By: Sarah K. Wells MSN RN CEN CNL

Starting a nursing career can be overwhelming, especially when faced with limited support. If you find yourself in this situation, consider these strategies to advocate for the change you need:

Talk to Preceptors, an Educator, or a Charge Nurse – Have an honest conversation with your preceptor, educator, or charge nurse about the challenges you're encountering. Keeping them informed is crucial as they can offer guidance and support.

Don’t Throw Anyone Under the Bus – Avoid assigning blame to colleagues. Use "I feel that..." statements to maintain a neutral and constructive tone during discussions.

Take Accountability – Recognize areas where you can improve and own it. Acknowledging your efforts to grow will earn respect from your coworkers

Offer a Recommendation – Suggest improvements without being condescending. Share valuable resources like articles or best practices that demonstrate effective and evidence-based interventions.

I met Helen Perry through the Emergency Nurses Association grapevine and the almighty Facebook. Helen is a Nurse Practitioner and veteran of the United States Army as well as an Emergency Nurse sister, and I could not be happier that our paths collided as she is a most inspiring nurse leader and humanitarian.

Let me tell you about Helen Perry…

After serving five years as a nurse in the military, Helen went to Georgetown University and received her Nurse Practitioner (NP) degree. While on break during her NP program, Helen went to Mosul, Iraq with a humanitarian organization called Global Response Management (GRM) and helped run Trauma Stabilization Points for civilians who were injured in the fighting. She was hooked! Helen loved how GRM applied military medical philosophies to civilian situations and managed healthcare challenges with an outside-the-box approach.

Today, Helen heads the day-to-day operations of GRM and founded a program and clinic in Matamoros, Mexico that has provided medical care for over 3,000 asylum seekers and refugees since opening in September 2019. The GRM teams of highly trained medical volunteers work in the camp seven days a week to help families facing acute and chronic medical conditions to get the care they need.

Find out more about Global Response Management

Global Response Management’s Mobile Medical Unit and Better Shelter tent structures, currently sit in the middle of the camp allowing residents full access to medical care every day of the week.

A view of the tents housing thousands of refugees at the border between Texas and Mexico.

A Global Response Management staff member plays with a young patient through the fence at the border.

COVID19 & Border Health

Now that COVID19 has arrived, the needs of the patients in Matamoros are rapidly changing. The GRM clinic is the main medical resource for the area and is planning to increase their level of operations in preparation for higher acuity patient care needs as COVID19 continues to spread.

Give to Global Response Management

Helen and the Global Response Management team need our help! To get the GRM Matamoros clinic ready for the potential COVID19 patient surge, Global Response Management needs funding. If you are a nurse, know a nurse, involved in emergency nursing, management, or have a passion for supporting at-risk patient populations, consider donating to the Global Response Management program in Matamoros. They are urgently in need of financial support to care for those who have no where else to go.

Donate to the Global Response Management Matamoros Program

A Global Response Management clinic offering medical attention to asylum seekers and refugees.

About the Author - Sarah K. Wells, MSN, RN, CEN, CNL is an educator, speaker, blogger and owner of New Thing Nurse, a professional and academic coaching company for the nursing world. New Thing Nurse is organized to provide support and guidance to aspiring nurses, newly graduated nurses, and veteran RNs looking to make a change in their life.

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