Message to ENA Members from ENA President Mike Hastings

The following is a message sent on Thursday to all ENA members from ENA President Mike Hastings

The final month of 2020 has arrived with increasing COVID-19 cases around the country, the continued need for adequate PPE and lingering concerns for the health and well-being of ED nurses who have given so much of themselves during the pandemic.

This year has been tough. As ENA president and an ED manager, I have seen the strength, determination and a commitment to care that exemplifies ENA’s mission and values, and I could not be prouder of emergency nurses for their response throughout 2020.

ENA has done its best to have your back through it all with clinical resources, member benefits, a strong advocacy voice, a supportive community and in many other ways. In the closing weeks of 2020, and into the new year, ENA will continue to stand by you. Here’s how:

COVID-19 Vaccines

In the 2019 position statement “Immunizations and the Responsibilities of the Emergency Nurse,” ENA states that by emergency nurses receiving recommended vaccinations they promote public health and build community awareness of the consequences of underimmunization and nonimmunization.

The statement, although approved pre-COVID, provides a simple roadmap for what is happening today. ENA strongly supports this week’s CDC advisory group recommendations that include emergency nurses, among front-line health care workers, to be among initial vaccine recipients. Following emergency use approval from the FDA, ENA encourages every ED nurse to be vaccinated. This is for your health and safety, but think of your families and anyone else your vaccination can help protect if your chances of infection are minimized.

As the vaccine becomes more widely available, ENA seeks your help in encouraging the public to get vaccinated. The voice of emergency nurses will be so vital in this effort, so reply to this email if you’d like to lend your support to a future awareness campaign.

The COVID-19 Resource page now features up-to-date information on vaccines, so check that out for new information as it develops. Also, ENA is proud to support the COVID-19 Vaccine Education and Equity Project and its mission to ensure equitable access to vaccines.

PPE, Nurses Together and the ENA Foundation

ENA hasn’t stopped looking out for your safety and well-being. Adding to ENA’s influential voice in Washington, D.C., we issued a new Action Alert urging emergency nursing advocates to contact federal legislators to remind them of the ongoing need for adequate personal protective equipment. Immediate improvements to how PPE is produced and distributed continues to be too important an issue for us to not speak loudly about it.

The stress and strain of the pandemic on ED nurses led ENA to become part of the Well-Being Initiative and develop the Nurses Together: Connecting through Conversations program. Register for our next event on Dec. 16 featuring Cathlyn Robinson from “In Case of Emergency” as she talks about the value of reflective practice.

The ENA Foundation stepped up to deliver nearly $260,000 in COVID-19 Relief Grants to 450 members, but it needs your help to continue supporting ED nurses in need. Visit enatogether.org to pay it forward with a donation that will sustain this program into 2021.

Most importantly, ENA cannot do what it does without hearing from members about what you’re experiencing and what you need to keep moving forward. Watch your email on Friday for your invitation to join me for the next #ENATogether Virtual Town Hall on Dec. 11.

One final note, please know how deeply I appreciate everything you have done for your patients, your community and ENA in 2020. You each have made a difference and that gives me hope for a brighter 2021.

Thank you,

Mike Hastings

2020 ENA President