VA nurse leaders offer lessons for pandemic preparedness

As New York City became the epicenter of the pandemic, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) New York Harbor Healthcare System responded, and flexible nurse leadership was crucial to navigating the unchartered territory they encountered. This included a nurse supervisor who ensured emotional support for staff caring for patients who were dying without family around them, a resource manager who used personal contacts to access temporary staff and unit managers who cooked meals for staff. These actions, which reaffirmed the values of fundamental health care and the need for creative patient care and staff advocacy, can inform health care leaders who must prepare staff for future crises. (Nursing Economic$ article)