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 Jessica, a Planned Parenthood Nurse
Jessica is a registered nurse at the Planned Parenthood Omaha Health Center in Nebraska. We asked Jessica to share some of her experiences working at Planned Parenthood in this moment:
I work for Planned Parenthood because I believe access to sexual and reproductive health care is something ALL people deserve. When I was a teenager, I lived in a rural area and needed confidential reproductive health care. I was fortunate to find a provider who could give me the care I needed at that time, and now, I consider myself lucky to be able to provide others with the same care I needed.
When I was a teenager, I lived in a rural area and needed confidential reproductive health care. I was fortunate to find a provider who could give me the care I needed at that time, and now, I consider myself lucky to be able to provide others with the same care I needed.
Not only have visible day-to-day best practices evolved during this public health crisis (like wearing a mask, requiring temperature checks, and social distancing), but my mindset about what a visit at Planned Parenthood looks like has changed. This is inclusive of expanded telehealth services and finding innovative ways to decrease patient contact while still providing the expert and time-sensitive care our patients need.
I think some of these changes will become long-lasting changes in the way we care for our patients in the future. The increased use of telehealth is really exciting in Nebraska because, as a rural state, we have patients that travel long distances to receive care and this can be a huge barrier to receiving the services they need.
One thing that has stood out to me during this time are the different comfort levels, fears, and anxieties related to the pandemic. Though adjusting to wearing a mask and taking my temperature has become standard to me, I understand this may not be the situation for our patients. The safety and comfort of our patients remains our top priority, and that is even more distinct now.
I appreciate the love, kind words, and support from our community, friends, family, patients, and coworkers.
I appreciate the love, kind words, and support from our community, friends, family, patients, and coworkers. I appreciate the trust our patients put in Planned Parenthood to give them their care during this time. It’s inspiring to see the level of dedication and empathy from my fellow health care workers and I thank not only everyone directly involved in health care, but beyond to the community at large, for making tough decisions and adaptations in their lives.
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 sexual and reproductive health care our community needs.
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