It Is OK

It is OK to be scared right now.

It is OK to be angry right now.

It is OK to feel you aren't being heard right now.

It is OK to feel anguish for your patients right now.

It is OK to feel betrayed right now.

It is OK to feel like you need to get out right now.

It is important to ask for help right now.

It is important to raise your voice with concerns right now.

It is important to support those around you right now.

It is important not to be angry with those who don't understand right now.

It is important to manage incoming information right now.

Self-care is deep breaths.

Self-care is saying no to overtime this week.

Self-care is talking to your therapist.

Self-care is ordering your favorite cozy socks from Amazon.

Self-care is hugging your furry loved ones and not so furry loved ones.

Self-care is playing a game over Zoom with friends and family.

Self-care is demanding a quiet space for a few hours a week.

Self-care is buying the nerdiest fabric you can find and making bomb new masks.

COVID-19 has a created a world in healthcare that some of us have never experienced. A world littered with new challenges, ever changing protocols, and new frustrations.

But with it comes opportunities to unite. To crack open age old EMR issues and say "Do we really need to do this like this?" To look at PPE stock and process and think "How could we have done better, can we innovate, can we shape a better future?" To look at isolated patients and think "What can I do to help them stay connected?"

Nursing is a profession of innovation, integrity, and action. Don't ever forget that.

Tell me, what are your oks, importants, and self-cares. What innovations are you thinking about? How are you staying connected with your patients when they need you most, even garbed like a yellow banana with bright pink goggles, and a sweaty N95?

Tait