Written: 6/3-6/4

"If you want someone to run a four-minute mile, you don't chase them, you give them something to run to." - Dr. Webber, Grey's Anatomy

It seems quite silly to be so moved by a fictitious character, but this quote has quickly become the basis of this issue. So rather than waste our words on an eloquently worded intro, we'll begin by simply saying...

We stand in solidarity and unity with all of our brothers and sisters, without discrimination, in this public health crisis and the next.

Now, let's read on...

-Your ANA\California Team
GEORGE FLOYD PROTESTS

The Black Lives Matter protests following George Floyd's death has made history as the largest civil right movement in history. All 50 states and 18 countries have participated in the protests, lasting nearly two weeks, and resulting in 11,000 arrests and 17 deaths as of June 2nd, 2020. See this map and list of protests.

But the response from the nursing community, in California, the U.S. and abroad, has been unified and responsive. "As a black man and registered nurse, I am appalled by senseless acts of violence, injustice, and systemic racism and discrimination. Even I have not been exempt from negative experiences with racism and discrimination. The [ANA] Code of Ethics obligates nurses to be allies and to advocate and speak up against racism, discrimination and injustice. This is non-negotiable," said ANA President Ernest J. Grant, PhD, RN, FAAN in a public statement.

ANA\California issued a statement on Monday , joining many other nursing and healthcare organizations who've released statements condemning racism and highlighting this as a public health crisis. Here are just a few of their statements:

  1. Capitol City Black Nurses Association
  2. National Black Nurses Association
  3. American Academy of Nursing
  4. American Public Health Association
  5. American Medical Association
  6. Oncology Nursing Society
  7. National Nurses United
  8. Harvard's Dean of Public Health
  9. American Association of Nurse Anesthetists
  10. American Association of Nurse Practitioners
  11. American Association of Colleges of Nursing
  12. American Psychiatric Nurses Association

It's no surprise, healthcare professionals have had a history of supporting these protests through both medical care and activism. During the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s, for example, a group of healthcare volunteers organized to create the Medical Committee for Human Rights (MCHR) specifically to provide first-aid services for injured protesters.

Today, nurses are aiding injured protesters, even after long shifts battling Coronavirus. But many medical professionals have also been met by unexpected police attacks on medical tents... and another... and another.

After hearing these stories, we connected with ANA\California members planning to attend a protest in San Diego. In response, we created this letter and notified Chief Dave Nisleit of the San Diego Police Department. Thank you Danisha Jenkins MSN, RN, CCRN, NEA-BC, Dr. Christina Kelley, DNP, RN, CCRN, Laura Chechel MSN, RN, CNS, APRN, Trisha Weers BSN, RN, PCCN and their colleagues for continuing to advocate during this time of civil unrest.

Should you also feel the need to attend a protest, we suggest you use this blanket letter made for all nurses. Simply fill in the blanks and send to your local Police Department to inform them of your ethical obligations while attending protests.

Please share this letter to protect your friends and fellow nurses. Just copy the link or download the document. It's also available on our website, anacalifornia.org .
Danisha Jenkins (far right) and colleagues pose before attending San Diego protest.
Walking to attend protest in San Diego.
Thousands of protesters gather in San Diego.
THE PERFECT STORM

But the combination of COVID-19 and George Floyd protests are creating the perfect storm... Nurses are grappling with making their voices heard at social justice rallies, the urge to help protesters who have been shot with rubber bullets and sprayed with tear gas, and the first-hand knowledge of how deadly and contagious COVID-19 can be.

Barbecues in the park are far different than large protests... California saw surges in several Los Angeles and Bay Area counties due to Memorial Day Weekend festivities but...

Many public health experts, nurses, physicians , and mayors are worried that protests will be a "super-spreader event". Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland, a Republican, expressed concern that his state would see a spike in cases in about two weeks, while Atlanta’s mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, advised people who were out protesting “to go get a COVID test this week.”

The Coronavirus pandemic and civil unrest have caused economic turmoil, forcing some hospitals to cancel elective surgeries... again... and send nurses home during the protests for safety reasons. ICYMI this financially staggering issue of the Pioneer shows California hospitals are already facing a deficit well north of $10 billion due to COVID-19.

This has put nurses between a rock and a hard place... and well, another hard place - mental health challenges.
SOMETHING TO RUN TO

Mental health challenges have plagued the nursing industry for decades. In the first national study of its size, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and UC San Diego Health, Department of Nursing, have found that nurses are at higher risk of suicide than the general population. To put into perspective, the World Health Organization reports that one person dies every 40 seconds by suicide.

COVID-19 has only added to the looming mental health crisis in nursing. A survey of 1,425 nurses across all 50 states reported a 30% decrease in their mental health since the pandemic hit, rating their current facility an average of 4.8 (on a scale of 1 to 10) in terms of the support it provided related to their mental health and well-being.

So it begs the question, "How do we, as a nursing community, invigorate our nurses to advocate for issues impacting their profession, like mental health, the same way George Floyd's death has done for so many nurses advocating against racism?"

In a recent blog, Dr. Dan Weberg PhD, RN, suggested three we focus on meaningful changes - Read Dr. Weberg's full responses here :
  1. Close the academic-practice gap.
  2. Accompany wellness programs with large-scale structural changes.
  3. Institute support programs tailored to nurses’ specific needs.

Did you think the answer would be easy? And so... we return to where we started, with the quote: "If you want someone to run a four-minute mile, you don't chase them, you give them something to run to."

This is the sentiment we'll be remembering as we connect with mental health leaders throughout the state of California to combat mental health challenges among nurses. Have your own ideas? We'd love to hear them.

Finally, while we all ponder the future of our nation and nursing, here are new mental health resources we've compiled over the past couple weeks:

Hello. We're ANA\California.

We enhance the health and well-being of Californians and advance the profession of nursing by advocating for legislation, regulation, and policies. We focus on improving quality care, quality experiences, quality nurses, and the quality of our profession. We're the ANA\California Team and we're here for you. How can we help?

Thousands of nurses have participated in our advocacy campaigns recently and we thank you for your support!  For those of you who've missed out on these critical campaigns, we've made digital advocacy as easy as 1-2-3.

1. Text "ANACNURSES" to 52886
2. Click the link in text message
3. Opt-in to receive curated action messages

ANA\California uses Phone 2 Action to do the heavy lifting for you. Send pre-written messages directly to your state representatives - all in one click!

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-- Your ANA\California Team