Happy New Year 2022

Greetings Awesome Emergency Nurses and Happy New Year! 

The year 2022 sounds like a date out of science fiction (at least it was used when I was growing up), but now it seems more like an apocalyptic nightmare movie and we are the stars of the show. Seriously though I want to give each of you best wishes for another great year. The work that you do is life-changing! Just the other night I helped a nurse that was fighting for the life of a 52-year-old COVID patient who had declining vitals despite the constant titration of pressors, sedation, vent settings, and more. This was while taking care of 7 other patients because the department was extremely short-staffed. I was certain this COVID patient was not going to survive the night. Three days later I return to work to find the same COVID patient boarded in the ED with stable vital signs and all because of the hard work that the nursing staff did to save the patient's life. While this time may seem like a nightmare to many of us, it has given us the opportunity to fulfill the reason we started in emergency nursing in the first place. Emergency Nurses are the unsung heroes of the decade. 

As our chapter begins to progress in this new year we have had our own setbacks. The physician we had lined up for our February meeting was unable to fulfill the commitment for that day. Additionally, as we monitor the current situation of the pandemic, we are starting to see more breakthrough cases of COVID in the vaccinated population. Many of you are busy staffing your EDs for COVID surge and are able to find little time for yourself. For these reasons we are canceling our February meeting and will be looking forward to our in-person meeting in May. While we are sad to have to cancel a meeting, we are still here to support you in your work. If you are seeking resources, or if you have concerns that we as a chapter can advocate for please let us know. 

Best Wishes In The New Year!

Your Eastern Piedmont ENA Board