A new book, Nurses’ Extraordinary Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic: There was Something in the Air, offers a poignant and firsthand account of the challenges and triumphs faced by nurses during the most devastating pandemic of our generation.
Co-authored by Penn Nursing’s Pamela Z. Cacchione, PhD, CRNP, BC, FGSA, FAAN, the Ralston Professor of Geropsychiatric Nursing in the Department of Family and Community Health, and a nurse scientist at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, the book provides a powerful platform for nurses to share their experiences in their own words.
“No one really understood what it was like to be a nurse during a poorly understood pandemic," she says. "Nurses worried about contracting the virus and bringing the virus home. We hope that this book conveys the nurses’ crucial role going above and beyond to help contain the virus and efficiently manage supplies.”
Through personal narratives and insightful analysis, the book delves into the emotional toll of caring for critically ill patients, the challenges of working in a high-pressure environment, and the unwavering dedication of nurses to their patients. “We hope this book can help quell some of the misunderstandings of how deadly COVID-19 was and how grateful nurses were when the vaccine started rolling out to the community,” added Cacchione. “These nurses were strong on their own but even stronger together.”
Published by Cambridge Scholars, the book offers a contribution to the historical record of the pandemic and highlights the essential role of nurses in safeguarding public health.
Co-authors include other Penn clinical faculty and staff members: Kirsten B. Smith MSN, RN, ACNS-BC, ATCN, Resuscitation Manager at Pennsylvania Hospital; Paula M. Gabriel, MSN, RN, CCRN-K, Clinical Practice Leader in Cardiac Surgery and Cardiac Medicine at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center (PPMC); Margaret Mullen-Fortino, PhD, RN, Director for Nursing Practice and Education at PPMC; and James R. Ballinghoff, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, Chief Nurse Executive of the University of Pennsylvania Health System.
Source: University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing