative of this 

collaboration and her passion for ensuring the mental 

health of our youth. 

COME JOIN OUR TEAM 

Prince William-Manassas Regional Adult Detention 

Center, located in Manassas, Virginia, are hiring 

Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN), Registered Nurses 

(RN) and Senior Registered Nurses (SRN) to provide 

inmate daily sick call, administer medication and 

treatment, record keeping, and as well as additional 

nursing duties to meet position, department and 

agency needs. These positions are night shift. 

Excellent Benefits: 401a/457 VRS Hybrid retirement 

plan, health and dental insurance plans, paid 

holidays, and annual/sick leave accruals. 

See full job description and apply on-line: 

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Questions: Please call the 

ADC Human Resources at (703) 792-5840. 

Prince William County is an Equal Opportunity Employer and supports workforce diversity.


The Time for Change is NOW! 

By VNA & VNF DEI Council 

Chair Vivienne McDaniel, 

DNP, MSN, RN 

“A toxic combination of 

poor social policies and 

programs, unfair economic 

arrangements, and bad 

politics is responsible for the 

fact that a majority of people 

in the world do not enjoy the 

good health that is biologically 

possible.” - Commission on SDOH 

The time for change is now! It is time for all nurse 

professionals to move from thoughts, ideas, and 

theories about achieving equity and health equity 

to “walking the talk,” taking action, and being 

intentional in their walk. There are several tools 

that have been developed to help us actualize our 

equity and health equity initiatives but none greater 

than the seminal National Academies of Medicine 

masterpiece, the Future of Nursing 2020-2030: 

Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity report. 

During the 2021 National Association of 

Nigerian Nurses in North America conference 

I was a co-presenter with Dr. Grace Ogiehor- 

Enoma. We discussed pertinent information and 

recommendations from the Future of Nursing 2020- 

2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity 

report. Dr. Grace touched on five key messages 

garnered from the report: 

• Key Message 1: Policymakers need to 

permanently lift unnecessary regulatory 

and practice barriers that keep nurses from 

practicing within the scope of their education 

and training, and that restrict people’s access 

to high quality care. 

• Key Message 2: Public and private payers 

need to establish sustainable and flexible 

payment models to support nurses in health 

care and public health, including school 

nurses, so that they can effectively address the 

medical and social needs of people, families, 

and communities. 

• Key Message 3: Nursing schools need to 

strengthen education curricula and expand 

the environments where nurses train, better 

prepare nurses to work in and with diverse 

communities, and diversify nursing school 

classes and faculty so nurses at all levels 

reflect the communities they care for and 

serve. 

• Key Message 4: Employers must support 

nurse well-being so they can in turn support 

the well-being of others. 

• Key Message 5: Nurses need to leverage their 

own power to advance health equity by making 

sure they are well prepared to bridge medical 

and social needs; taking care of their own 

mental and physical health so they can care 

for others; and advocating for policies that 

address poverty, racism and other conditions 

that stand in the way of health and well-being. 

The presentation also included discussions on 

the social determinants of health (SDOH). Social 

determinants of health (SDOH) are the conditions in 

the environments where people are born, live, learn, 

work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range 

of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes 

and risks (Healthy People 2030, 2022). SDOH can 

be grouped into five domains: economic stability, 

education access and quality, healthcare access 

and quality, neighborhood and built environment, 

and social community context. Because SDOH 

contributes significantly to health disparities 

and inequities, it is pivotal that nurses become 

knowledgeable about the content of the 2020-2030 

Future of Nursing report. The report considers how 

nurses should best address SDOH, and advance 

effective, efficient, and equitable care for all across 

the healthcare continuum. 

Health inequities would not exist if there were no 

discrimination, prejudices or racism in healthcare 

(National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing, 

2022). To address inequities and disparities you 

must first work to dismantle inequitable ideology. 

For our country to advance health equity for all, the 

systems that educate, pay and employ nurses need 

to permanently remove barriers to allow them to do 

this work, value their contributions, prepare them to 

understand and tackle issues that impede advancing 

equity, and diversify the nursing workforce (Future 

of Nursing Campaign for Action, 2022). Those were 

among the four key takeaways suggested during a 

May 2022 Campaign for Action Summit. 

It is honorable to ensure that everyone gains 

access to the same resources according to their 

needs but true health equity requires nurses to 

always address the disparities and inequities that 

can prevent people from living full and healthy lives. 

It is incumbent on all nurses to challenge injustices 

that contribute to negative care outcomes. It will not 

happen unless nurses identify system facilitators 

and barriers to health equity and take action. 

Examine your readiness or your organization’s 

willingness to chart a path to achieve health 

equity, then download the Future of Nursing 2020- 

2030 report from the National Academies Sciences 

Engineering Medicine website at https://nap. 

nationalacademies.org/catalog/25982/the-future-ofnursing-2020-2030-charting-a-path-to. 

In an effort to build healthier communities 

through nursing and to guide you on your path to 

achieve health equity, the Campaign for Action 

has drafted action plans that provide a solid 

foundation of actionable recommendations and subrecommendations 

for organizations and for nurses 

in roles of education, leadership, practice, research 

and policy and advocacy. Drs. Sue Hassmiller and 

Susan Reinhard suggest selecting at least two of the 

Recommendations for implementation based on your 

individual or organizational needs. 

Draft Action Plans 

• Recommendation #1: CREATING A SHARED 

AGENDA 

• Recommendation #2: SUPPORTING NURSES 

TO ADVANCE HEALTH EQUITY 

• Recommendation #3: PROMOTING NURSES’ 

HEALTH AND WELL BEING 

• Recommendation #4: CAPITALIZING ON 

NURSES’ POTENTIAL 

• Recommendation #5: PAYING FOR NURSING 

CARE 

• Recommendation #6: USING TECHNOLOGY 

TO INTEGRATE DATA ON SOCIAL 

DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH INTO NURSING 

PRACTICE 

• Recommendation #7: STRENGTHENING 

NURSING EDUCATION 

• Recommendation #8: PREPARING NURSES 

TO RESPOND TO DISASTERS AND PUBLIC 

HEALTH EMERGENCIES 

• Recommendation #9: BUILDING THE 

EVIDENCE BASE 

The VNA-VNF Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 

Council (DEIC) has taken the Campaign for 

Action challenge and has selected two of the 

recommendations/sub-recommendations to implement. 

DEIC believes that nurses should mirror the population 

they serve. Increasing the number of nurses from 

underrepresented populations on boards is another 

important goal of DEIC. Being a board member gives 

nurses a seat and a voice at the decision-making 

table. The DEIC is pleased at the progress being made 

and encourages those in positions of decision making 

to improve their diversity and inclusion efforts by 

appointing nurses who are historically marginalized 

and underrepresented on boards. DEIC is also 

encouraging nurses to be on boards outside of nursing 

and healthcare as well. Using the Future of Nursing 

2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity 

report recommendations as a framework we can move 

from thoughts, ideas, and theories about achieving 

equity and health equity to intentional action. Wisdom 

lies in knowing when to cease talking and start acting. 

The time for change is now! 

References 

Future of Nursing Campaign for Action. (2022). The 

Campaign for Action May summit webinar. https:// 

campaignforaction.org/webinar/may-2022-summit/. 

Healthy People 2030. (2022). Social determinants of health. 

https://health.gov/healthypeople/priority-areas/socialdeterminants-health 

National Commission to Address Racism In Nursing. 

(2022). Racism in nursing. https://www.nursingworld. 

org/practice-policy/workforce/clinical-practicematerial/national-commission-to-address-racism-innursing/commissions-foundational-report-on-racism-- 

in-nursing/ 

Wakefield, M. K., Williams, D. R. Le Menestrel, S., & 

Flaubert, J. L. (Eds.). (2021). The future of nursing 

2020-2030: Charting a path to achieve health equity. 

National Academies Press. 

Additional Resources 

Action Coalition May 2022 Summit Deck https:// 

campaignforaction.org/resource/action-coalitionmay-2022-summit-deck/ 

Equity Toolkit Helps Communities Take on Social 

Determinants of Health https://campaignforaction. 

org/resource/equity-toolkit/ 

The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting 

a Path to Achieve Health Equity. https://nap. 

nationalacademies.org/read/25982/chapter/1 

Grace Ogiehor-Enoma, DHA, MSN, MPH, NE- 

BC, RN is an adjunct associate professor at Hunter 

College, and the executive director of the National 

Association of Nigerian Nurses in North America. 

Vivienne Pierce McDaniel, DNP, MSN, RN is an 

adjunct assistant professor at Aspen University 

School of Nursing and Health Sciences, a diversity, 

equity, and inclusion consultant for James Madison 

University School of Nursing and president of the 

Central Virginia Chapter of the National Black 

Nurses Association. 

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Be a JEDI: Focus on the B 


Dr. Nina Beaman 

Dr. Marsha 

Hughes-Rease 

In an October 2021 study on racism in nursing fielded by the National 

Commission to Address Racism in Nursing, 94% of respondents indicated 

agreement with the statement “there is some or a lot of racism in the nursing 

profession;” 76% of respondents attested to witnessing racism in the workplace; 

and 63% reported personally experiencing racism in the workplace, with 

Black nurses (92%) reporting having experienced racism the most (National 

Commission, 2021). In the recently published Racism in Nursing report, 

racism is identified as a preventable harm and can be mitigated by intentional 

actions to change belief systems and social and organizational practices that 

contribute to dual harm from structural racism, which is invisible unless one 

looks for it, as it is ingrained in the structures, beliefs, policies, and practices 

of our healthcare system (Nardi et al., 2020). And there is significant research 

that supports that belonging is probably one of the most powerful ways to create 

an inclusive environment. Belonging is an interpretation of cues that suggests 

that one fits in and is welcome in a given context; it is an inference based on 

observations, interactions, values, and past events that define the culture and 

environment (Walton, et al., 2017) 

So, how can nurses build work environments that promote belonging along 

with justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion or JEDI? Let’s unpack the acronym 

JEDI first. 

Social justice, put simply, is the paradigm that everyone deserves equal 

rights and opportunities (American Public Health Association). Considering 

your workplace, is everyone treated fairly and equally? If some need to build 

more skills, are they given the opportunity? Or do some receive special benefits 

because they demand them, while others do not get what they need to do their 

jobs? 

Equity is distinguished from equality in that it refers to fairness and justice, 

not just providing the same to all (National Association of Colleges and Employers). 

The same source emphasized that equity acknowledges that everyone does not 

start at the same place, so sometimes adjustments need to be made to account for 

imbalances. According to Pat Benner’s theory, mentoring is needed to help nurses 

move from novices to become experts (Thomas & Kellgren, 2017). So, each nurse 

may be at a different point in their career journey, needing different resources 

and guidance. There should be no stigma in nurses asking for what they need to 

become better nurses. 

Diversity is not just about skin tone. The true focus of diversity is 

an understanding and appreciation for people who come from different 

backgrounds and cultures (American Library Association). A workplace that 

embraces diversity has diverse viewpoints of problem solving and ways to 

communicate solutions. A diverse nursing workforce can serve a diverse patient 

population in more appropriate ways. 

Inclusion involves not just adding diverse individuals to the workforce, 

but including them on every level to participate actively in the culture of the 

organization. The NeuroLeadership Institute found data that showed that 

benefits of inclusivity in the workplace included improving team collaboration, 

greater efficiencies, increased performance, and higher employee engagement 

(Strup, 2019). In order to reap the benefits of inclusion, you have to create an 

environment of belonging. Inclusion and belonging are connected. Inclusion 

involves efforts and behaviors that can be fostered by the organization or 

actually by the people in it. Belonging is something that employees themselves 

feel and results from your inclusion efforts. 

Inclusive behaviors should result in a sense of belonging as an outcome. And 

here are some of these behaviors: 

• recognize that each individual has unique perspectives and talents by 

amplifying these differences as strengths 

• broaden your understanding of how your biases show up in your 

micro behaviors and how your behaviors may advantage some while 

disadvantaging others 

• practice allyship by being an upstander rather than a bystander 

• develop inclusive leadership skills to leverage diversity for innovative 

problem solving and solution finding 

Although improving JEDI at the workplace is a good strategy, the ultimate 

goal for any nursing organization must be to focus on the Belonging. Other 

initiatives will not promote a positive workplace unless the employees feel a 

sense that they belong to the work culture. Belonging builds collaboration, 

loyalty, and dedication—traits nurses are known to be able to foster if they are 

in environments where their voices are heard, their contributions are noticed, 

and they feel that whoever they are—they are valued. 

References 

American Library Association. (n.d.). Defining diversity—Strategic planning for diversity. 

Retrieved May 22, 2022, from https://www.ala.org/advocacy/diversity/workplace/ 

diversityplanningdefinitions 

American Public Health Association. (n.d.). Social justice and health. Retrieved May 22, 

2022, from https://www.apha.org/what-is-public-health/generation-public-health/ourwork/social-justice 

National Association of Colleges and Employers. (n.d.). Equity. Retrieved May 22, 2022, 

from https://www.naceweb.org/about-us/equity-definition/ 

Nardi, D., Waite, R., Nowak, M., Hatcher, B., Hines-Martin, V., & Stacciarini, J.-M. R. 

(2020). Achieving health equity through eradicating structural racism in the United 

States: A call to action for nursing leadership. Journal of Nursing Scholarship: An 

Official Publication of Sigma Theta Tau 

International Honor Society of Nursing. 52(6), 696-704. https://doi.org/10.1111/jnu.12602. 

Strup, R. (2019). Active inclusion. TD: Talent Development, 73(5), 26–28. 

Thomas, C. M., & Kellgren, M. (2017). Benner’s novice to expert model: An application for 

simulation facilitators. Nursing Science Quarterly, 30(3), 227–234. 

Walton GM, Brady ST. Elliot AJ, Dweck CS, Yeager DS. The many questions of belonging. 

In: Handbook of Competence and Motivation: Theory and Application. 2017:2nd ed. 

New York, NY: Guilford Press; 272–293. 

Bookmark VNA’s Website 

Calendar for Virtual Legislative 

Advocacy Hours 

In order to accommodate both legislators’ and nurses’ busy schedules, VNA 

will continue to hold the multiple [free] Legislative Advocacy Hours virtually. 

The 10 anticipated Legislative Advocacy Hours will be held in all areas of 

the commonwealth in the weeks following the November elections. Nurse 

participants will receive their chapter’s legislative guide, a copy of VNA’s public 

policy platform, and will be able to meet virtually with the legislators in their 

area. Ample time will be planned for Q&A. 

To find a legislative reception near you, visit our events calendar at 

virginianurses.com/events/event_list.asp. 

VNA members can expect to receive an email in the coming months with 

the dates and registration links for the Legislative Advocacy Hours. This 

information will also be posted to VNA’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ 

vanurses. Questions? Contact VNA Membership Manager MJ Gearles at 

mgearles@virginianurses.com.


VNF President's Message 


Mental Health Roundtable: 

A Special Focus on Youth Mental Health 

Phyllis Whitehead, PhD, APRN/CNS, ACHPN, 

PMGT-BC, FNAP, FAAN 

I am excited to share that our special focus 

on Youth Mental Health on May 5, 2022 was a 

huge success with 196 participants from multiple 

organizations throughout the commonwealth. 

A special thanks to the Virginia Association of 

School Nurses for their collaboration on this event. 

Additionally, we collaborated with the Public 

Health Nurses of the Commonwealth of Virginia 

and the Virginia Association of Community Service 

Boards. 

The day was packed with excellent 

presentations from a variety of speakers. Angela 

Ransom Jones started off the roundtable by 

sharing “Themes in K-12 Mental Health, Resource 

Gaps and Successes.” Dr. Jones serves as the 

Director of Culture, Climate & Student Services 

at Richmond City Public Schools, which has a 

student population in excess of 20,000. Dr. Jones 

is trained as a Psychologist both in School and 

Counseling Psychology. 

Dr. Jones launched offered a 5,000’ look at K-12 

mental health supports, and what we can learn 

from the gaps and “gold” of current trends and 

infrastructure. To be clear, she said, the pandemic 

has exacerbated a mental health crisis among our 

children that already existed. 

“Schools,” she said, “are often considered 

the natural and best setting for comprehensive 

prevention and early intervention services for 

all students.” Recognizing that more than 75% 

of children and youth do not receive the mental 

health services they need,” she examined the 

promising practices that DO work, including: 

• Safe and welcoming school cultures 

• Promoting the understanding that positive 

mental health and positive physical health 

are inextricably link 

• intentional identification and naming of 

emotions and feelings, educating parents, 

teachers and staff / nursing staff. 

Dr. Jones underscored the importance of the 

number of nurses, psychologists, social workers, 

and counselors working in schools be increased to 

address the growing needs of our youth and meet 

nationally recommended ratios. Concurrently, it is 

essential that we lean on our community partners, 

she said, such as the local community service 

boards (CSBs) throughout Virginia for those 

children in crisis. Doing so will enable school 

staffs to better focus on early intervention and 

non-crisis support of all children. 

Na-Keisha White, RN, Coordinator of School 

Health for Richmond City Public Schools, a 

position she has held for four years, shared her 

passion on the importance of amplifying the 

role of the school nurse in mental healthcare. In 

2019, VNF was given a Robert Wood Johnson 

Foundation Innovations Fund Award to advance 

our work in mental healthcare. We used some of 

the grant monies to enable a nurse, Na-Keisha 

White, MSN-PH, RN, NBCSN, to participate in the 

Mental Health First Aid Instructor Training, Youth 

Module. Na-Keisha, coordinator of health services 

with Richmond Public Schools, will now serve as 

instructor for three groups of RPH school nurses, 

counselors, and behavioral health professionals 

participating in the program in the coming 

months. We’re excited to be furthering the mental 

health education of these professionals and hope 

to expand our reach to other school districts in the 

commonwealth. 

Ms. White discussed the interventions in 

place at RPS and the importance of amplifying 

the school nurses role in mental healthcare and 

recognizing school nurses as essential members 

of the care coordination team who are able to 

effectively assist students and families, meeting 

them at the point of their needs. School nurses, 

she added, should be positioned to facilitate the 

division’s trauma responsive culture to fosters 

resilience. 

During the afternoon session, Congresswoman 

Bonnie Watson Coleman shared her vision for 

equity as she is known for her advocacy work and is 

serving her fourth term in the United States House 

of Representatives. She has had an impressive 

career in public service advocating for the needs of 

New Jersey families and the equitable treatment of 

all people. She is the first Black woman to represent 

New Jersey in Congress and serves on several 

committees as chair or co-chair and is vice chair 

at large of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. 

Representative Watson Coleman shared that her 

work in the House centers on her belief that, in 

the United States of America, there’s a floor below 

which we should never allow any child, any family, 

or any person to fall, therefore her legislative work 

seeks to bridge the gap 

for socially disadvantaged 

populations, and other 

vulnerable groups in our 

society. 

Phyllis Whitehead, 

PhD, APRN/CNS, 

ACHPN, PMGT-BC, 

FNAP 

Congresswoman Coleman introduced the 

Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act, which 

addresses the disparities in access, care, and the 

study of mental health issues among people of 

color. On April 30, 2019, Representative Watson 

Coleman established the Congressional Black 

Caucus (CBC) Emergency Taskforce on Black 

Youth Suicide and Mental Health, empowering 

a working group of experts composed of the 

country’s leading Black academic, advocacy 

and practicing experts, all who had the same 

passion for closing the mental health care gap 

for black youth. Over the span of eight months, 

the taskforce and working group held hearings, 

forums, events and listening sessions to identify 

both the causes and potential solutions to 

this burgeoning crisis. On December 17, the 

taskforce released the report, Ring the Alarm: 

The Crisis of Black Youth Suicide in America, 

and simultaneously introduced legislation aimed 

at closing the mental health care gap for that 

population. 

Much more attention and action are needed 

to better care for our youth’s mental health. 

Current mental health focusing on substance 

abuse and early intervention strategies, selfharm, 

transgender and LGBTQ+ issues (including 

legal considerations), more suicide interventions 

and case studies, bullying, and psychosomatic 

management. 

The Virginia Nurses Foundation is committed 

to improving the health of Virginia’s communities 

by developing an educated and diverse nursing 

workforce through leadership development, 

research, and innovation. We know that nurses 

are and will continue to make a crucial impact 

on improving the mental health of our youth. 

If you are interested in becoming involved with 

the work of the Virginia Nurses Foundation 

and/or the Mental Health Roundtable, please 

contact VNA Membership Manager MJ Gearles 

at mgearles@virginianurses.com. For more 

information on the Mental Health roundtable, 

visit: https://virginianurses.com/mpage/Mental 

HealthInitiatives. 

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How nurses can counter health misinformation 

The wealth of health information available online 

can be beneficial for patients, but only if that 

information is accurate. Although recent issues 

on misinformation have centered on the COVID-19 

pandemic, misinformation has been a problem in 

many other areas related to wellness and healthcare, 

such as dieting, exercise, and vitamins and 

supplements. Although misinformation isn’t new, 

the internet and social media have supercharged the 

ability for it to spread. 

Nurses and nurse practitioners have the power 

to counteract misinformation, but first, they need 

to understand the nature of the problem and why 

people may be inclined to believe information that is 

not grounded in science. 

Misinformation overview 

Two definitions help better understand this issue. 

Misinformation refers to claims that conflict with 

the best available scientific evidence. Disinformation 

refers to a coordinated or deliberate effort to 

spread misinformation for personal benefit, such 

as to gain money, power, or influence. An example 

of misinformation is the false claim that sugar 

causes hyperactivity in children. An example of 

disinformation is a company that makes false 

scientific claims about the efficacy of their product to 

boost sales. This article focuses on misinformation. 

People increasingly seek health information 

online through sources such as search engines, 

health-related websites, YouTube videos, and apps. 

Unfortunately, misinformation can occur at all these 

points, as well as via blogs, social media platforms, 

and user comments on articles or posts. Even when 

not actively seeking health information, people can 

be exposed to it through media outlets such as print, 

TV, and streaming networks. 

Why do people believe misinformation? 

Several factors can lead to people accepting 

misinformation: 

Health literacy. Health literacy refers not 

only to the ability to read and understand health 

information, but the appraisal and application of 

knowledge. People with lower levels of health literacy 

may be less able to critically assess the quality 

of online information, leading to flawed decisionmaking. 

One particular problem is that content is 

frequently written at a level that is too high for most 

consumers. 

Distrust in institutions. Past experiences with 

the healthcare system can influence a person’s 

willingness to trust the information provided. This 

includes not only experiences as an individual 

but also experiences of those in groups people 

affiliate with. Many people of color and those with 

disabilities, for example, have had experiences with 

healthcare providers where they did not feel heard 

or received substandard care, eroding trust. In 

some cases, healthcare providers have lied, as was 

the case with the Tuskegee syphilis study of Black 

men; the men were not told they had the disease or 

offered treatment. In addition, some people have an 

inherent distrust of government, leading them to 

turn to alternative sources of information that state 

government-provided facts are not correct. 

Emotions. Emotions can play a role in both 

the spread and acceptance of misinformation. 

For example, false information tends to spread 

faster than true information, possibly because of 

the emotions it elicits. And Chou and colleagues 

note that during a crisis when emotions are high, 

people feel more secure and in control when they 

have information—even when that information is 

incorrect. 

Cognitive bias. This refers to the tendency to 

seek out evidence that supports a person’s own point 

of view while ignoring evidence that does not. If 

the misinformation supports their view, they might 

accept it even when it’s incorrect. 

How to combat misinformation 

Recommending resources, teaching consumers 

how to evaluate resources, and communicating 

effectively can help reduce the negative effects of 

misinformation. 

Recommendations. In many cases, patients and 

families feel they have a trusting relationship with 

their healthcare providers. Nurses can leverage 

that trust by recommending credible sources of 

health information. Villarruel and James note 

that before making a recommendation, nurses 

should consider the appropriateness of the source. 

For example, a source may be credible, but the 

vocabulary used may be at too high a level for the 

patient to understand. And someone who prefers 

visual learning will not appreciate a website that 

is dense with text. Kington and colleagues suggest 

using these foundational principles when evaluating 

sources: 

• Science-based: The source provides information 

consistent with the best scientific evidence 

available and meets standards for creation, 

review, and presentation of scientific content. 

• Objective: The source takes steps to reduce 

the influence of financial and other forms 

of conflict of interest or bias that could 

compromise or be perceived to compromise the 

quality of the information provided. 

• Transparent and accountable: The source 

discloses limitations of the provided 

information, conflicts of interest, content 

errors, or procedural missteps. 

• Each principle has specific attributes, which 

are listed in the article available for download 

at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ 

PMC8486420/. 

Another tool for evaluating sources of health 

information is the CRAAP test (Currency, Relevance, 

Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose), which focuses 

on evaluating the accuracy of research. It consists 

of multiple questions in each category (see https:// 

researchguides.ben.edu/source-evaluation). For a 

more concise tool, nurses can turn to the algorithm, 

developed by Kington and colleagues, for assessing 

the credibility of online health information. 

Although the tendency is to recommend 

government sources such as the Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention and National Institutes 

of Health, as noted earlier, some people do not 

trust the government. In this case, sources such 

as MedlinePlus, World Health Organization, and 

condition-specific nonprofit organizations (e.g., the 

American Heart Association, American Cancer 

Society, Alzheimer’s Association) might be preferred. 

Education. The sheer scope of the information 

found online can make it difficult for even the most 

astute consumer to determine what is accurate. 

Nurses can help patients by providing tools they 

can use to evaluate what they read. The website 

Stronger suggests a four-step process for checking 

for misinformation (https://stronger.org/resources/ 

how-to-spot-misinformation). 

• Check the source. Is the website or person 

known for conflating facts and opinions? 

• Check the date. Is it implied that the 

information is recent even though it’s not? 

Is there more current information available 

elsewhere? 

• Check the data and motive. What is the original 

source of the information? Are they just 

looking for anything that supports their own 

worldview? 

• If still unsure, use a reputable, fact-checking site 

such as Snopes.com or FactCheck.org. 

UCSF Health (https://www.ucsfhealth.org/ 

education/evaluating-health-information) provides 

a useful short overview for patients on how to 

evaluate the credibility (e.g., authors’ credentials) 

and accuracy (e.g., whether other sources support 

the information) of health information and red flags 

to watch for (e.g., outdated information, no evidence 

cites, poor grammar). 

Communication. Communication is the best way 

to correct misinformation and stop its spread. This 

starts with the nurse clearly explaining the evidence 

for recommended interventions. From the start, 

the nurse should establish the principle of shared 

decision-making, which encourages open discussion. 

A toolkit from the U.S. Surgeon General on 

misinformation (https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/ 

files/health-misinformation-toolkit-english.pdf) 

recommends that nurses take time to understand 

each person’s knowledge, beliefs, and values 

and to listen with empathy. It’s best to take a 

proactive approach and create an environment that 

encourages patients and families to share their 

thoughts and concerns (see “A proactive approach”).


Nurses should remain calm, unemotional, and 

nonjudgmental. 

A proactive approach 

Villarruel and James provide the following 

suggestions for talking with patients about 

misinformation: 

• Acknowledge the barrage of health information 

that is available online and through other 

sources and the difficulty of “knowing who and 

what to trust.” (“I know there’s a great deal of 

information about COVID-19 and not all of it 

is the same. Sometimes, it’s hard to sort it out 

and know what to trust.”) 

• Assess where patients and families obtain 

their health information and what sources they 

trust. Keep in mind that even when a source 

is credible, a person may not trust it, and a 

person may trust a site that is not credible. 

(“Where do you get most of your information 

about COVID-19? What makes that a trusted 

source for you?”) 

• Provide alternative and accurate sources 

of information. (“I’m not familiar with that 

website, but I’ll look at it and let you know 

what I think. In the meantime, here’s where I 

get information and why I trust it.”) 

• When correcting misinformation be 

nonjudgmental. (“I’ve heard similar information 

about not getting vaccinated. Here’s what I’ve 

learned from the science and why I believe 

getting vaccinated is important and safe.”) 

Health and Human Services. 2021. https://www.hhs. 

gov/sites/default/files/health-misinformation-toolkitenglish.pdf 

Stronger. How to spot misinformation. n.d. https:// 

stronger.org/resources/how-to-spot-misinformation 

Schulz PJ, Nakamoto K. The perils of misinformation: 

When health literacy goes awry. Nat Rev Nephrol. 2022. 

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41581-021-00534-z 

Swire-Thompson B, Lazer D. Public health and online 

misinformation: Challenges and recommendations. 

Annu Rev Public Health. 2020;41:433-451. 

UCSF Health. Evaluating health information. n.d. https:// 

www.ucsfhealth.org/education/evaluating-healthinformation 

Villarruel AM, James R. Preventing the spread of 

misinformation. Am Nurs J. 2022;17(2):22-26. https:// 

www.myamericannurse.com/preventing-the-spread-ofmisinformation/ 

Disclaimer: The information offered within this 

article reflects general principles only and does 

not constitute legal advice by Nurses Service 

Western State Hospital 

Organization (NSO) or establish appropriate or 

acceptable standards of professional conduct. Readers 

should consult with an attorney if they have specific 

concerns. Neither Affinity Insurance Services, Inc. nor 

NSO assumes any liability for how this information 

is applied in practice or for the accuracy of this 

information. Please note that Internet hyperlinks cited 

herein are active as of the date of publication but may 

be subject to change or discontinuation. 

This risk management information was provided 

by Nurses Service Organization (NSO), the nation's 

largest provider of nurses’ professional liability 

insurance coverage for over 550,000 nurses since 

1976. The individual professional liability insurance 

policy administered through NSO is underwritten 

by American Casualty Company of Reading, 

Pennsylvania, a CNA company. Reproduction 

without permission of the publisher is prohibited. For 

questions, send an e-mail to service@nso.com or call 

1-800-247-1500. www.nso.com. 

Source: Villarruel AM, James R. Preventing the spread of 

misinformation. Am Nurs J. 2022;17(2):22-26. https:// 

www.myamericannurse.com/preventing-the-spread-ofmisinformation/ 

Nurses also can prepare for conversations 

where they know misinformation may occur such 

as vaccination. For example, the CDC has a page 

on its website that addresses infant vaccination 

(https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/conversations/ 

conv-materials.html). It includes resources such as 

responses to possible questions. 

Listening and providing information may not 

be enough. In some cases, a patient may not want 

to hear what the nurse is saying. When patients 

become angry or frustrated, the nurse should 

remain calm. It can be helpful to acknowledge 

the frustration (“I can see that you are upset.”) 

Depending on the situation, it may be possible to 

briefly summarize key points before reinforcing the 

desire to provide information to support the patient 

and then move on to another topic. The goal is to 

maintain a positive nurse-patient relationship, which 

leaves the door open to further conversation. 

Documentation 

As with any patient education, it’s important to 

document discussions related to misinformation 

in the patient’s health record. Nurses should 

objectively record what occurred and include any 

education material they provided. Should the 

patient experience harm as a result of following 

misinformation instead of the recommended 

treatment plan, this documentation would 

demonstrate the nurse’s efforts and could help avoid 

legal action. 

A positive connection 

Nurses can serve as a counterbalance to the 

misinformation that is widely available online. 

Providing useful resources, educating consumers, 

and engaging in open dialogue will promote the 

ability of patients to receive accurate information so 

they can make informed decisions about their care. 

By Georgia Reiner, MS, CPHRM, Risk Analyst, 

Nurses Service Organization (NSO) 

References 

CDC. How to address COVID-19 vaccine misinformation. 

2021. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/healthdepartments/addressing-vaccine-misinformation.html 

CDC. Talking with parents about vaccines for infants. 

2021. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/conversations/ 

conv-materials.html 

CDC. The U.S. public health service syphilis study at 

Tuskegee. 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/tuskegee/index. 

html 

Chou W-YS, Gaysynsky A, Vanderpool RC. The COVID-19 

misinfodemic: Moving beyond fact-checking. Health 

Educ Behav. 2020;1090198120980675:1-5. 

Kington RS, Arnesen S, Chou W-YS, Curry SJ, Lazer D, 

and Villarruel AM. Identifying credible sources of health 

information in social media: Principles and attributes. 

NAM Perspect. 2021:10.31478/202107a. https://www. 

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8486420/ 

Kurpiel S. Evaluating Sources: The CRAAP Test. 

Benedictine University. 2022. https://researchguides. 

ben.edu/source-evaluation 

Office of the Surgeon General. A Community Toolkit for 

Addressing Health Misinformation. US Department of 

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Retired Registered Nurse and 

Centenarian Gertrude Clarke Still Loves Nursing 

By VNA & VNF DEI Council Chair Vivienne McDaniel, DNP, MSN, RN 

Retired mental health professor Gertrude Clarke turned 100 years old in 

June. She said, “don’t put the actual date because, you know, they have those 

identity thieves out there.” Ms. Gertrude is a delightful, spry young lady and 

doesn’t look or act anything like what you may expect of a centenarian. She was 

a 1946 graduate of the Saint Philip School of Nursing. During the time of her 

attendance, southern laws and social practices did not allow entry of “Negroes” 

into nursing schools with White students. 

Since healthcare facilities were segregated, the Medical College of Virginia 

established a separate school of nursing for Women of Color to provide trained 

nurses to serve the underserved Black patients admitted to Saint Philip 

Hospital. Gertrude said, “I purchased a bus ticket to go to New York and left 

immediately after graduation to go work somewhere that welcomed me.” Ms. 

Gertrude credits her longevity to her serving God and humanity. She said she 

still loves nursing and would do it all over again minus the segregation. Her 

advice to current and future nurses is to use your voice to advocate for patients 

and the profession of nursing, and to “keep God in everything you do.” Teaching 

is in her DNA; at 100, Ms. Gertrude still teaches Sunday School at her church. 

Learn more about Ms. Gertrude in the February 2023 issue of the Virginia 

Nurses Today. 

With Ms. Gertrude Clarke (in pink) from left to right are Drs. Vivienne 

McDaniel, Karen Faison and Stephanie Terry, (all professors of nursing). 

(Photo credit: Vivienne Pierce McDaniel) 

St. Philip Hospital photo courtesy of 

VCU Libraries 

Nurses (RNs and LPNs), Psychiatric Technicians/ 

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Do you desire to be near 

cultural attractions? 

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- Hiram W. Davis Medical 

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Reminder to VNA Members – Vote for the Leaders of 

the Virginia Nurses Association by August 22! 

For VNA members, voting will open June 27 - 

August 22. A link to the ballot has been sent to all 

members by email. Here are the slate of candidates 

and profiles on each of our candidates running for 

office! If you’re a member and haven’t received your 

ballot by email for voting, please first check your 

spam folder and if you’re still unable to locate it 

contact VNA Membership Manager MJ Gearles at 

mgearles@virginianurses.com. 

The following board positions are open for the 

2022 Election (2-year terms): 

• Secretary 

• Commissioner on Nursing Education 

• Commissioner on Workforce Issues 

• Commissioner on Nursing Practice* 

• Director-at-Large, Frontline Nurse 

• Director-at-Large, APRN** 

• Three (3) members will also be elected to the 

Committee on Nominations 

* The Commissioner on Nursing Practice serves 

ex-officio in the same position on the Virginia 

Nurses Foundation Board of Trustees. 

** The Director-at-Large, APRN position is a oneyear 

term to conclude on December 31, 2022. 

The position will be on the ballot again in 2023 

for a two-year term. 

Click here to review the position descriptions, 

nominations policies, and Procedures Manual! 

2022 Election Timeline 

• Call for Nominations - April 1 - May 27 

• Nominating Committee prepares slate of 

candidates - June 7 

• VNA Board of Directors votes to approve slate 

of candidates - June 15 

• Slate of Candidates published and distributed - 

June 20 

• Online voting begins (online and paper) - 

June 27 

• Deadline for ballot requests - August 12 

• Voting ends - 11:59 pm on August 22 

• Election results shared at VNA Membership 

Assembly - date TBD 

2022 Slate of Candidates 

Secretary 

Tiffany Covarrubias-Lyttle, BS, BSN, RN, PCCN 

(Incumbent) Chapter 3 

Commissioner on Nursing Education 

Shanna Akers, EdD, MSN/MBS-HC, 

RN, CNE, NEA-BC Chapter 3 

Caryn Brown, MSN, MHA, RN, 

NPD-BC, NEA-BC Chapter 3 

Commissioner on Workforce Issues 

June Noel, MSN, RN Chapter 5 

Richard Ridge, PhD, RN, 

NEA-BC, CNL (Incumbent) Chapter 7 

Commissioner on Nursing Practice 

Mesha Jones, MSN, RN, CCRN, CWON Chapter 7 

Erin Keister, MSN, CPPS, 

CPHQ, NE-BC (Incumbent) Chapter 5 

Director-at-Large, Frontline Nurse 

Ericka Daley, BSN, RN, VAEMT-P Chapter 5 

Director-at-Large, APRN 

Sarah Birch, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC Chapter 8 

VNA’s Committee on Nominations 

April Howell, MSN, RN, NE-BC Chapter 5 

Vanessa Moore, RN, BSN, CDON, LNHA Chapter 4 

Jeanell Webb-Jones, BSN, RN, RN-BC Chapter 7 

Dana Woody, RN, MSN, DNP Chapter 3



Occupational Stress: Definition, Impact, and Strategic Mitigation 

Richard Ridge, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, CNL 

Commissioner of Workforce 

Virginia Nurses Association 

Occupational stress is well known as a health risk 

for a wide range of psychological, behavioral, and 

medical disorders and diseases. The National Institute 

for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) established 

a national priority agenda for policy and research 20 

years ago that still guides efforts to better understand 

occupational stress in general and to mitigate its 

impact on the U.S. workforce across industries. 1 The 

recent Covid-19 pandemic has uncovered and exacerbated numerous sources of 

occupational stress within healthcare, including nursing. This article will define 

occupational stress within a nursing context, describe the impact of this stress 

on nurses as individuals and as a workforce, and identify several strategies to 

mitigate its impact. 

Occupational stress, like all forms of stress, may not be inherently 

destructive or harmful. One of occupational health’s foundational principles 

is that the response to stress is a normal and naturally occurring reaction 

to stress of all types, including stress caused by work-related factors. 2 The 

epidemiology of stress recognizes that the stress response manifests differently 

depending on a wide variety of variables that may serve as protective or as 

additional individual risk factors. Simply put, work is stressful to a harmful 

extent when demands exceed the individual’s resources to effectively adapt. 

Why is this important? 

Two years into the Covid-19 pandemic, the nursing workforce supply is under 

extreme threat. In a recent analysis, Auerbach and colleagues identified an 

alarming decrease of 100,000 RNs in 2021, the greatest drop in a single year 

over the past four decades. 3 Especially distressing is that the decrease stemmed 

primarily from nurses younger than age 35. The overall reduction in supply 

was due primarily to losses of hospital-employed RNs. This loss of younger RNs 

will be felt for a generation in contrast to the attrition of nurses at retirement 

age. The loss of frontline hospital RNs will not only mean a labor disruption 

for hospitals, but also for many other care settings that depend on experienced 

hospital nurses for specialty settings and practices. 

What we know about nurses’ stress and their ability to adapt and function. 

Several major recent surveys of nurses provide some insight into the recent 

exodus of younger nurses and to understanding occupational stress from an 

actionable perspective. The American Nurses Association Second Year Covid-19 

Impact Assessment Survey received responses from 11,964 nurses in January 

2022. 4 This survey built upon previous surveys and included questions on 

mental health, well-being, financial impact, perceived organizational support 

and intent to leave their current position. The responses to many items seem 

to reflect opposing opinions. For example, for the question regarding intent to 

leave your position within six months, 52% answered yes or maybe, and 48% 

replied no. In another example, 30% of nurses rated their emotional health as 

not or not at all healthy, and 37% rated theirs as emotionally healthy or very 

healthy. While this survey identified numerous activities to strengthen wellbeing, 

a similar distribution is seen in regard to nurses’ perceptions of their 

organizations’ caring with respect to well-being. 43% of nurses disagreed 

or strongly disagreed that their organizations cared about their well-being, 

as compared to 32% who agreed or strongly agreed. Staffing shortages not 

surprisingly were reported by 89% of acute care nurses, predominately at a 

moderate or highly serious level. The majority of acute care nurses experienced 

bullying and incivility from patients and families. And 20-25% experienced 

incivility and bullying from colleagues, managers, and supervisors. 

The ANA’s Mental Health and Wellness Survey compiled responses from 

9,572 nurses in the early Fall of 2021. 5 On a scale of 1-10 rating the ability of 

nurses to recover or adjust to the impact of Covid-19 on their well-being, the 

average score was 6.2. But again, the survey showed high levels of responses to 

items at each end of the spectrum with 42% of nurses reporting having had an 

extremely stressful, disturbing, or traumatic experience due to COVID-19, and 

52% reporting they had not experienced this. Thus, the impact of the trauma of 

work during the pandemic was perceived differently, as one would expect from 

the epidemiology of stress and its impact on health. 

The third survey, undertaken by AMN Healthcare in Spring 2021, reported 

data received from 6,562 active and practicing nurses who had provided direct 

care within the previous year. 6 Focused on understanding nurses’ perspectives 

during the pandemic, they reported the findings relative to whether they had 

Covid, and whether they cared for Covid-19 patients. Over 50% of nurses 

reported feeling burnt out to some degree, feeling emotionally drained, and that 

their job was adversely impacting their health. Almost 40% felt misunderstood 

by their employer, and over half reported not getting what they wanted from 

their job. Many of these findings were worse for nurses who either had Covid-19 

or who cared for Covid-19 patients. 

Thus, based on the findings from these three surveys it is reasonable to 

conclude, within the limitations of these individual studies, that many nurses 

are adapting and coping well, while many are not. In terms of the nursing 

workforce, it is not an overstatement to say that each nurse who leaves the 

profession is one too many. System solutions must be strengthened where 

already in place and introduced where they are missing. 

Strategic Mitigation (Taking Action) 

Recognizing occupational stress in nursing as a public health issue can 

frame a comprehensive and systematic approach to address immediate, midrange, 

and long-term needs. Effective mitigation of occupational stress for 

nurses requires three levels of interventions: primary, secondary, and tertiary. 

Primary interventions aim to prevent occupational stress harm before it 

occurs. Secondary prevention aims to reduce the impact of stress once harm 

has occurred, and tertiary prevention aims to lessen the long-term impact of 

nurses who experience persistent harmful effects. Each of these three levels of 

prevention must be addressed in a systematic way at all levels, including the 

policy and population level, organization level, and by the individual nurses. 

At a fundamental policy level, as envisioned in the FON report, major changes 

are needed in payment systems to healthcare organizations that shift away 

from incorporating nurses in the room rate. Such mechanisms incentivize 

minimization of nurse resources, rather than recognizing and paying for the 

value that nursing contributes to healthcare. The current pay for performance 

structures may be a good beginning, but they are insufficient to fully incentivize 

organizations to optimize rather than minimize nurse resources. This should 

have a positive influence on nurse workload. Other policies, with associated 

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regulatory requirements, could strengthen and 

make more consistent, organization-level programs 

to promote healthy workplaces and reduce the 

threats from workplace violence and lateral incivility. 

Increased funding provided through national 

and state level policy change would help support 

organization-level efforts. 

Organizations should implement programs that 

address the three levels of prevention to help those 

nurses not yet affected, those nurses in the early 

stages of harm, and those nurses who have incurred 

chronic adverse effects. One example of this is the 

Stress First Aid (SFA) program, initially developed 

by the U.S. military, and now available through the 

Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare. This 

program helps leaders and staff create customized 

implementation plans. 

As seen from the nurse survey data, programs 

are needed to address bullying, lateral incivility, 

and workplace violence. Organizations can adapt 

programs and toolkits already in place. For example, 

the recently published VHHA Workplace Violence 

Prevention Toolkit, developed with input from 

the VNA, provides information about applicable 

state laws, background information, and detailed 

guidelines to support organizations in developing, 

implementing, evaluating, and sustaining workplace 

violence prevention programs. Another example 

of an adaptable toolkit is the PACERS program, 

funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. 

This toolkit provides a systematic and multi-level 

approach to create care environments of respect 

and civility; both issues are specifically identified 

as highly problematic in the recent nurse surveys. 

Organizational guidance for developing resiliency 

to prevent nurse burnout is available from many 

sources. The Joint Commission published a guide 

for healthcare leaders in 2019 that guides leaders 

to empower employees’ ability to access resources, 

information, and support needed to perform their 

work and to gain the opportunity to develop. 7 

Inadequate staffing is a major source of 

occupational stress for nurses, which was 

exacerbated by the pandemic. Minimum staff 

ratios are seen as a solution by some and by 

others as a solution with many unintended and 

negative consequences for patients, nurses, and 

other employees. But from an occupational stress 

perspective, appropriate and effective nurse staffing 

is a prerequisite for addressing occupational stress. 

At a minimum, nurse-led groups should create unitlevel 

staffing plans based on a patient population’s 

acuity and needs, and matched with staff’s skills 

and experience. (ANA, https://www.nursingworld. 

org/practice-policy/nurse-staffing/nurse-staffingadvocacy/) 

While building resilience and promoting adaptive 

coping skills are important for individual nurses, the 

burden and responsibility cannot be borne solely by 

the nurse. Effective occupational stress mitigation 

must occur at the policy and organizational level for 

individual nurses to be successful. However, several 

evidence-based key strategies for nurses to prevent 

stress injury emerge from the occupational stress 

literature: 

• Identify and understand your own 

vulnerabilities and the specific sources of your 

job stress. 

• Regularly assess stress-levels and the presence 

of stress injury signs and symptoms using an 

established scale such as the Stress First Aid 

framework. 

• Be aware that stress injury may manifest as 

medical condition, psychological distress, or 

as tobacco abuse, alcohol and drug abuse, 

aggression, and violence. 

• Identify support resources available through a 

professional organization, other peer groups, 

your organization, or through your health plan. 

• Identify and implement individual stress 

management strategies. 

• Develop and use social support, at work and 

at home. (Being part of a cohesive health 

workgroup and networks have significant 

protective impact.) 

• If injury has occurred, emphasis must be 

first placed on healing in the short-term. 

Discontinuing employment in the current 

setting may be indicated. Use support 

networks in making any critical decisions 

about your employment, career, or personal 

life. 

nurses, the profession, and to the overall healthcare 

system. Occupational stress has become more 

pronounced during the Covid-19 pandemic but the 

underlying causes are not new and are generally 

well-known. Systematic mitigation is required to 

address underlying causes, prevent stress injury 

from occurring, minimize the extent of harm to 

individual nurses and the profession, and to help 

nurses with significant stress injury recover and 

return fully to the healthcare workforce. 

1 Sauter, S.L. et al., (NORA Organization of Work Team 

Members). (2002). The Changing organization of work 

and the safety and health of working people: Knowledge 

gaps and directions. National Institute for Occupational 

Safety and Health. 

2 Quick, J.C. & Henderson, D.F. (2016). Occupational 

stress: Preventing suffering, enhancing wellbeing. 

International Journal of Environmental Research and 

Public Health, 13(4):1-11. doi:10.3390/ijerph13050459 

✓ 

3 Auerbach, D.I., Buerhaus, P.I., Donelan, K. & 

Staiger, D.O. (2022). A worrisome drop in the 

number of young nurses. Health Affairs Forefront. 

https://w w w.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/ 

forefront.20220412.311784/ 

4 American Nurses Foundation. (2022). COVID-19 Two- 

Year Impact Assessment. American Nurses Foundation 

& Joslin Insight. 

5 American Nurses Foundation. (2021). Mental Health 

and Wellness Survey Report. American Nurses 

Foundation & Joslin. 

6 AMN Healthcare. (2021). Nursing and the nation: 

Extreme challenges, extraordinary impact. 2021 Survey 

of Registered Nurses. AMN Healthcare. https://www. 

amnhealthcare.com/siteassets/amn-insights/surveys/ 

amn-healthcare_2021-rn-survey.pdf 

7 The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare. 

Stress First Aid. Accessed 6/22/22, https://www. 

theschwartzcenter.org/stress-first-aid-private/ 

The Joint Commission (2019). Developing resilience to 

combat nurse burnout. Quick Safety, Issue 50. The 

Joint Commission, Division of Healthcare Improvement. 

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In summary, occupational stress is an emerging 

public health issue that poses a significant threat to



FALL 

CONFERENCE 

AGENDA 

Leadership Development Pre-Conference Session 

Developing Effective Communication for a Healthier Workforce 

Diane Salter, MSN, RN, CPAN, NE-BC 

Bullying & Incivility Content Expert, Healthy Workforce Institute 

Ineffective communication is cited as the most common cause of 

medical error. Yet, we don’t often teach healthcare leaders how to 

develop and foster good communication skills in themselves and their 

teams. 

The Time for Change is NOW! 

2022 VNA & VNF Fall Conference 

The Virginia Nurses Association invites you to join us IN-PERSON for our 2022 

Fall Conference, The Time for Change is NOW! This program will be held 

September 9-10, 2022 at the Westfields Marriott in Chantilly, Virginia. We 

hope you’ll join us for what will be our 1st IN-PERSON event since prepandemic!! 

Nursing is at a precipice. The pandemic has debilitated an already failing 

and antiquated structure. We continue to struggle with appropriate staffing, 

unhealthy work environments, and developing the workforce we need for 

the future. All of this leaves the nurses disengaged and our patients 

disadvantaged. How can we change this? 

The Time for Change is NOW! During this conference, we will address how nurses can and must lead 

the next evolution of healthcare through innovation and collaboration. Dr. Oriana Beaudet, Vice 

President of Innovations at the American Nurses Association Enterprise, will help us explore how 

every nurse can contribute to transforming nursing so that we can better serve the people behind 

our purpose. We will hear from innovators in nursing and healthcare that are taking chances, trying 

new approaches, and transforming the work we do. After we learn from change makers, Dr. Oriana 

Beaudet will lead conference participants through a Design Challenge where we will develop big 

solutions to address nurse staffing and unhealthy work environments. Let’s work together to change 

the future of nursing! 

When 

Rates 

September 9 & 10 

Pre-conference & Fall Conference VNA Member | $300 

Pre-conference & Fall Conference Nonmember | $375 

Fall Conference only VNA Member | $249 

Fall Conference only Nonmember | $295 

Photos courtesy of Westfields Marriott 

Where 

https://virginianurses.com/page/FallConference 

8.25 

Contact 

Hours 

Westfields Marriott Washington Dulles 

14750 Conference Center Drive 

Chantilly, VA 20151 

3.75 

Contact 

Hours 

The message is clear - communication skills may be as important, if not more important, 

than clinical skills. This workshop is designed to teach healthcare leaders the essential 

strategies and tactics they need to develop better communication skills for a safe and 

healthy workforce. 

Join the Healthy Workforce Institute’s Bullying & Incivility Expert, Diane Salter, to learn 

how to develop assertive communication skills among the healthcare team, incorporate 

body language techniques to strengthen team relationships, and create standards and 

systems that foster collegiality. 

Day 1 Keynote Address: Nurses are Positioned to Lead Healthcare’s Transformation 

Oriana Beaudet, DNP, RN, PHN, Vice President of Nursing Innovation, American Nurses Association Enterprise 

The dynamic nature of change happening across healthcare will impact every aspect of care-and nursing. We’ll be unpacking 

system level changes to identify how barriers can be scaled to transform healthcare. The future of health is going to require the 

novel thinking and holistic ecosystem perspective unique to nursing. 

Day 2 Keynote Address: H.O.P.E. for Happy - Workforce Strategies from America’s Frontlines 

April Hansen, MSN, RN, President of Workforce Solutions, Aya Healthcare 

After helping to lead the largest deployment of healthcare workers in our nation’s history, workforce expert April Hansen leans on 

lessons learned from America’s fractured frontlines to share powerful strategies for organizations to rebuild and repair their teams. 

Ultimately, April’s insights allow organizations to take actionable steps towards a happy work environment where individuals thrive 

and organizations grow. 

General Session: Value-based Reimbursement: What Nurses Need to Know 

Betty Rambur, PhD, RN, FAAN, Professor of Nursing and Routhier Endowed Chair for Practice, University of 

Rhode Island 

Payment reform focused on shifting reimbursement from a reactive volume-based system that is riddled with quality gaps to a 

proactive value-based system holds great promise for nurses. This presentation describes the context for payment reform as well as 

the economic impetus and ethical imperative for change. It details an array of payment models that can foster nurse innovation 

and better population health, if nurses can seize the opportunities presented. Participants will gain enhanced understanding of 

and capacity to lead value-informed nursing practice and demonstrate the value of nursing in tangible, quantifiable ways. 

Additional Fall Conference Sessions: 

(More info to come at www.virginianurses.com!) 

Rapid Fire Innovation Presentations 

Combatting Racism in Nursing 

Design Challenge: Designing Innovative Possibilities for Virginia Nurses 

https://virginianurses.com/page/FallConference


Thank you to our 

2022 Fall Conference 

sponsors! 

Diamond Sponsor 

Thank you to our 

2022 Gala Sponsors! 

Diamond Sponsors 

Platinum Sponsor 

Platinum Sponsor 

Gold Sponsors 

Gold Sponsor 

President’s Reception Sponsor 

Photo Booth Sponsor 

Poster Session Sponsor


Looking to Level Up? Join Our 

Nurse Leadership Academy in 2023! 


Lindsey Cardwell, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, 

Director of Professional Development 

As you read in Janet Wall’s CEO Report in the 

February edition of Virginia Nurses Today, the Nurse 

Leadership Academy kicked off its inaugural year in 

January of 2022 with some fabulous presenters and 

content! 

The Academy’s flagship year has continued 

flawlessly with four additional virtual sessions 

to develop the 39 nurse fellows. This content has 

been presented by healthcare leaders with amazing 

expertise and knowledge! Our fellows have examined 

their personal leadership and communication styles 

through a DiSC Leadership Profile assessment and 

explored topics such as providing and receiving 

effective feedback, authentic leadership in 

healthy work environments, leading with cultural 

humility, facilitating a high reliability environment 

through patient safety, a spirit of inquiry, and 

process improvement, and the influencer role in 

change management. Fellows will participate in 

a final virtual session in June focused around 

examining the finances of healthcare. Following 

this session, the 39 fellows will embark on their 

individual applied leadership projects within their 

organizations under the guidance of their chosen 

mentor. In December 2022, all nurse fellows will 

share their leadership projects and the outcomes 

they have achieved and we plan to have an 

opportunity for the Academy fellows to disseminate 

their work to you! 

“Most training offered by 

my organization is aimed at 

discussing tools or strategies 

for specific programs. The NLA 

reaches us on a personal level to 

develop our professional skills!” 

Nurse Leadership Academy fellows have shared 

that the Academy goes well beyond the development 

provided by their organizations and “reaches us on a 

personal level to develop our professional skills!” The 

feedback underscores that the program has been 

meeting and exceeding professional development 

needs and that all nurse leaders should attend the 

Academy! 

If you are a new or emerging nurse leader, we 

encourage you to learn more about the Nurse 

Leadership Academy at https://virginianurses.com/ 

mpage/VNFNLA! This program was meticulously 

designed by experienced nurse leaders of varying 

backgrounds across the commonwealth to meet 

the professional development needs of nurses 

transitioning into leadership roles across ALL 

healthcare practice environments. The first six 

months of this year-long program are dedicated to 

live virtual didactic sessions focused on the following 

core topics: 

• Fundamentals of effective leadership 

• Organizational culture 

• Facilitating a high reliability environment 

• Influencing change: Driving outcomes through 

strategic action 

• No margin no mission – Examining the 

finances of healthcare. 

“I am really enjoying reflecting 

on myself and seeing my 

opportunities to grow and lead 

my team in a positive, effective 

manner!” 

The second six months are focused on applying 

the concepts learned in an applied leadership project 

in the fellow’s organization under the direction 

of their mentor. The goal of this program is to 

prepare emerging and new nurse leaders with the 

foundational leadership skills needed to lead change 

and teams in their organizations. 

VNF’s Nurse Leadership Academy inaugural 

launch was kicked off with ANA Enterprise CEO 

and past VNA President Dr. Loressa Cole, with the 

compelling story of her leadership path from her 

childhood in the Appalachians of West Virginia to 

her present-day success. 

Next Rose Markey, senior learning and 

development consultant at the University of Virginia, 

discussed the four skill sets of courage during her 

“Introduction to Courageous Leadership.” Rose 

is also a member of the global team of Certified 

Dare to Lead Facilitators based on the work of 

researcher and New York Times best-selling author 

Dr. Brené Brown, and the learning and dialogue 

“I am absolutely enjoying every 

single session and find myself 

looking forward to the next.” 

“It’s hitting all the topics I need 

in my leadership role.” 

was fascinating! We discussed “Armored vs. Daring 

Leadership,” how to practice our values, not just 

profess them, and why “vulnerability” has gotten a 

bad rap! Rose also examined how to master difficult 

conversations; a discussion the Academy’s Nurse 

Fellows examined in greater depth during the 

February program. 

The ever-popular Dr. Eileen O’Grady closed the 

day for us with a focus on how Nurse Leadership 

Hinges on Well-being. Dr. O’Grady is a certified Adult 

Nurse Practitioner and ICF-Certified Wellness Coach. 

She is Founder of The School of Wellness, and holds 

a master’s degree in public health from The George 

Washington University, as well as a master’s degree 

in nursing and a PhD in nursing from George Mason 

University. 

“I feel that every leader should 

take this course!” 

Dr. O’Grady is also author and editor of six 

books, most recently, Advanced Practice Nursing: 

An Integrative Approach and Intentional Therapeutic 

Relationships: Advancing Caring in Health Care, a 

how-to book on placing relationships at the center 

of health care. Her most recent book is her most 

personal, Choosing Wellness: Unconventional Wisdom 

for the Overwhelmed, the Discouraged, the Addicted, 

the Fearful or the Stuck, (2021). 

If this has piqued your curiosity, or you think a 

colleague might be interested, please bookmark 

our Academy web page, https://virginianurses. 

com/mpage/VNFNLA. Questions? Contact our 

Director of Professional Development Lindsey 

Cardwell who, along with the Steering Committee, 

was instrumental in creating this highly dynamic 

program! lcardwell@virginianurses.com. 

Register today for the 2023 virtual Nurse 

Leadership Academy!


Virginia Nurses Foundation Announces 

2022 Award Finalists 

The Virginia Nurses Foundation (VNF) announced the finalists of annual 

awards honoring those in the commonwealth who made special contributions to 

the nursing profession. Winners will be announced at the VNF Gala, held at the 

Westfields Marriott Washington Dulles on September 10, 2022. 

Chief Nursing Officer Finalists 

• Yolanda Maurice, Bon Secours Mercy Health St. Mary's Hospital 

• Robert Boesch, Centra Health 

• Sadie Thurman, Riverside Regional Medical Center 

• Christina Grabus, Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center 

Direct Patient Care Leader - Patient Experience Finalists 

• Jennifer Gorman, Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center 

• Erin Stacy, Bon Secours St. Mary's Hospital 

• Teresa Doss, Centra 

• Belinda Tomlin, Centra Medical Group 

• Rebekah Miller, Inova Mount Vernon Hospital 

• Jennifer Redd, LewisGale Hospital Montgomery (HCA) 

• Kimberly Williams, Sentara Norfolk General Hospital 

• Samantha Paquette, Sentara Obici Hospital 

• Stephanie Newman, UVA Culpeper Hospital 

• Karri Bishop, UVA Health 

Direct Patient Care Leader - Patient Safety Finalists 

• Amber Sawyer, Carilion Children's 

• Tamara Kelejian, Central Virginia Healthcare System 

• Loretta Nisly, Culpeper Hospital / UVA Health 

• Susan Breisch, Inova Mount Vernon Hospital 

• Latoia Kidd, Sentara Norfolk General Hospital 

• Lucy Vinson, Sentara Norfolk General Hospital 

• Kristi Wilkins, UVA Health 

• Tracy-Ann Clarke, Valley Health Winchester Medical Center 

• Sam Rowland, VCU Medical Center 

• Emily Warwick, VCU Medical Center 

Nurse Educator Finalists 

• Jeannie Corey, James Madison University 

• Holly Buchanan, James Madison University School of Nursing 

• Adrienne Hartgerink, Old Dominion University 

• Ashley Chrisman, Sentara Obici Hospital 

• Keshia Blakeney, Sentara Norfolk General Hospital 

• Victoria Buffmire, UVA Health 

• Jessica Wisecarver, VHC Health 

Nurse Manager/Director Finalists 

• Kristina Massey, Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital 

• Johanna Derrenbacker, Centra 

• Carrie White, Centra 

• Shannon Miles, Centra 

• Zewdensh Bryant, Inova Mount Vernon Hospital 

• Deidre Thomas, Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center 

• Taralyn Wear, UVA Health 

• Marie Wilborn, VA Medical Center / Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical 

Center 

• Martha Brooks, VCU Health 

• Nina Carter, VCU Health 

• Emily League, VCU Health 

• Laura Reitmeier, VCU Medical Center 

Nurse Researcher Finalists 

• Samantha McClure, HCA - LewisGale Hospital Montgomery 

• Kathryn Reid, Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital 

• Joanne Williams-Reed, Sentara Norfolk General Hospital 

• Elizabeth Epstein, University of Virginia School of Nursing 

• Claiborne Miller-Davis, UVA Health 

Nursing Informatics Finalists 

• Jenna Lloyd Fisher, Centra 

• Jenna Dziuba, Centra 

• Trina Trimmer, VCU Health 

Nursing School Dean/Director Finalists 

• Suzanne Wright, Old Dominion University 

• Deborah Sullivan-Yates, Riverside College of Health Careers 

Public Health Nurse Finalists 

• Student Health Nurses in Roanoke City Public Schools, Carilion Children's 

• Barbara Kelly-Gibbs, Sentara Obici Hospital 

• Lori White, Sentara Obici Hospital 

• Vickie Southall, University of Virginia School of Nursing 

• Katherine Kois, UVA Health 

• Dee Dee Yoder, UVA Health 

Public/State Government Service Finalists 

• Board of Nursing Team: Claire Morris, Jacquelyn Wilmoth, Robin Hills and 

Christina Bargdill, Virginia Board of Nursing 

• Corri Miller-Hobbs, VCU Medical Center 

REGISTER NOW 

Virginia Oncology Associates 5th Annual Nursing Conference 

Trends in Oncology Nursing 

Space is limited! 

When: Saturday, September 17, 2022 | 7:00 AM – 2:50 PM 

Where: The Westin Virginia Beach Town Center | Virginia Beach, VA 

To register: virginiacancer.com/nursingconference 

For more information, please call (757) 274-8847



Challenges in the Nursing Workforce, Graduate Nursing 

Education, and Future of Nursing 

Georgianna Thomas, D.Ed., MSN, RN 

Somi Nagaraj, DNP, MSN, RN, CSSGB, CONTL 

Reprinted with permission from 

Illinois The Nursing Voice September 2021 issue 

The healthcare sector is an intricate, albeit 

fundamental, part of ancient and modern societies. 

It comprises a long list of agents, from the individual 

seeking healthcare services to the medical staff 

and nurses, all operating within a legal framework 

involving providers, consumers, insurance 

companies, government, medical schools, nursing 

schools, and regulatory institutions (Amorim Lopes 

et al., 2015). 

The healthcare market is always composed 

of both suppliers of health services and patients 

demanding their services. On the one side is the 

workforce of physicians, nurses, and remaining 

clinical staff educated according to standards and 

criteria, ready to assist those in need. On the other 

side stand the forces that drive the demand for 

medical services, strongly related to demographic, 

socioeconomic, and epidemiological factors. 

Analyzing these two market forces is a critical step 

in assessing whether the available health care 

human resources are enough in quantity and skills 

to meet the current and future demand in due time 

and may lay solid foundations for further research, 

considering perhaps changes to the existing health 

policy framework (Amorim Lopes et al., 2015). 

A high degree and extent of uncertainty affect 

supply and demand: asymmetric information 

between physicians, nurses, and patients, 

restrictions on competition, an aging workforce 

in all areas, strong government interference, and 

supply-induced demand are some of the most 

glaring differences that can be pinpointed. These 

may be relevant when assessing the impact of any 

policy involving Healthcare Human Resource [HHR] 

planning (Amorim Lopes et al., 2015). 

Supply 

Supplying human capital with the appropriate 

expertise to enable workers to perform and satisfy 

the demand for health care is no simple task. The 

time and effort required to equip HHR, especially 

physicians and advanced nurse practitioners, 

exceeds most other professions. In some particular 

healthcare professions, the set of necessary skills 

to qualify for medical practice is acquired through 

extensive academic learning, which involves 

enrollment in long courses that may take up decades 

to complete due to a strict licensing process. The 

analysis of the medical and nurse education process 

is relevant but may be insufficient, as several other 

factors may affect the efficiency and effectiveness 

of the care services delivered (Amorim Lopes et al., 

2015). 

Despite the limitations, some measures to 

overcome imbalances in the quantity (number) 

of physicians and nurses have already been 

identified in the health policy literature (Chopra 

et al., 2008), namely the following: increasing the 

number of domestic- and foreign-trained medical 

graduates or increasing the number of medical and 

nursing schools and classroom sizes; increasing 

the enrollment limits; reducing the requirements 

for entry to medical and nursing schools; raising 

the wages of the medical and nursing staff, as well 

as the perspectives for their future career path; or 

reducing the costs of attending medical and nursing 

school, which may encourage potential students to 

enroll. These proposals are short-term measures to 

alleviate the immediate stress put on the healthcare 

system triggered by an undersupply of personnel 

and may not be suitable for tackling long-term 

imbalances due to huge shortages or surpluses 

of medical and nursing staff (Amorim Lopes et al., 

2015). 

Demand 

Demand for health care is a derived demand 

(Grossman, 1972), which means that people do 

not seek health care services as a final good for 

consumption but as an intermediate service allowing 

them to be healthy and to improve their stock of 

health capital (well-being). They want to improve 

their health, and to do so; they seek healthcare 

services (Amorim Lopes et al., 2015). 

The concept of needs in health care is not 

consensual in the health literature, with a semantic 

confusion arising from its use in health economics 

(Hall & Mejia, 2009). While the economic or effective 

demand translates the actual, observed demand, 

usually measured in terms of service utilization 

ratios such as bed occupancy rates, number of 

inpatients, the needs component tries to fully 

encompass the epidemiological conditions that 

characterize a given population, measured through 

morbidity and mortality rates or by the opinion of 

a panel of experts, and how that may translate into 

a given quantity of required healthcare services. 

Therefore, we see that the classical concept of 

economic demand may not reflect the biological 

needs of the population, as it may leave out the 

necessities of the population regardless of their 

ability to pay (Amorim Lopes et al., 2015). 

An integrated approach uses a dynamic, systemlevel 

perspective covering key drivers of supply and 

demand that includes manpower planning and 

workforce development is critical to overcoming such 

challenges (Stordeur et al., 2010). The importance 

of paying attention to needs is also continuously 

stressed, as changes in the health patterns of the 

populations take place (Tomblin et al., 2009). The 

impact of microeconomic and organizational changes 

in productivity and the skill mix, of the evolution 

of demand for healthcare services, and also of 

the evolution of health diseases and its potential 

impact on the health system. The given quantity 

of workers may provide more or less healthcare 

services depending on their productivity and skill 

mix, influencing the conversion from headcounts 

to full-time equivalents (FTEs). Such conversion is 

critical to properly assess the healthcare workforce, 

as a significant number of physicians and nurses 

work part-time only. For this reason, FTE is a more 

accurate measure as it normalizes headcounts. 

On the demand side, economic (effective) demand 

can be initially measured by analyzing utilization 

indicators. How this demand will evolve in the future 

will then be subject to typical economic factors such 

as demography and the growth of the income/GDP 

(Amorim Lopes et al., 2015). 

In parallel, potential needs can be assessed 

by incorporating the incidence and prevalence of 

diseases and then mapping a given disease to an 

estimate of FTE requirements. Whether future 

supply forecasts should tackle all of the estimated 

needs is a decision left to the consideration of the 

policymaker, as the analysis does not incorporate 

financial constraints. Despite the abundance of 

approaches and techniques to determine supply and 

need for professionals, none of the methodologies has 

ultimately proved to be superior (Ricketts, 2011). 

Recent studies testing current forecasting 

models show that there is still plenty of room for 

improvement given the gap between projected and 

actual results (Greuningen et al., 2013). It becomes 

even clearer that workforce planning should be 

accurate and performed in due time, given the 

attritions and the delays in enacting policies in the 

healthcare sector. Adapting medical and nursing 

schools, altering legislation, and changing roles is an 

effort that may take years to bring forth. Therefore, 

planning has to target a long enough time horizon 

to be useful and applicable and has to be done preemptively 

(Amorim Lopes et al., 2015). 

Accurate HHR planning requires an approach 

that is both integrated and flexible, featuring 

supply and demand (potential and effective) and 

incorporating less tangible factors, such as skill mix 

and productivity (Amorim Lopes et. al., 2015). 

Academia 

Looking at the area of academia, there are 

many issues at hand that present challenges for 

nursing education at the doctoral level. Having 

enough faculty to provide quality education to those 

interested in pursuing a doctoral degree in nursing 

relies on competent individuals. Presently there are 

two types of doctoral degrees one can earn, both are 

terminal degrees, and both allow nurses to continue 

to practice in the clinical field. The Doctor of Nursing 

Practice (DNP) has a clinical focus that allows the 

nurse to possess expert knowledge to influence 

healthcare outcomes across direct patient care, 

advocating for healthcare policy implementation, and 

collaborating with organizational leadership (Leveck, 

2020, Chism 2010). The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) 

focuses on research in advancing the nursing 

profession and change the quality of patient care 

and outcomes in the field. PhD nurses also teach 

and mentor nurses at the college and university 

level, growing the next cohorts of professional 

nurses. There is a difference between these two 

degrees in their primary foci and length of education 

(registerednursing.com). However, the DNP degree 

has become the more sought-after degree, and 

individuals who have earned it are considered 

equal at many institutions in academia in relation 

to tenure attainment and administrative positions. 

It was more common to see the individual with a 

PhD in the academic setting. However, individuals 

seeking this degree are decreasing in number, and 

some individuals are having difficulty completing 

their dissertation. This adds to the faculty shortage 

we continue to experience in the profession. There is 

a distinction between the two degrees and needs to 

be recognized and valued in advancing new nurses, 

however, the DNP graduate is more prepared for the 

clinical arena. 

According to Drs. Di Fang and Karen Kesten, 

one-third of the current nursing faculty workforce 

in all levels of education are expected to retire by 

2025 (ANA Fact Sheet, 2020). This will certainly 

have an effect on the numbers of students who will 

be accepted when they apply for nursing education 

overall. 

Continuous changes in the nursing and 

medical fields have been rapidly evolving because 

of technology and studies such as the genome 

project. Graduate student feedback to courses and 

discussions with clinical affiliates to the college/ 

university are two ways that information can be 

ascertained in relation to curricular issues for 

content. Accreditation standard revisions and the 

recently adopted Essentials with emphasis on 

outcomes and competencies in learning have also 

added to many of the changes schools are making to 

revise overall curriculums (AACN, 2021). Learning 

theories are used to expose students to various 

learning experiences. Online teaching, simulation, 

inter-professional learning, case studies, and other 

teaching formats take much time to prepare and 

grade and may not all be familiar for present faculty 

to fulfill. 

Interdisciplinary education (IPE) among the 

various healthcare providers is expected to 

be utilized in schools. This type of education 

provides shared experiences that allow for better 

understanding, improved engagement, and clearer 

insight into cooperation in the work environment 

and quality patient care. This activity in schools 

with major medical affiliations has an edge in 

providing this type of learning while many smaller 

colleges and universities struggle to gain this 

opportunity. Many IPE opportunities that do exist 

are noted through simulation-enhanced activity 

(Fawaz, 2018). Although simulation is helpful, realtime 

situations may affect the learner differently 

when exposed. 

Technology has become more influential in our 

lives, especially after the past year and a half of 

pandemic experiences. However, online education 

is not a new concept in education. Use of learning 

platforms, Zoom meetings, Wiki’s, Google docs, 

social media, Electronic Health Records, and so 

on have not been mastered by all in education, 

faculty, or student. Many students like the idea 

behind online learning in that they can study 

at their own pace often or at a time that is most 

convenient for them. This strategy for education 

allows for flexibility to view course material in 

both an asynchronous and, at times, synchronous 

format. Faculty find this learning takes more time 

in their schedule for preparation and grading than 

when classes met traditionally. Class size is not 

always capped. Lack of support staff with course 

development and difficulty managing technological 

changes have been identified as barriers to distance 

education (Iwasiw et al., 2020). This becomes 

frustrating to both teacher and student in that the 

partnership that develops in learning is not fully 

developed. 

Future of Nursing 

The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a 

Path to Achieve Health Equity, study sponsored by 

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation identified, that 

a nation cannot thrive fully until everyone can live


their healthiest possible life, and helping people 

live their healthiest life is and has always been 

the essential role of nurses. The ultimate goal is 

to achieve health equity in the United States built 

on strengthened nursing capacity and expertise 

(National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and 

Medicine, 2021). 

The committee developed a framework identifying 

the key areas for strengthening the nursing 

profession to meet the challenges of the decade 

ahead. These areas include the nursing workforce, 

leadership, nursing education, nurse well-being, and 

emergency preparedness and response, as well as 

responsibilities of nursing with respect to structural 

and individual determinants of health (National 

Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 

2021). 

In 1998 the Pew Health Professions Commission, 

a group of healthcare leaders charged with assisting 

health policymakers and educators teaching 

health professionals to meet the changing needs 

of healthcare systems, completed a report listing 

competencies healthcare providers of the future 

would need. The competencies are listed in the 

Fourth Report of the Pew Health Professions 

Commission (O’Neal & Pew Health Professions 

Commission, 1998). 

The book To Err Is Human: Building a Safer 

Health System (Kohn, Corrigan, & Donaldson, 1999) 

brought national attention to the issue of patient 

safety by discussing the number of people who 

die each year from medical errors. This, in turn, 

sharpened the focus of patient safety in nursing 

education (Scheckel, 2008). 

Despite the practice setting in which students 

learn nursing care, it will include using various 

technologies and knowledge of informatics to assist 

with patient care. These technologies can include 

but are not limited to medical devices patients will 

use to provide self-care, as well as information 

retrieval, clinical information management, and 

documentation technologies (Scheckel, 2008). 

Students’ use of these devices has important 

implications for improving their clinical judgment 

(Newman & Howse, 2007). Nurses are also being 

exposed to the use of variety of clinical management 

systems, like patient surveillance systems many of 

which have implications for ensuring quality and 

safety. 

A significant movement that accompanied the 

curriculum revolution involved using pedagogies 

to ensure students could think critically in clinical 

practice. Traditionally, students who learned the 

nursing process were thought to be learning critical 

thinking. During the past few decades, the nursing 

process has been challenged as the best approach 

to developing students’ critical thinking (Scheckel, 

2008). However, current research in nursing 

education suggests that students also need to 

engage in thinking processes that promote reflective 

thinking, where they build practical knowledge, 

embodied thinking, where they learn the importance 

of intuition and pluralistic thinking, where they 

consider a clinical situation using many perspectives 

(Scheckel & Ironside, 2006). 

Innovations 

As nurses assume increasing responsibility 

for patient care in primary care settings, the 

combination of increased clinical and systems 

knowledge, as well as the capability to apply and 

evaluate evidence to practice innovations, can 

only have a positive impact. The presence of DNPprepared 

APRNs in primary care will expand 

educational opportunities. In the short term, 

the DNP-prepared APRNs can mentor the MSNprepared 

APRNs within the system. Equally 

important is the opportunity for enhanced 

preceptor education for nursing students in 

primary care (Dunbar-Jacob et al., 2013). 

Indeed, the preparation of the DNP will influence 

the perception of health care systems regarding the 

added value of DNP education. If graduates of such 

programs bring an increased depth of knowledge 

and skill to the clinical arena, the DNP will likely 

flourish. If graduates bring little more than what 

is offered by master’s-level education, the DNP will 

not be an attractive addition to the clinical arena. 

Thus, the quality of the preparation of the DNP will 

influence the adoption of the DNP practitioner and 

administrator by health care systems (Dunbar- 

Jacob et al., 2013). 

Conclusion 

Challenges in building DNP programs include the 

identification of qualified faculty for each specialty, 

qualified capstone advisors, and qualified clinical 

preceptors. A further challenge is the simultaneous 

education of master’s cohorts and DNP cohorts. 

The challenges by requiring faculty to obtain a 

doctoral degree, developing critical academic– 

service partnerships in mentoring students for 

practicum and capstone projects, and discontinuing 

MSN advanced practice specialty programs while 

focusing on the BSN-to-DNP and MSN-to-DNP 

programs. High-quality DNP academics and 

DNP clinicians are crucial to help meet these 

challenges. Each educational program must assess 

its challenges and strategies for addressing those 

challenges. How we proceed will determine the 

impact of our programs on the future of the health 

care system (Dunbar-Jacob, Nativio, & Khalil, 

2013). 

In academia, both the PhD and DNP prepared 

nurses can work together to ensure quality 

education for our nursing students. Both need 

an educational foundation to be learned to be 

successful educators. The distinction of the PhD 

concentrating on teaching theory and research to 

assist nursing to maintain its scientific foundation 

and the DNP concentrating on the clinical skills 

and acting as preceptor/clinical educator at any 

level of nursing appear to be the ideal partnership 

to develop. Both nurses can assist academia and 

the clinical arena in staying current and developing 

innovative care measures to provide quality care 

to clients. When looking at the definitions noted 

at the beginning of this work, this collaboration in 

teaching nurses fits what was noted.¬

Virginia Nurses Today - August 2022

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