NYU Family Health Centers honors
nurses at the forefront of pandemic
Nursing week is a perfect
time to celebrate
and honor nurses who
have been at the forefront
of care delivery during the
Covid-19 pandemic.
Vaccination is one of the
key public health strategies
to reduce the spread of
the virus and nurses have
played a signifi cant role in
that effort.
The Augustana Vaccine
Center was opened at
the end of December 2020.
Nursing staff from across
the Family Health Centers
at NYU Langone network
were immediately deployed
to administer the COVID-19
vaccine to employees.
Recently retired nurses
Kathleen Olsen, RN, and
Mila Broderick, LPN, temporarily
put their retirement
on ‘pause’ to return
as COVID-19 vaccinators.
They have stayed on until
this day to continue this
worthy initiative.
18 COURIER LIFE, MAY 7-13, 2021
While staff from all FHC
sites have supported the
Vaccine Center, there is a
core group of nurses who
have gone above and beyond
and are deserving of
special recognition.
Hoi Ka Lam
Hoi Ka Lam, an RN from
the Seventh Avenue Family
Health Center, who often
worked at the Augustana
Vaccine Center, was frequently
requested by her
colleagues from the Seventh
Avenue site and they
would patiently wait their
turn for her to vaccinate
them.
Susy Lopez
Susy Lopez, an LPN from
Park Ridge Family Health
Center also frequently volunteered
to be deployed to
the Vaccine Center. She was
at the Vaccine Center the
day of the February winter
storm when both she and
Tina Cole stayed to wait
for the employees who were
traveling to get their vaccine.
That day it took Susy
over 5 hours to return home
safely.
Tina Cole
Tina Cole, a NP from the
School-Based Health Program
not only was a vaccinator,
but also took on the
role of mentoring the new
staff and worked with the
operational staff to coordinate
the number of vaccines
on hand versus the patients
scheduled to ensure no dose
was wasted. She has been
the clinical anchor for the
vaccination program.
— Provided by NYU Family
Health Centers
Nurses Week
Nurse Hoi Ka Lam. NYU Family Health Centers
How nurses
alleviate burnout
Nursing is a rewarding career,
and nurses fi gure to be in high demand
in the coming decades.
As fulfi lling as nursing can be,
nurses routinely confront issues that
other professionals may never encounter.
Nurses are in high-demand,
but a shortage of openings in nursing
schools in recent years has led to
a widening gap between the demand
for skilled nurses and the supply, according
to the nursing support resource
Nursing.org.
Holli Blazey, MSN, ANP-BC, the N
The following are some ways nurses
can cope with burnout.
• Identify your stressors. Write
down the things that are stressing
you out. Pinpointing circumstances
that are causing you to feel overwhelmed
is the fi rst step in addressing
them. Try tracking responsibilities
for a few days and write down
feelings after each activity. Then
try to identify which are the biggest
sources of your stress. Communicate
your fi ndings with a supervisor
or colleague who may offer advice or
work with you to confront your stress
in a positive way.
• Don’t make new commitments.
It’s tempting to want to get involved
in new projects, especially if job dissatisfaction
has you looking for fulfi
llment elsewhere. But overextending
yourself even further may only
add to your existing stress.
• Practice relaxation exercises. Engage
in slow and meaningful breathing,
set aside even a few moments
to sit in quiet and take a break, and
think about how you can approach
the situation in a healthy way instead
of giving in to your anxiety.
• Delegate when possible. Find out
which tasks can be taken off of your
to-do list. Is there something a patient
care nursing assistant can do
at work? Can you rely on a friend or
family member to help out at home?
Lighten your load to give yourself
time to recuperate.
• Join a support network. Many
employers offer employee assistance
programs, such as access to a professional
therapist. Connecting with
other colleagues also can be a great
way to build up your support network.
Metro Creative Connection
/Nursing.org