It’s National Nurses Week so we’d like to take a moment to highlight our compassionate and skilled providers. While we’re all adjusting to the new realities of COVID-19, Planned Parenthood health care providers are making it possible for patients to receive expanded care online and over the phone, and providing essential sexual and reproductive health services inside our health centers.
We always appreciate our providers, but after witnessing the way they are confronting new challenges and adapting to the rapidly changing environment with grace and grit, we are more thankful for them now than ever.
Meet April, a Planned Parenthood Nurse
April is a registered nurse at the Planned Parenthood Rosenfield Health Center in Iowa. She primarily works in abortion care—managing the ultrasound and sedation programs in Iowa and Nebraska. We asked April to share some of her experiences working at Planned Parenthood in this moment:
There are a couple reasons I chose to work at Planned Parenthood—my passion for women’s health and my personal connection to Planned Parenthood. Both my mother and sister had abortions at Planned Parenthood that impacted their lives and inspired me to work in abortion care. I love that I’m there to help women on a really difficult day, just like other nurses were there for my mom and sister many years ago. It’s an honor to be able to continue that legacy.
I love that I’m there to help women on a really difficult day, just like other nurses were there for my mom and sister many years ago. It’s an honor to be able to continue that legacy.
Best practices in the health centers have drastically changed during this time. Abortion screenings, abortion education, and contraception education are primarily over the phone – making it safer for both patients and staff. There have also been procedural changes especially with training staff on ultrasound. Ultrasound is a hands-on procedure that typically requires a lot of patient contact. To accommodate social distancing, we’ve been using a pelvic simulator to train new staff on ultrasound—our creativity has definitely been pushed.
Though clinical work has been exhausting both mentally and physically, and we all have worries about our own families, the feedback we receive from patients and our community shows us the positive impact of our work. Always, but especially now, the importance of accessibility to abortion care and family planning services is critical and what keeps me motivated during this uncertain time.
Planned Parenthood North Central States is highlighting providers throughout National Nurses Week on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter . Follow along to get to know a few of the phenomenal nurses dedicated to providing the reproductive and sexual health care our community needs.
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