This month marks the end of my two-year term as AMSN’s President. It has been a challenging two years, but also very rewarding, and I am so thankful to have served in this role. Even though my presidency occurred during a worldwide pandemic, the AMSN Board of Directors and I worked hard to meet our members’ needs and to provide programs and resources to move us forward.

I am so proud of the services and programs we have provided and how we have worked to advocate for medical-surgical nurses during this time.

I am so proud of the services and programs we have provided and how we have worked to advocate for medical-surgical nurses during this time. A few of our accomplishments include the creation an emergency grant to help our members meet their financial needs during the uncertain beginning of the pandemic, the creation of the first and only medical-surgical competencies, and the formation of a Governance committee which reviewed and updated each AMSN policy.

Additionally, we created a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion task force, revamped our legislative committee, updated AMSN’s 3-year strategic plan, and launched the AMSN Elevate Series. It amazes me how much we were able to achieve during the last 2 years!

It goes without saying that the pandemic had a major effect on our daily lives and a profound impact on healthcare. Medical-surgical nurses were called upon to learn new technologies, medications, and skills to care for COVID patients while facing even more scarce resources and understaffing.

Even though the past few years have been extraordinarily challenging for medical-surgical nurses, we have been able to shine a light on our challenges and difficulties, enhance our collective voice, and advocate for our specialty. The public now has a better understanding of the importance of nurses and how complex our job is.

In fact, I think one of the most important outcomes of the pandemic is how it helped us to articulate burnout as a systemic problem due to repeated moral injury rather than a nurse having a few bad days or suffering from caregiver burden. The emphasis placed on the importance of caring for nurses and protecting our safety and well-being cannot be overlooked.

The world now knows that resilience and preventing burnout is not simply an individual nurse’s responsibility, but rather the healthcare system’s obligation to build systems and work environments that enhance nurses’ well-being. I am proud of the work AMSN has done to highlight these challenges, and I am appreciative that I could speak about the importance of nurse wellbeing in interviews, podcasts, and during conversations with key stakeholders.

Medical-surgical nursing is a unique specialty and one I am so happy I found early in my career.

What is Medical-Surgical Nursing?

Medical-surgical nursing is a unique specialty and one I am so happy I found early in my career. AMSN has provided me with a wealth of opportunities to grow professionally, establish meaningful friendships, understand healthcare on a broad and systemic level, and allowed me to see the world.

As I transition to Immediate Past-President in January, I welcome our new President, Marisa Streelman. She is an unwavering advocate for medical-surgical nursing and is going to be a great leader for us over the next two years. Together along with our Board of Directors we will continue to serve you to the very best of our ability.

Please reach out to us and let us know what is on your mind and how we can help you achieve your career goals. It has been my absolute pleasure to serve you, and I look forward to finding new ways to serve AMSN.

As always, thank you for all you do for your patients and each other, and make sure to find time for yourself during this busy holiday season.