Well y’all I did it! I got my first Covid-19 vaccine! One more to go.
I will admit that the quick development of the vaccine was the main reason why I did not want to get it. However, pandemic anxiety and my children wanting to return to in person class instruction were my determining factors for getting the vaccine.
I have never been a person to get anxious, but ever since the pandemic started I have experienced the worst anxiety ever in my life! I mean, I was terrified to leave the house and be around other people. I am hoping that two weeks after receiving my second dose when I am considered “fully vaccinated” that this will change. We should not live in fear, but we should also be cautious and careful.
I have not experienced any serious side effects after receiving my first vaccine. I only had soreness at the injection site for a day or two. I will keep you all updated on my second 💉 dose. Have you gotten yours? Let me know your experience below.
Happy New Year! I can’t believe that we are at the end of the first month of 2021 already! How many of you have already broken your resolutions by now LOL? Instead of making a New Year’s resolution this year I decided to start a new venture in my nursing career.
For those of you who do not know my story, I started working with patients at the bedside as a teenager. I worked as a patient transporter and a dietary aide in the hospital. I then became a patient care tech and a home health/hospice aide. I love caring for others and truly believe that nursing is my calling!
As a nurse, I am a true advocate for my patients. I stand up for them when they are not able or afraid to do so. I help them access the healthcare resources that they need when they don’t know how. I am their shoulder to cry on, and their available ear to listen when they are lonely.
Photo Credit: Baptist Physician Partners
I have worked in a wide arena of nursing including correctional facilities, assisted living, inpatient and home hospice, OB/GYN and adult medicine medical offices and most recently tele-health due to the pandemic. Through tele-health visits I was able to touch bases with my elderly, immuno-compromised, or chronic condition patients who were instructed not to come into the office unless absolutely necessary.
I was able to coordinate their care from a distance. Let me tell you, getting my patient’s the resources that they needed to withstand this pandemic felt amazing! I fell in love with care coordination so much that I’ve moved into this as my new nursing position. Being able to follow my patients after they have had a doctor’s appointment, hospital or rehab stay and giving them the tools that they need to prevent being readmitted feels so fulfilling! This is where I need to be. Helping my patients take better care of themselves! I am doing what I was born to do!❤️
Well, it’s finally here, now what? There are currently two COVID-19 vaccines available to us, but will you be getting one? There are people on both sides of the fence. Some people are ecstatic to get the vaccine while others are very skeptical of it. There are currently several conspiracy theories surrounding the vaccine ranging from biblical references to the “mark of the beast” and the government tracking us via microchips in the vaccine.
Photo credit: Harvard Gazette
After speaking with other nurses, physicians, allied health workers, and family members, I have found that there is a major concern about how quickly the vaccine was developed. Recent reports about anaphylactic allergic response and Bell’s Palsy as possible adverse effects of the vaccine have also deterred individuals from wanting to have it administered.
Some people are unsure about which vaccine will be more beneficial and produce fewer side effects. Moderna or Pfizer? Many frontline workers are having conflicted emotions about getting the vaccine altogether. While they want to be brave and show the public that the vaccine is safe and effective, they are also unsure about the short term and long term effects of getting the rapidly developed vaccine.
Photo credit: the conversation.com
Next, there is the medical mistrust amongst minority populations due to past malfeasance in healthcare. Unfortunately, there is a strong history of underserved populations being used as guinea pigs or test subjects without their informed consent. The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment and John’s Hopkins use of Henrietta Lacks cancer cells for research are just a few examples of this. How will the medical community regain their trust enough to ensure that they will get the COVID-19 vaccine?
Ultimately, it is your body and your choice! Just remember that getting the vaccine does not give you immediate immunity. So whether you choose to vaccinate or not, please remember to social distance from others, avoid large crowds, quarantine if exposed to COVID-19, wear a mask in public, and wash your hands. If we work together we can end this pandemic!
Wishing everyone a safe and Happy Thanksgiving holiday. I know it has been a rough year dealing with politics and the pandemic, but find time to enjoy your family and give thanks! Please remember to keep the well-being of your elderly and ill family members in mind as you celebrate. Spread love, not germs.
Ok ladies, it’s time to grab your mothers, aunts, sisters, daughters, or friends, and make sure that they are up to date on their breast cancer screenings. Heck, go with them to their appointments for support if you have to!
Make sure that you and your loved ones are also performing your self-breast exams monthly. If you are unsure of how to perform this please see the link below.
Take the time out today to check on your loved ones. See if everything is alright with them MENTALLY! We often assume that if people look alright physically that they are doing fine. However, there are many people who dress themselves up daily in “pretty packages” and put on fake smiles. In reality, they are hurting and need someone to talk to but they do not know how to initiate the conversation.
If you know anyone who may need mental health assistance, talk with them and offer to go with them to see a professional. There is a stigma in many communities that may prevent some from seeking help and this needs to be eradicated! We are all in this together! #noshameingettinghelp
It has been recently announced that the President of the United States and his administration want to formally withdraw from The World Health Organization (WHO). WHO is the world’s leading health organization and its mission is to “improve people’s lives, reduce the burdens of disease and poverty, and to provide access to responsive health care for all people.”
First of all, aren’t we in the middle of a PANDEMIC? Why would you want to withdraw now? Obviously what we have been doing in the United States to help prevent the spread of Covid-19 is NOT working! Our country also ignored initial warning signs about the virus and it hit us hard. The virus has spread at an alarming rate, people are making a political issue out of wearing a mask, we are running out COVID testing kits, PPE is on the decline again, and there are new symptoms and routes of transmission being discovered every day!
As a nurse or other healthcare professional, how does cutting ties with The World Heath Organization make you feel? Do you feel disrespected because you are a frontline worker and putting your own health at risk? Are you even more nervous because our country will have a lack of guidance from the world’s leading partners in global health responses?
If we do cut ties with the WHO, what does this mean for the US when it comes to the development of a vaccine or finding a cure? Leave your comments below.
This Sunday, June 21, is Father’s Day. Celebrate the men in your life who have been great fathers, grandfathers, godfathers, or excellent father figures! Treat them extra special or gift them with something you know that they have had their eye on for a while. They will appreciate being appreciated!
As you celebrate them, also let them know that you really care about them and want to ensure that they are in good health. Make sure that they are current on their annual physicals, vaccinations, and health screenings. Most men are hesitant to go to the doctor for a visit, but they must go for regular check-ups. Men are more likely to have a medical condition left undiagnosed which leads to discovery in a later stage. So please take this month to let the men in your life know that you love them, their well-being is important to you, and that you are there for them if they need you.
The Nurse Niche 