Letter from the NJSNA President

Finally! There is a positive message to report regarding the pandemic. Nationwide, 62.6% have at least one vaccination (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), n.d.).  As of the end of May, 8.87 million New Jerseyeans have chosen to be vaccinated (60% received one dose and 49% fully vaccinated) (MayoClinic.org, 2021). As of Memorial Day weekend, mask wearing and physical distancing (which I think sounds more indicative of what we need to have been doing and less taxing on the psyche) have begun to be distant memories as the CDC provides guidance to the public health message relating to COVID-19 (albeit still recommended for many for a variety of health reasons).

This may be my final president’s monthly message concerning COVID issues. I know NJSNA Past President Kate Gillespie joins me in saying that the monthly president’s message has been an important response to making sure you, the nurses of New Jersey and members of the New Jersey State Nurses Association (NJSNA), remain in contact for important information relating to the pandemic. Rest assured, NJSNA will be keeping a close watch on a number of issues, as is the American Nurses Association, relating to the issue of PPE, workplace environment and outreach as a result of any identified COVID-19-related crisis.

As we continue to vaccinate, thank you to all who have volunteered and those who have accepted the responsibility of participating in vaccination clinics and those who became a member of New Jersey’s Medical Reserve Corps in your county. We must continue to be vigilant in educating, guiding and providing information and updates to family and friends and the continued need for a strong public health infrastructure.

Finally, continue to take care of you! Join, if you have not done so already, Healthy Nurse Healthy New Jersey by taking the pledge (https://njsna.org/healthy-nurse/) as an easy way to hear from a dedicated group of New Jersey nurses! And, by texting the phrase RNConnectNJ to 60298, nurses are sharing simple and easy tips sent twice weekly with links to additional resources for nurses while demonstrating our commitment to you and helping the committee to continue our efforts with a chance for additional funding to New Jersey for this Healthy Nurse initiative! It’s a win-win!

Sending thanks and unending gratitude for all you do.

Blue skies,

Mary Ellen Levine, DNP MSN RN

President

New Jersey State Nurses Association

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2021). Retrieved on June 1, 2021 from https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#datatracker-home

Mayoclinic.org. (2021). U.S. COVID-19 vaccine tracker: See you state’s progress. Retrieved on June 1, 2021 from https://www.mayoclinic.org/coronavirus-covid-19/vaccine-tracker

New Jersey State Nurses Association. (2020). Healthy Nurse, Healthy NJ: Pledge. Retrieved at https://njsna.org/healthy-nurse/

State of New Jersey Department of Health. (2019). Medical reserve corps. Retrieved on May 2, 2021 at https://www.nj.gov/health/lh/njmrc/