COVID-19 has been omnipresent in the lives of emergency nurses around the globe for nearly two years, so it is no surprise that multiple sessions in the educational program at Emergency Nursing 2021 – A Virtual Xperience focus on the topic.
“All emergency department nurses are eating, breathing COVID,” said Emergency Nursing Conference Education Planning Committee Co-chairperson Teresa Dodge.
But even ED professionals who haven’t been dealing with COVID-19 cases daily for months on end will benefit from this programming.
“An approach used in one ED may not be used in yours,” said Education Planning Committee Co-chairperson Rachael Smith.
Of the pandemic-related sessions, Smith is most looking forward to “Pulse Ox Is Low? Don’t Blow the Flow” because it will feature information nurses can use immediately to help COVID-19 patients and will continue to have utility for years to come in non-COVID settings.
Another session, “At-Risk and Vulnerable Populations During COVID-19 Pandemic, What Nurses Need to Know,” is on Dodge’s “gotta watch” list.
Descriptions of these and other COVID-19 sessions appear below. All times are Central time and are subject to change as conference planners finalize EN21 schedules. Sessions marked as “ON DEMAND” will be available on the virtual meeting platform once the conference begins. Recordings of live sessions will be available for on-demand viewing through Jan. 31.
History Repeats Itself: A History of Worldwide Pandemics, Then Versus Now
11-11:45 a.m. on Sept. 23, LIVE STREAM
COVID-19 is the most recent chapter in the history of pandemics. Diseases such as the bubonic plague, SARS, Ebola and Zika shaped disaster response and cultures around the world. In this livestream session, ED educator Kelly Bedner will explain the historical context of quarantines, pandemic infection rates and death rates.
Not the Cruise I Signed Up For: Pandemic at Sea
11-11:45 a.m. on Sept. 23, LIVE STREAM
In this live session, a certified national health care disaster professional will share her firsthand experience caring for the 250 passengers on a cruise ship quarantined during the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak. Kathy Van Dusen, a clinical practice specialist with the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, will discuss the vital role of nursing care skills, emotional intelligence and leadership in a crisis.
Pulse Ox Is Low? Don’t Blow the Flow
1-1:30 p.m. on Sept. 23, LIVE STREAM
COVID-19 has forced rapid change to patient oxygen delivery. Clinical Nurse Specialist Joyce Foresman-Capuzzi will explain what the changes mean in practical terms and the ramifications for patient outcomes. Topics include non-invasive ventilation, high-flow oxygen, bilevel positive airway pressure, awake proning and intubation.
Happy Hypoxics, Cytokine Stormers, COVID Clotters, Oh My!: Clinical Management of COVID-19 in the Emergency Department
2:45-3:30 p.m. on Sept. 23, LIVE STREAM
Emergency nurses play a crucial role in recognizing, stabilizing and treating COVID-19 patients. Robin MacPherson-Dias, an ED clinical nurse educator at Sutter Health Memorial Medical Center in Modesto, California, will provide an overview of the latest evidence related to infection control, oxygenation and ventilation, medication management and critical care considerations. She also will touch on the pathophysiology and clinical presentation of COVID-19.
The Incident and Influence of Misinformation on Social Media During Pandemics
1-1:30 p.m. on Sept. 24, LIVE STREAM
As the coronavirus outbreak spread, so did misinformation about the pandemic, creating a public health issue of its own. Stephanie Suzadail, a flight nurse with Geisinger Health, will explain the role social media played in the COVID-19 response and rumor mill.
We Don’t Need Another Hero: The Social Discourse of Healthcare Workers on Twitter During COVID-19
ON DEMAND
ENA Director of Emergency Nursing Research Lisa Wolf will examine the frustrations of health care workers over the disconnect between being hailed as heroes and the lack of local, state and federal support needed to do their jobs, particularly in the early days of the pandemic. Social media posts using #GetUSPPE and #GetmePPE illustrate the fear of infection, concerns about the spreading virus and soaring stress levels of health care workers.
At-Risk and Vulnerable Populations During COVID-19 Pandemic, What Nurses Need to Know
ON DEMAND
Children, pregnant women, people with disabilities, victims of violence and people of color are at heightened risk of becoming infected with COVID-19. A live expert panel will discuss how outbreak containment measures affect these vulnerable groups and how to address their increased risk of infection. Meredith Scannell, a staff nurse at Mass General Brigham in Boston, will be joined by speakers Stacy Collins, a staff nurse at nearby Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Kristine Ruggiero, founder of the Boston Nursing Institute; and Ericha Schlehuber, a staff nurse in Brigham and Women’s burn/trauma unit.