Loretta Ford, the pioneer of nurse practitioners, was the recipient of the Crystal Trailblazer Award from the American College of Nurse Practitioners in February 2003. In her acceptance speech, the stated that "in some ways, the profession had expanded beyond my wildest dreams," but cautioned against the medicalization of the NP role: "The profession is rooted in nursing ... and we enhance, advance, and influence through nursing." She added: "Medical and nursing interdependency sets the stage for the highest level of care. No one profession can deliver comprehensive health care themselves." NNPs, functioning collaboratively with neonatologists as part of a multidisciplinary team, illustrate the truth of Ford's words. They have clearly and unequivocally made significant strides during the past 20 years. Their achievements and contributions have been many but their potential has yet to be reached.
The emotional and psychological toll of the COVID-19 pandemic has been characterized as a parallel pandemic, disproportionately affecting health care workers when compared to the general population. Recognizing the tragic effects that the pandemic was having on the psyche of our health care workers, a multidisciplinary peer-support program called Helping Healers Heal was augmented to address these complex needs in a large, urban, academic medical center in the Bronx, NY. A multimodal approach including wellness events, emotional support rounds, fast-tracked connections with therapeutic support, and coalition building was used to reach 80% of staff from May through August, 2020. The multidisciplinary team planned events and interventions to appeal to the myriad ways people cope and build resilience, and by utilizing existing resources, it proved extremely cost-effective. In a survey of the program’s participants, 94% of respondents “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that their participation helped alleviate stress.
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