May 06, 2021
Happy Spring!
So many great things are happening these days! Today, May 6, is Nurses Appreciation Day. It marks the beginning of National Nurses Week when we express appreciation for our dedicated nurses. The week runs through Florence Nightingale’s birthday on May 12. See below for a story about how these important days of recognition began.
Mother’s Day is coming up this Sunday, May 9. Best wishes and Happy Mother’s Day to the many moms in our Night Nurse family! There are also several other holidays and occasions this month, and so much to look forward to.
We have many new and exciting updates to share with you, so let’s get started!
Warm Regards,
Tami and Stu
HAPPY NURSES APPRECIATION DAY and NATIONAL NURSES WEEK!
Sip Sip Hooray! Here’s to you!
We are truly grateful to our RNs for their dedicated work and triage expertise. Our nurses may have already received this gift from us to commemorate this occasion, with our deepest appreciation. If you haven’t received this gift yet, please keep your eye on your mailbox.
Please join us in thanking our terrific team of triage nurses and wish them a happy celebration for their outstanding contributions to the nursing profession.
The inspiration for Nurses Appreciation Day started in 1953 when U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare’s Dorothy Sutherland proposed the concept to President Eisenhower. It took some time, but the first observance happened in October 1954. The occasion was sporadically recognized until January 1974 when the International Council of Nurses (ICN) proactively decided that every May 12 would be celebrated as International Nurse Day.
Over time, other organizations got involved and several politicians lobbied for a formalized day to appreciate nurses. In 1982, the American Nurses Association (ANA) proclaimed every May 6 as “National Nurses Day,” one week prior to the May 12 date that was previously determined by ICN. President Ronald Reagan then proclaimed May 6 as "National Recognition Day for Nurses." Then in 1991, the ANA formalized “National Nurses Week” from May 6 through 12 each year.
There are still many variations in when people observe this occasion. Some recognize today as Nurses Appreciation Day, while others recognize May 12 as International Nurse Day. We prefer ANA’s National Nurses Week; one day just isn’t enough to thank RNs for their brilliance, and compassionate healthcare.
Tami adds this special note to our nurses:
A SHARED LOVE OF NURSING
Leading up to National Nurses Week, Tami reached out to our RNs and asked to hear about their beginnings, reflections on the profession, and what brought each to Night Nurse.
Thank you for everyone that responded! This edition includes the first two stories we received, from Michela Carollo-Beaven and TammyleeLeBouef. We hope to learn more about your background, too!
Earlier this spring, you may have seen something extra in your paycheck dated March 19. Each year, we provide an annual bonus to all team members who have been with us for at least one year, including nurses, dispatchers, and our headquarters staff. We want to share our success with all who share their best with us!
We sincerely thank you for your good work, particularly in these very challenging times through the pandemic, as we consistently maintain high standard quality service. We couldn’t ask for a better team!
HAPPY RAMADAN!
Those of the Muslim faith began the month of Ramadan on April 12. This most sacred period in Islamic culture commemorates the first revelation of Muhammad, observed with a full month of prayers, fasting, and reflection.
Ramadan concludes on May 12 with the celebration of Eid al-Fitr, which is the Festival of Breaking the Fast.
If you’re one of the approximately 1.8 billion Muslims celebrating Ramadan, we wish you RamadanMubarak (Happy Ramadan) and RamadanKareem (a GenerousRamadan).
OBSERVING ASIAN PACIFIC HERITAGE MONTH
This month we honor the Asian and Pacific Islanders that have contributed so much to the melting pot we call the United States. Asian Pacific Heritage Month was initiated to observe when Japanese immigrants first came to the U.S. in May of 1843 and to celebrate the important work by Chinese immigrants to complete America’s vast railroad that connects both coasts for the first time.
Looking for a way to celebrate Asian Pacific Heritage Month from home? Check out a nice website created by the National Parks Association with great places that honor the Asian Pacific people that so greatly enriched our country and our society: www.nps.gov/subjects/aapiheritage/places.htm.
Like to cook? Enjoy this video from celebrity chef Martin Yan with tasty Asian Pacific American Heritage Month recipes and cooking tips: www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJ5eyGvdZnw&t=34s
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
Mark your calendars for this Sunday, May 9th! Mother’s Day has been celebrated in one form or another for thousands of years to honor motherhood, as well as mothering figures in religion and culture. However, the modern inspiration for Mother’s Day began near the end of the Civil War.
Ann Reeves Jarvis created “Mothers’ Friendship Day” as an occasion for mothers from both the north and south to get together and work toward peace. Another pioneer soon followed. Julia Ward Howe authored the “Mother’s Day Proclamation” to unite women in the shared goal of world peace.
In 1905, Ann Reeves Jarvis passed away and her daughter picked up on promoting the need for a formal Mother’s Day. Over the next several years, she acquired support, funding, and political backing. By 1914, Anne’s efforts were recognized by the White House. President Woodrow Wilson officially declared every second Sunday in May to be Mother’s Day. Today, Mother’s Day is celebrated in more than 40 countries around the world.
We wish a Happy Mother’s Day this Sunday to all moms, to our own mothers (here or passed), to step-mothers, adoptive mothers, foster moms, mothers of four-legged fur babies, and to all other mothers- who step up with nurturing care, and help others’ children. Hey moms! Take a bow! You’re the best.
OUR TEAM!
Welcome New Night Nurse Team Members!
Please welcome these new nurses to our Night Nurse family: Christina Akins,
Katie Hudson, Leticia Sosa-Rivera, and Phyllis Weston. Thank you everyone for joining us on our mission to provide timely triage service with good outcomes!
Help Us Grow Our Team!
With call volumes increasing and more practices joining on a regular basis, we
continue to hire more excellent adult and pediatric nurses, just like you! Please reach out to your RN, APRN, and NP friends who would excel at Night Nurse. You could earn cash incentives for referring your friends and colleagues. We love welcoming new team members, so please introduce us or invite them to visit our online Careers Center here.
CONGRATULATE STU, OUR NEW CEO!
On Tuesday this week, we announced that Stu has been named President and Chief Executive Officer of Night Nurse. Stu succeeds co-founder Roy Pologe, who has been named Executive Chairperson. Roy’s new responsibilities include corporate guidance, exploring new services, and strategic partnership opportunities.
Roy commented, “I consider my greatest career accomplishment was co-founding Night Nurse and contributing to its well-earned positioning as a pre-eminent nationwide provider of qualitative and affordable medical triage. As Executive Chairperson, I’ll work with the Night Nurse executive team and Board of Directors, continue to deliver outstanding service to the patients of our many clients, and assisting the needful resolve of quality-of-life issues for thousands of subscribing physicians.”
Stuart most recently served as Chief Operations Officer. He added, “I am honored to accept the role of President and Chief Executive Officer. In my tenure, I am committed to building on our past accomplishments and driving Night Nurse forward to continued growth and successes.” Stuart added, “With a strategic emphasis on innovation and expanded competitive differentiation, I look forward to adding greater value to our existing subscribers and valued team members while also introducing Night Nurse to a broader population of healthcare practices.”
More information about our executive management changes can be found here:
https://nightnursetriage.com/pressrelease.html
We have a New Logo!
As you may know, Night Nurse began by serving only pediatric patients. Our logo portrayed a cute teddy bear reclining on the moon, representing how we provide thoughtful care of children after-hours. Before long, we launched our adult nursing service, which has grown significantly over the years. For this service, temporarily known as “Night Nurse Plus,” we created a more modern, corporate logo.
So, for the past several years, we’ve been a company with two logos. This is uncommon and confusing for some subscribers. This month, we decided to unify under one logo. We’ve blended our legacy pediatric logo with our adult logo to create a single new – yet very familiar – logo. Below, you can see how old and new have come together to form our new, blended logo.
GETTING PAST COVID
We’re excited to see so much progress toward putting COVID-19 in our rear-view mirror. We are in awe of the hard work of nurses, doctors, scientists, and everyone that has helped with testing, caring for the sick, developing vaccines, and administering shots! Here are a few encouraging facts and figures:
• The first vaccine was administered in the U.S. on December 14, 2020
• More than 3 million shots are given most days
• Approximately 250 million injections have been administered
• More than 105 million have been fully vaccinated in the U.S.
Data source: NPR
REMEMBERING OUR NURSING PIONEERS:
VIRGINIA AVENEL HENDERSON
Perhaps the most revered nurse in the past 100 years is Virginia Avenel Henderson. Born in 1897, Virginia was inspired by the legendary Florence Nightingale. In her lifetime, she earned prestigious monikers such as “The First Lady of Nursing” and even “The Florence Nightingale of Modern Nursing.”
Best known for developing the Nursing Theory, Virginia began her auspicious career studying at the Army School of Nursing. She then received a BS and earned a Master’s Degree from Columbia University. After completing her schooling, Virginia practiced as a nurse in New York City and in Washington D.C. She embarked on the next segment of her career as an educator. She was the first-ever full-time nursing professor at Norfolk Presbyterian Hospital in Virginia, then taught at Columbia University before moving to the Yale School of Nursing for more than 40 years.
Among Virginia’s many contributions to the nursing industry, she authored several editions of “Bertha Harmer'sTextbook of Principles and Practices of Nursing.” This was the most commonly assigned textbook for nursing students for many years, both in English and Spanish. She also published several more authoritative manuscripts, including “Nursing Research: A Survey and Assessment,” and “TheNursing Studies Index” that provided a historical perspective on the first 60 years of nursing research.
However, Virginia is best known for developing “Henderson’s Model of Nursing,” also known as “Henderson’s Nursing Theory,” which has been adopted globally as the standard for practicing nurses. It was the first program that plainly defined modern nursing responsibilities and objectives. Virginia’s model covers four primary areas: 1) the needs of the individual, 2) the person’s environment, 3) the individual’s health based on their ability to function independently, and 4) basic nursing functions to be addressed by the nurse. You can find greater detail on Virginia’s breakthrough principles here.
Through her career, Virginia received multiple commendations for her revolutionary advancements to the nursing profession, including the Christiane ReimannPrize - the most coveted award in nursing. She also received 13 honorary degrees, was named an honorary fellow in the UK’s Royal College of Nursing, and honored by the American Nurses Association Hall of Fame.
She passed away at the age of 98 in 1996, forever remembered as perhaps the most influential nurse of the 20th century.
GETTING TO KNOW YOU: TERRI MORSE
Everyone has their own inspiration that called them to nursing. For our long-time team member Terri Morse, the answer is easy – She comes from a family of nurses including her aunt, grandmother, and great-grandmother. As a teen, Terri got a job babysitting for a nurse. With so many inspiring influences around her, Terri quickly developed a love for nursing.
Terri got started with nursing in high school by volunteering as a candy striper at St Joseph’s hospital in Syracuse, New York. Then she was off to college to earn her AAS degree in nursing. After graduating, Terri worked for 15 years as an RN. Her experiences were in the hospital on the pediatric floor and in the pediatric ICU, followed by a staff, triage, then head nurse position in outpatient pediatrics. Then she decided to go back to school to become a nurse practitioner, and again later to earn both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in nursing with a minor in education.
Through her continuing education, Terri focused on cultural competence in nursing. This training changed her life and career direction. Terri achieved some of her most significant professional accomplishments while working at the Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital in Syracuse, NY. [Editor’s Note: Night Nurse provides triage services to Golisano Children’s Hospital.] She spent her first seven years as a primary care NP and clinical coordinator in a pediatric resident clinic where she was involved in medical student and resident education. Terri moved down the hall and spent the next 12 years working in their foster care clinic, which included caring for unaccompanied refugee minors from around the world, including many kids from Iraq and Burma, as well as African and Central American countries.
“My experience at Upstate was incredibly rewarding both professionally and personally. It was an opportunity to apply my expertise in cultural competence and provide the best care for children from all corners of the Earth.”
Terri soon became an adjunct professor and clinical preceptor at SUNY Upstate Medical University’s College of Nursing. As a recognized expert on cultural competence in medicine, Terri has spoken at several nursing and refugee conferences on the subject of cultural competence and refugee health. In 2014, she also presented her research at a National refugee conference entitled, “U.S. Child Healthcare: Iraqi Parental Satisfaction in a Primary Healthcare Setting.”
Her studies in cultural competence also led to another opportunity. While studying for her master’s, two instructors were involved with The Mission of Miracles, a volunteer organization that provides pro bono medical care to underserved patients in El Salvador. The professors recognized Terri’s talent and dedication and asked her to join them on their annual mission trip.
“I was honored to be invited to join the Mission of Miracles organization. In the eight times I’ve been to El Salvador so far, we’ve had some amazing experiences. I can’t wait to return again next year!”
Through her role with Mission of Miracles, Terri helps care for children and some adults in five small villages. These patients have just one doctor and one dentist that visits twice per month. Together, the Mission of Miracles team brings nurses, doctors, pharmacists, dentists, counselors, and medications to serve more patients and deliver more care than the El Salvadorian doctor can provide all year.
We were lucky enough to meet Terri back in 2010. “I remember my Night Nurse interview like it was just yesterday. I was sitting on my mom’s patio learning about this interesting company where I could work from home and care for patients by phone. It sounded fascinating and I was excited to get started.” For nearly 11 years now, Terri has provided excellent care to children and support for their caregivers.
Today, Terri is mostly retired. She just works part-time on our Night Nurse team and makes her annual journey with Mission of Miracles. “I love working at Night Nurse and helping the patients. I get great satisfaction listening to their needs and relieving their concerns. I love hearing the appreciation in their voices and receiving the grateful feedback from pediatricians we cover. And since Night Nurse is always on top of the latest protocols and procedures, it keeps my nursing skills current.”
In her free time, Terri leads a very active life. She loves the water, including paddle boarding, kayaking, and scuba diving. On land, she’s completed the highly demanding Iron Girl (swim, bike, run) six times! She also does some fundraising by doing the 100-mile bike ride for missing and exploited children, Tour de Cure for diabetes. When asked about her amazing strength and endurance, Terri modestly said, “I like to play outside.”
Terri also enjoys spending time with her horse, Cayman (named after her favorite travel destination), a 25-year-old girl. “I like to say that Cayman was my empty nest gift to myself 12 years ago.”
Though Terri’s three children are grown, they are a big part of her life. She is a proud grandmother of three that live nearby. Terri is also very close with her mom, who just lives across the street half of the year. Like many other retired people in the northeast, Terri’s mom is a “snowbird” – someone who spends the winters in warm, sunny Florida. Terri and her husband assist to bring mom down each autumn and bring her back each spring. In fact, Terri did this interview with us from the beach in beautiful Marco Island, Florida, just a couple days before making the trek back up to New York with mom’s dog, Lucky.
Terri also loves to travel whenever possible. While most of her plans have been on hold through COVID, she’s ready to go back to some of her favorite diving and snorkeling locations soon!
Thank you, Terri, for sharing your talents and vibrant love of life with Night Nurse. We’re so happy to have you on our team!
UNDERSTANDING EMAIL VIRUS PREVENTION
How safe is the information on your computer? Maybe not as secure as you think. A recent report shows that there is a new cyberattack every 39 seconds. Perhaps most importantly, 95% of breaches are due to pilot errors – simply our own faults. In many cases, viruses enter our computers when we click on links or view images received in emails.
To help keep your computer safe and compliant, our resident IT Security Expert Dan Holladay offers some simple things you can do to protect yourself from bad or dangerous emails.
Rule #1: Install virus protection software on all of your computers!
This is really the simplest measure you can take. There are many options, and I use ESET Internet Security. Most virus programs are quite affordable, but even a free version (available from most vendors) is far better than nothing. Note: Windows Defender, which is pre-installed on every computer, is not even close enough to do the job properly. Do not count on it as your primary protection.
Rule #2: Configure your email reader to protect you.
Which program do you use to read your emails? Whether it’s Outlook, Gmail, Thunderbird or any other email reader, here are some basic steps that will make a big difference:
• Don’t auto-load images. Images can carry viruses, so literally just allowing your email to show images can infect you. If you know the sender and believe it’s not a virus, then have a look at the images. Again, a good anti-virus program will usually detect and delete infected images and do the work for you, but be diligent! Set your reader to block images as the default setting.
• If you use Outlook, one of the most popular readers, see this article: How to disable automatic image downloads for email in Outlook. You can also use Outlook’s features to identify spam. Yes, this takes a little work but the end result is very rewarding. Here are a few tips to get you started: 6 ways to manage emails and control spam in Outlook.
Rule #3: Pay Attention! Hackers are out to get us.
Don’t click a link in an email unless you’re sure it’s safe. Here’s how to check: Hover your mouse over the link to see where it really goes. If the email is supposedly from American Express, the destination address should show AmericanExpress.com. If it says anything else, it’s probably suspicious. See the example of a deceptive link below:
Notice in the picture above the “click here” link actually goes to a different website. That is certainly suspicious.
Rule #4: Be Careful When Opening Attachments
Even if you receive an email that looks legit (like from your boss), still be very wary of any attachments. If your anti-virus software is good enough, the attachment will automatically be removed. If not, put it on the desktop, right click it and have your virus program scan it. Under virtually no circumstances should you click the “Enable Macros” button (typically in a Word or PDF document) when opening an attachment. Unless you’re really, really, really sure the sender even knows what a Word macro even is! Think about it, how many people do you know that use Word or PDF macros?? They have their place, but they are reasonably rare. In most cases, it’s a hacker.
Dan Holladay,
IT Department
100% FICTIONAL FUNNIES
A new nurse was nervous about administering vaccines for the first time. The supportive nurse manager told her to relax and give it her best shot.
Q: Did you hear about the hospital that’s short-staffed on maternity nurses?
A: It’s having a mid-wife crisis.
Q: Why does the student nurse carry a red sharpie in her pocket?
A: In case she needs to draw blood.
Q: What do transplant nurses fear the most?
A: Rejection.
