Nurses Come Out of Retirement To Assist With COVID-19 Vaccinations

At Tuesday's weekly coronavirus response briefing, Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced that nearly 13 percent of Arkansans have received at least a first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. So far, more than 651,000 doses have been delivered to the state and more than 65 percent of those doses have been injected into Arkansans' arms. Hutchinson say additional doses will soon be delivered to community clinics to improve access to the vaccine in rural parts of the state.

University of Arkansas nursing student Kandace Williams is creating a communication guidebook to help family members of COVID-19 patients. Williams, who is pursuing a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, says the tool helps explain medical jargon, common equipment, procedures and includes a journal section to record patient information and questions. 

To help Arkansas medical systems better manage escalating COVID-19 hospitalizations, Governor Asa Hutchinson issued an executive order in November that speeds up licensure for all graduating nurses and waives application fees.

Brittany Diaz is a traveling ICU nurse who has worked in hospitals in New York City, Northwest Arkansas, and Dallas, Texas during the COVID-19 pandemic. She describes her experiences on the frontlines of the health crisis and discusses the emotional toll caring for COVID-19 patients is taking on her and her colleagues across the country.

A rise in COVID-19 cases throughout Northwest Arkansas is leaving hospitals and clinics strapped for resources, and that includes nurses.  The University of Arkansas Eleanor Mann School of Nursing is equipping students and faculty to help address those gaps.