GNSA Bulletin - February 2022 Edition Wednesday, February 2, 2022 Emerging Leaders Inga Antonsdottir, BSN, RN DNP/PhD Program Johns Hopkins University Anticipated Graduation Date: August 2023 Research Assistant in the Memory and Aging Services Innovation Center My goal upon enrolling in a dual degree program (DNP/PhD) was to intertwine my scientific curiosity with advanced clinical practice. When presented the opportunity to combine and cultivate my interests at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in their unique dual degree program, I did not hesitate to say yes. Simultaneously working towards a DNP and a PhD is no walk in the park, but with the incredible mentorship, experiences, and opportunities JHU SON provides, I have grown tremendously. In this program I am learning to provide seamless care, conduct cutting-edge research, and disseminate meaningful findings to my patients and colleagues. I am halfway through my fourth year of the DNP/PhD program working towards both my Adult-Gerontological Primary Care Nurse Practitioner degree and on a dissertation involving actigraphic measurement of sleep and circadian rhythms in persons living with Alzheimer’s disease and their care partners. My long-term goal of becoming a clinician-scientist in the field of Alzheimer’s disease research has always fueled my decisions. Upon completion of my program, I hope to lead clinical research trials to develop new treatments. Maintaining a clinical position as an advanced practice nurse will allow me to interact with my patients, their care partners, and ensure their thoughts and ideas on what matters most to them are heard and used to facilitate relevance for the research I conduct. As I look toward graduation in a little over one year, I hope to obtain a post-doctoral position that will allow me to further strengthen my research and clinical skillsets and an eventual faculty position to share my passion for Alzheimer’s research with students as we train the next generation of clinician-scientists. Are you our next emerging leader? Do you excel in your graduate program, demonstrate excitement for your nursing work, and/or have potential to greatly contribute to health care? If so, submit an emerging leader nomination form today to self-nominate or nominate a fellow student. The emerging leader will be selected from the applicants and notified when they will be profiled. Help us recognize future nursing leaders! Noteworthy Research: On January 25, 2022, the National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing (which includes AACN as a member) released findings from a national survey of over 5,600 nurses showing that racism is a substantial problem for the profession. Fully, 63% of surveyed nurses have experienced racism in the workplace with the transgressors being either a peer (66%), a patient (63%), or a manager/supervisor (60%). Further, 57% of nurses have challenged racism in work settings, but more than half said their efforts resulted in no change. The Commission urges all nurses to confront individual and systemic racism while seeking greater understanding of racism’s impact on the profession, patients, and colleagues. The Commission is seeking public comments on The 2022 National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing Foundational Report by February 14, 2022. Join the GNSA! Take advantage of the various benefits that are free to you as a graduate student! Tell your fellow students and make sure they join today! Click here to complete the online application. A Mental Health Check-In It is hard to believe that we are already in February 2022. If you are anything like me, the beginning of the New Year is often filled with hope and expectation for accomplishing goals and improving overall health. As I spoke with several colleagues, friends, and family members at the start of 2022, however, I quickly realized that this year has been challenging for many people. Some have continued the tradition of naming and writing down goals, but for many, the New Year was met with continued mental, emotional, and physical fatigue due to ongoing stressors. As nurses and students, we have continued to work hard throughout the course of the pandemic despite difficult situations and even traumatic experiences. The experience of many daily compounding stressors can make it even more challenging to set new goals or to accomplish the goals that were previously determined. This year, let’s consider one important goal in which we acknowledge the needs of our own mental health. One way to do this is to regularly ask yourself mental health check-in questions such as the following: How am I feeling both mentally and physically today? Have I provided my body with its basic needs (food, exercise, sleep)? Are there specific things that are taking up most of my headspace? Are there things in my life that are negative and should be cut out? What have I done lately that I enjoy? What inspires me? What have I been grateful for lately? Who do I have in my corner for support? Brief mental health check-in questions can be a great way to assess how we are really feeling and acknowledge this critical aspect of wellbeing. In addition to thinking through these questions, I have found it helpful to write down my answers and discuss them with a trusted friend, family member, or counselor. What other check-in questions or mental health strategies have you considered for this year? Join us in the GNSA Connect community for further discussion! Maria McDonald, MSN, FNP GNSA Leadership Council Member University of Virginia How Do You Cope with Mental Health Challenges? As graduate students, you have multiple competing interests from school to work to family life. The pandemic has highlighted significant work stressors for many in the nursing profession. Learning to cope with various mental health challenges can be a beneficial skill. Maria has shared her check-in questions above to help develop an internal assessment. What other strategies do you use? Is there a mental health practice that you have found to be successful? Share and reflect with the GNSA Connect community by logging in to your MyAACN account and clicking on GNSA Connect from your GNSA dashboard. If you have questions about how to access or use this resource, contact Autumn Spriggs at aspriggs@aacnnursing.org. Meet the Newest GNSA Liaisons Serve as a Student Leader and Become a GNSA Liaison! 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