A multi-channel TV special, “American Nurse Heroes,” will premiere June 24, featuring inspiring true stories of nurses who provide care on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. An advanced practice nurse is spotlighted for her proactive efforts to help reduce the spread of coronavirus in early March 2020. Two nurses earn CURE 2021 Extraordinary Healer awards. A nursing podcast shines a light on the nursing professionals who are changing the status quo in healthcare. Read on for more nursing news and insights.
Nursing TV special to air in June
A New York-based public safety communications network is underwriting a multi-channel television event that will recognize the role of nurses in healthcare and the positive impact they have on the United States, especially in times of crisis. “American Nurse Heroes” will be produced by FirstNet® in conjunction with the American Nurses Association (ANA), Al Roker Entertainment (ARE), and HealthCom Media.
The program will premiere on Thursday, June 24, 2021 at 8 p.m. ET on Discovery Life. The special will feature inspiring true stories of nurses who selflessly provide expert, compassionate care on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional airings include June 26 at 10 a.m. ET on Destination America and 11 a.m. ET on the American Heroes Channel. It also will be broadcast in various NBC markets throughout the weekend, according to FirstNet officials.
“We are honored to be a part of a campaign that celebrates the courage, commitment, and resiliency of nurses, even under the most extreme conditions,” said Anna Courie, DNP, RN, PHNA-BC, director, responder for wellness at FirstNet.
Produced by Al Roker Entertainment, an industry-leading producer of original, award-winning TV programs and digital content led by the Emmy-winning Roker, “American Nurse Heroes” will highlight innovative solutions nurses have created during this unprecedented time.
From vaccine distribution to unique circumstances within the public health system and schools, nurses share challenges they have faced while exhibiting the highest level of professionalism. “The men and women featured in the “American Nurse Heroes” TV special set the bar for nursing excellence and embody what makes nursing the most trusted profession in the U.S.” said Greg Osborne, founder and president of HealthCom Media, the company that publishes the ANA’s American Nurse Journal.
“It has always been important for nursing professionals to incorporate the latest scientific evidence and technology tools into their practice,” said ANA president Ernest Grant, PhD, RN, FAAN, who will also be featured in the one-hour TV special. “We are fortunate to have FirstNet be a part of the “American Nurse Heroes” campaign, as we honor all nurses for their immeasurable contributions to improving health and healthcare not only during a crisis but each and every day.”
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Advanced practice nurse spotlighted for proactive pandemic leadership
Michelle Moccia, DNP, ANP-BC, GS-C, past president of the Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association (GAPNA), was recently featured in a spotlight article by the online publication Education and Career News as part of its “Empowering Our Nurses” series for her proactive efforts to help reduce the spread of coronavirus as the pandemic officially neared in the United States.
According to the article, when COVID-19 arrived in the U.S., it exposed deep cracks in the healthcare system. But through the efforts of Dr. Moccia, senior emergency room director for St. Mary Mercy Hospital in Livonia, MI, and other dedicated healthcare professionals, lives have been saved during the pandemic. As director, Moccia created relationships with 35 local nursing facilities, in addition to numerous group homes, home healthcare agencies, and local emergency medical services who used St. Mary Mercy Hospital as their emergency care provider long before the pandemic. Those efforts proved to be extremely valuable this past year, however.
In early March 2020, Moccia had anticipated the city’s facilities would be overwhelmed, the article reports. Dr. Moccia gathered the team providers and held weekly conference calls, then daily debriefs to address emergent care needs related to the pandemic. They lacked personal protective equipment (PPE), well-developed quarantine plans, and appropriate staff.
Considering that the older patients who lived in nursing facilities were the most impacted by the virus and at the most risk of dying, Moccia contacted the medical directors at each facility to address these concerns and request advance care planning. Along with other hospital healthcare professionals, Moccia visited the facilities and set up COVID-19 safe areas. She also helped mobilize the hospital’s lab to create nasal swab test kits for nursing facility residents and personnel.
During the beginning months and to this day, team members express gratitude to Moccia for her leadership, foresight, and heartfelt care, according to the article.
Two nurses earn CURE Extraordinary Healer Awards
Maria Lim, BSN, RN, OCN, BMTCN, has been named the winner of the 2021 Extraordinary Healer® Award for Oncology Nursing, which honors the expertise, compassion, and helpfulness of nurses in the cancer community, from CURE Media Group.
Jennifer E. Giovanni, PhD, MSN, MPH, RN, received the Finest Hour Award, which recognizes the selfless achievements of a nurse caring for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In choosing these winners, essays were submitted by colleagues, patients, and family members that identified nearly 100 Extraordinary Healer nominees. Both awards were recently presented during a virtual celebration held in conjunction with the 46th Annual Oncology Nursing Society Congress.
Lim, a nurse since 1993, moved from the Philippines to the United States and serves as a hematology/oncology/infusion clinic nurse at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago, IL. She was nominated by one of her patients, who considers her the modern-day “angel of the battlefield.” Lim aims to be not only a nurse but a support system for all her patients. Giovanni, who was previously a travel nurse, began working as a nurse in 1995 when volunteering with the Peace Corps. Since then, she has worked for several agencies, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Air Force. Most recently, she has worked in New York and New Jersey as a crisis response critical care nurse in areas severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Giovanni was nominated by her aunt, Pam Malone, RN, APRN, who quoted a previous writing by Giovanni in her nominating essay and interview. Malone mentioned how, from the start, Giovanni’s life has been one of serving others.
More info on the nurse winners can be found here.
Podcast spotlight: See You Now
A show that shines a light on the nursing professionals who are changing the status quo in healthcare, the See You Now podcast features conversations with nurses working in all specialties across the continuum to those involved in politics, business, and technology. Hosted by nurse economist and health technology specialist Shawna Butler, RN, this podcast also gives listeners access to nurses at the forefront of healthcare and innovation—those involved in developing new devices, processes, protocols, and ways to advance the industry.
A collaboration between Johnson & Johnson and the American Nurses Association, the podcast is available here. Recent episodes include “You Had Me At Robot,” “The Planet Is Our Patient,” and “Owning Your Aging.”
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