The American Nurses Association (ANA) is working with other national organizations to build the public’s confidence in and acceptance of vaccines.

In late February, ANA joined the Ad Council and the COVID Collaborative to launch the COVID-19 Vaccine Education Initiative, “It’s Up to You,” to educate the American public and build confidence around COVID-19 vaccines. ANA President Ernest J. Grant, PhD, RN, FAAN, participated in a media tour with the Ad Council and COVID Collaborative spokespeople alongside healthcare experts from the American Medical Association, American Public Health Association, and the American Heart Association. The campaign launch was covered widely in the media, including stories in The Washington Post, The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, AdWeek, AP, Cheddar, and many others.

Created in close partnership with the COVID Collaborative’s scientific advisory group and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the campaign urges audiences to visit GetVaccineAnswers.org (DeTiDepende.org in Spanish) to get the latest information about COVID-19 vaccines, with the ultimate goal of helping the public feel confident and prepared to get vaccinated once a vaccine is available to them.

More than 300 community-based organizations, major brands, media companies, faith leaders, influential medical experts, and other trusted messengers have joined the coalition of partners, supporting and extending the campaigns’ efforts to reach distinct audiences.

Although the supply of and access to COVID-19
vaccines are limited currently, research shows that among people who are undecided, most want information to address their questions now. The initiative responds to the top questions from Americans, addressing their concerns and working to educate and empower people across the country to make informed choices about vaccination—particularly communities of color who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

Communications in English and Spanish will appear nationwide across broadcast TV, digital, radio, and social media over the coming weeks.

Another effort, the COVID-19 Vaccine Education and Equity Project, a group of more than 150 leading organizations representing patient, provider, employer, and public health organizations launched “Count Me In,” a campaign to provide individuals and organizations with information to build confidence in authorized COVID-19 vaccines, and to motivate and inspire people to collectively fight the pandemic. Led by the Alliance for Aging Research, HealthyWomen, and the National Caucus and Center on Black Aging, Inc., one of the project’s objectives is to convene a dialogue among organizations representing the many constituencies that face challenges from COVID-19, particularly diverse populations that have been most harmed, and those on the front lines of the pandemic.

“Count Me In” provides individuals and organizations with tools to express their commitment to COVID-19 vaccination as communities across the country strive to reopen and return to normal. This includes personal stories featuring ANA President Grant, frontline physicians, the president of Colgate University, president of the National Grange, president and CEO of the National Hispanic Council on Aging, and TV hosts Meredith Vieira and Faith Jenkins, in addition to grandparents, pastors and reverends, and volunteer firefighters, among others.

“Count Me In” also encourages adults to share their stories about why they were vaccinated or why they are encouraged to be vaccinated against COVID-19, once vaccines are available to them. Washington State Nurses Association member Justin Gill, DNP, ARNP, RN, and Pennsylvania State Nurses Association President Tarik Kahn, MSN, RN, FNP-BC, are on the Count Me In Photo wall on the site at covidvaccineproject.org/countmein/.

Philosophical perspectives on challenges in nursing education

In 2021, we are pleased to celebrate 25 years of OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing.

The current topic of OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing features eight new articles that address challenges for nurse educators, including, but not limited to, the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Nursing education: Philosophical perspectives on current challenges,” discusses the following: 

• Faculty formation and why it’s a relevant philosophical issue within nursing education. Exemplars illustrate current formation concerns that faculty experience and offer recommendations for nurse leaders.
• How digital disruption is catalyzing a long overdue change in the way education is conceptualized and delivered. Strategies offer educators ways to address the continued decline in initial competency of new registered nurses. 
• New awareness of telehealth challenges and nursing roles in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Four P’s framework for robust telehealth education.
• The rapid shift to almost fully online coursework, which has provided a catalyst for new methods of nursing education. Examples share how to layer technology into innovative teaching and learning.
• Difficulties nurse practitioner (NP) students will face finding preceptors due to the shortage. Several dilemmas of NP preceptorship are presented.
• The decrease in clinical group size and innovative solutions for clinical education during a global health crisis. Responses to these challenges and solutions in practice and policy that inform the rapid shift to nontraditional student experiences are explored.
• A framework to discuss the philosophical and practical importance of envisioning an ethical environment within academic settings.
• Competencies to develop nurse faculty and attain nursing education equity in low and middle-income countries.

Only ANA members have access to the current OJIN topic. Visit ojin.nursingworld.org.

Recognizing nurse-led innovation

The American Nurses Association (ANA) and the American Nurses Foundation (the Foundation) announced the winners of the 2021 ANA Innovation Awards powered by BD (Becton, Dickinson, and Company), a leading global medical technology company. 

The ANA Innovation Awards highlight, recognize, and celebrate exemplary nurse-led innovation that improves patient safety and health outcomes. The individual nurse and nurse-led team award recipients will receive monetary prizes of $25,000 and $50,000, respectively. These funds will provide support in translational research, development, prototyping, production, testing, and implementing their products over the next year. 

Winner of the Individual Nurse Award 

Rebecca Cherney, RN

Cherney, a staff nurse at a large tertiary hospital, developed TrachTrail™, the first comprehensive, standardized adult tracheostomy care education program of its kind. The program focuses on combined nurse, patient, and caregiver training with emphasis on empathy for the patient and their families. 

Winner of the Nurse-led Team Award

Brighid Gannon, DNP, PMHNP-BC, and
Pritma Dhillon-Chattha, DNP, MHA, RN 

Gannon and Dhillon-Chattha founded, lead, fund, and operate Lavender, an online psychiatry and therapy office. Lavender was launched in May 2020 to provide patients with modern, accessible, and affordable mental healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“A resounding congratulations to the 2021 ANA Innovation Award winners. They represent the driving spirit of the nursing profession to lead significant initiatives across healthcare, as savvy business professionals, and innovators,” said ANA Vice President of Nursing Innovation Oriana Beaudet, DNP, RN PHN.

ANA supports work to advance innovation to the forefront of nursing and is committed to creating a culture of nurse-led innovation in healthcare. BD also values nurse-centered innovation, devoting more than a century of experience to developing products and processes that transform the healthcare profession, including safer, smarter, and simpler technologies to address the challenges that nurses face. Read more at nursingworld.org/aia.