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COVID-19 Resources for Nurses

AMSN is Here For You Through COVID-19

Read our official statement on COVID-19 Vaccination here.

 

COVID-19 Resources from Our Premier Partner, Medtronic

 

As the world faces the crisis caused by Coronavirus (COVID-19), and the virus’s spread in the United States and around the world causes shutdowns, closings, and economic upheaval, we know that you and your colleagues are on the frontlines. And we know the monumental task you face. We’ll continue to work with you to assist in any way we can.

AMSN COVID -19 Nurse Discount Guide

AMSN realizes that in these uncertain times, finances and work schedules could ebb and flow drastically.  We have assembled 12 pages of discounts for you, on everything from self-care items, to food delivery, to shoes and apparel.  Please find our fully downloadable guide that you can reference to help you navigate the multitude of savings available to you during the pandemic.  Download the COVID-19 Nurse Discount Guide.

AMSN Staffing Toolkit

Are you hiring contingent nurses? Are you in need of education or resources during COVID-19?  Download the AMSN Staffing Toolkit today. It includes an online Self-Assessment Survey tool to use for new hires or contingent nurses,  a Crisis Staffing Model, and a Medical-Surgical Nursing Pocket Reference. All of which are free during COVID-19 crisis.

For now, we have highlighted below some important information to note, that may help you during this time. This page and the contents below are updated often, so check back for important information.

Updates by AMSN Department

Membership

MEMBERSHIP ASSISTANCE: Membership@amsn.org

AMSN knows that your membership benefits help you stay connected to other nurses during this crucial time. On the Hub, you can connect with nurses locally, and around the world, and learn from one another, as well as share resources and support.

AMSN is working to meet you where you are--on the go, on your phone, with little time to be sitting at a computer right now. We're excited to be sharing new resources and member benefits over the next few months. Stay tuned by email, on the AMSN Connect app, on the Hub, and our social media!

Certification

CERTIFICATION ASSISTANCE: Certification@amsn.org

As the global impact of COVID-19 continues to unfold, MSNCB's testing partner, Prometric, has deemed the CMSRN certification exam "essential." Various testing centers in the United States and other countries are reopening on a weekly basis at either limited or full capacity and are supporting "essential" exams. Although test centers are reopening weekly, we are also seeing test centers close in COVID-19 hot spots. Check here for test site availability in your area.

Test centers are requiring test takers to bring and wear a mask while taking the exam. This is necessary to comply with federal guidance provided by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as to further protect the health and well-being of the individual test takers and the staff that provide services.

MSNCB now offers remote proctored exams. Due to COVID-19, remote proctored exams are in high demand. Plan to be available for up to 5 hours to allow for check-in, the wait to be connected to a proctor, taking the exam and troubleshooting any technical difficulties that may arise where you will need to contact support. It's important to check your device for compatibility by running a system readiness check and reviewing the FAQ and other common technical issues that may arise while testing. This will assist you in determining if a remote proctored exam is right for you.

As of August 3, 2020, rescheduling fees and extension fees have been reinstated. Please review the website for more information.

Late fees for certification renewal applications have been waived through December 31, 2020.

Advocacy

ADVOCACY ASSISTANCE: Advocacy@amsn.org

COVID-19 is changing all our lives and work. To support our patients and our safety while providing care, our medical-surgical nursing voices are needed now in our national and state capitals. Please contact your federal and state legislators today, and tell them to prioritize COVID-19 testing, personal protective equipment (PPE), and funding for childcare so we can all care for our patients and protect our safety.

Education / Webinars

WEBINAR ASSISTANCE: ProDev@amsn.org

AMSN - Free Webinar from April 9 - Coping Through the Crisis: An Introduction to EFT for Bedside Nurses In this interactive webinar, you will learn how to use the emotional freedom technique (EFT), or tapping, an evidence-based complementary therapy that has been shown to decrease cortisol levels, treat PTSD, and allow individuals to manage stress and anxiety. Register and view the recording at your convenience.

Achieving Emotional Comfort: The Foundational Course, an online video course, teaches you how to free yourself from stress and painful emotions such as anxiety, sadness and irritation. Learn more. Payment Plan available

ENA - COVID-19 resources for nurses.

ANA Various webinars available regarding COVID-19 care. Registration is FREE for both ANA members and non-members. Register now to view these online, on-demand webinar immediately or anytime, anywhere. Register here.

AAACN - From Tuesday, April 7, 2020, 1:00-2:15pm US Eastern. Telephone Triage and COVID-19. Register to see view the recording  at your convenience.

How Else Can We Help?

The team at our national office is working virtually to contribute to social distancing and efforts to "flatten the curve" as much as we can. Though we are not together at the office, we continue to work collaboratively to provide the support and resources you need. Regardless of where we are working, we have processes in place to ensure we can provide the same level of customer service and overall attention that you expect from AMSN. 

We do not yet know when this crisis will abate. We do know that health care organizations – the people and the infrastructures – are being stretched near their limits. We do know that many of you will be working day and night amidst the uncertainty and stress, while risking your own well-being caring for those impacted by COVID-19. You may also find yourself separated from family and friends.

We are grateful for the work you do, and we are committed to making it easier for you to do your work.

If there is anything you need, or you have suggestions on how we can better serve you during this time, please do not hesitate to reach out to us immediately.

Sincerely,
The Boards of Directors and Staff of AMSN/MSNCB

Other Resources from Around the Nation

CDC: COCA CALLS / WEBINARS

During COCA Calls/Webinars, subject matter experts present key emergency preparedness and response topics, followed by meaningful Q&A with participants.

Each COCA Call/Webinar will offer the most up to date information and guidance for clinicians. Calls are recorded and available for viewing with slides.

Available for viewing on the COCA Website.

 

ON THE FRONTLINES

The Joint Commission is offering tools and resources to support health care professions on the frontlines.

EBSCO Videos To Help During COVID-19

PPE SAFETY & PRESERVING MASKS
CHILDCARE AND FAMILY SUPPORT

3 Months of Free, Premium Access for Frontline Workers
Care.com is providing three months of free, premium access to our site to support your important service to the community at this difficult time.

  • Access the largest online site for care
  • Find help for your children, parents & pets
  • Unlimited messaging with caregivers
  • Free for 3 Months

Read more

FACE SHIELDS

NJ Company Disc Makers Now Using Their Manufacturing Equipment to Make Face Shields
In response to COVID-19 crisis, the company is using their CD manufacturing space to make face shields. These can also be printed with logos or designs. For more information, please have your health care organization procurement officer contact faceshields@discmakers.com or visit the site here.

MEALS / FOOD

Special Offer for AMSN Members from The Fruit Guys
The FruitGuys are partnering with hospitals, food banks, and other organizations across the country to supply healthy fresh fruit and snacks to those on the frontlines of this pandemic. We're offering 30% off sitewide exclusive to AMSN members. Visit and use code: AMSN30.

Sunbasket Discount for Members
AMSN members and CMSRN certificants received a discount to Sunbasket, a healthy meal delivery service. Check your email, including your spam, to take advantage of this great offer. Can't find it in your email or spam? Email AMSN@amsn.org to get the information and discount code!

UBER EATS - FREE meals for health care workers
If you are an individual healthcare worker, please cc: in your department head or hospital administrator so that we can service your institution more broadly. Email the following to Social-impact-Support@uber.com.

If you are an administrator or department head, please provide the following information:

  1. City
  2. Healthcare institution name
  3. Requestor’s name and position
  4. Official email address
  5. How many free meals are you requesting (one promo code per person will be provided; use team size as a guide on number of meals)?

Here are some details around the program for free meals for health workers:

  • Uber Eats is providing free meals via promo codes valued at $25 (not including taxes and service fees).
  • The promo code is limited to one per user so that we can ensure we are being as impactful as possible and supporting as many healthcare professionals as we can.
  • The POC requesting this donated meal is responsible for distributing these codes to your colleagues in a secure manner (e.g. via email).
MENTAL HEALTH / WELL-BEING / SELF-CARE

ANA Well-Being Initiative, a site for Free Tools to Support the Mental Health and Resilience of All Nurses during COVID-19, including Moodfit and Happy Apps.

ANNA has created an evidence-based Mental Health and Well-being Resource page.
It is freely accessible and will updated as new resources and tools become available. Visit resources.

First Responder, Healthcare Worker, Military Discount - BlanQuil
The BlanQuil Team wants to thank all Military Service Members, Healthcare Workers, and First Responders, and are proud to offer a discount.

Fitness Blender
Free online workouts.

Headspace
The meditation app and sleep app is free right now with your NPI number and email.

Managing Stress and Anxiety

NIMH conducted a livestream event on managing stress and anxiety. Krystal Lewis, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist at NIMH, discussed coping techniques on how to maintain your mental health during the pandemic and when to get professional help. View the recording.

National Academy of Medicine Strategies for Well-Being During COVID-19
In the face of the unprecedented challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying global public health emergency, we want you to know the National Academy of Medicine’s Clinician Well-Being Collaborative is giving its attention to this issue. We remain wholly committed to reversing trends in clinician burnout by advancing evidence-based strategies to improve clinician well-being at both the individual and systems levels, and now must acknowledge the toll that the current crisis is taking on the well-being of clinicians. Visit for strategies and resources.

NUTRITION

Nutrition is important for immunity and COVID-19 can increase risk for malnutrition. In addition, malnutrition can potentially impact COVID-19 outcomes and recovery. Here are the latest COVID-19 and Nutrition nurse CE courses available from the Abbott Nutrition Health Institute (ANHI).

AMSN works with ANHI to bring educational content and resources focused on nutrition to AMSN members. Check out additional resources at the ANHI COVID-19 Knowledge Hub, including a  Nutrition & Immunity infographic available in English, Spanish, and Mandarin. Explore more of what is offered at anhi.org

Eating Disorder Recovery Is Possible, Even During a Crisis: Activities and Affirmations

PAPERS, GUIDES & PUBLICATIONS

A Nurse's Ethical Obligation During a Pandemic
A timely article from a 2017 issue of MedSurg Matters!, Dr. Casey Cassidy outlines ethical and legal considerations during a pandemic and describes a nurse's professional duty during such events in her article "A Nurse’s Ethical Obligation During a Pandemic."

We hope this provides you with additional guidance at this time. Please note that the contact hours for this article have expired. Read the article.

AMSN Past President and Current Research Advisor Linda Yoder PhD, MBA, RN, AOCN, FAAN and colleagues developed a paper, “Global health crises are also information crises: A call to action.” Using as an example the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) epidemic, they examine challenges associated with what we term “global information crises”; recommend changes needed for the field of information science to play a leading role in such crises; and propose actionable items for short‐ and long‐term research, education, and practice in information science. View paper in its entirety.

Abbott Nutrition and Health Institute
ANHI Special Report: Nutrition & Immunity Good nutrition is key to immune health. With this in mind, ANHI created this Special Report to offer you their best curation of nutrition and immunity education resources.

Disaster Nursing
There is a wealth of resources on their website. Free to become a member.

AMSN Discount Guide
Download the COVID-19 Nurse Discount Guide.

ECRI
ECRI Guidelines Trust is a publicly available online repository of objective, evidence-based clinical practice guideline content. Its purpose is to provide physicians, nurses, other clinical specialties, and members of the healthcare community with up-to-date clinical practices to advance safe and effective patient care. This centralized repository includes evidence-based guidance developed by nationally and internationally recognized medical organizations and medical specialty societies.

HHS Launches Covid-19 Hospital Capacity Database
A week after instructing hospitals to send COVID-19 data directly to HHS, the agency has started making some capacity information publicly available online.

Managing COVID-19 ARDS
Patients with severe symptoms of COVID-19 pneumonia often go on to develop acute hypoxemic respiratory failure and some will develop adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (Auwaerter, 2020). Critical care clinicians have managed ARDS for years; however, COVID-19 ARDS is different from the typical ARDS we’ve known. Use this Nursing Pocket Card developed by Anne Dabrow Woods, DNP, RN, CRNP, ANP-BC, AGACNP-BC, FAAN to help guide you in managing ARDS in patients with COVID-19.

TRANSPORTATION

JetBlue
JetBlue and Delta Air Lines are offering free flights to medical personnel traveling to provide assistance during the coronavirus epidemic. JetBlue is also working with the nonprofit Together We Rise to help college students displaced from university housing and donating resources to the Food Bank for New York City. Visit JetBlue.

VACCINES

CDC Recommendations for Allocating Initial Supply - The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ Interim Recommendation for Allocating Initial Supplies of COVID-19 Vaccine — United States, 2020.

Guiding Principles for Nurses and the Vaccine - Vaccines are critical to the control and prevention of infectious disease transmission. The following principles are key factors for nurses and other health care professionals to examine in consideration of immunization. *As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, this document may be revised as necessary.

COIVD-19 Vaccine Update with Dr. Fauci - This video uses interviews and visuals to help viewers understand the science behind vaccines and why there is reason for optimism. Experts featured in the video include: Dr. Anthony Fauci, National Institutes of Health; Dr, Moncef Slaoui, Operation Warp Speed; Dr. Stephen Hahn, Food and Drug Administration; Dr. Robert Kadlec, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response in the Department of Health and Human Services.

FDA COVID-19 Vaccine Facts - The Path for a COVID-19 Vaccine from Research to Emergency Use Authorization.

Open Letter to the Public on Vaccines - Leaders of the American Hospital Association, American Medical Association and American Nurses Association urge the American public to trust the COVID-19 vaccine process.

ISMP Recommendations for Organization Preparing for Vaccine Administration - Learning from experience with this year’s flu vaccine can help healthcare organizations and practitioners get ready for COVID-19 vaccination campaigns.