A North Dakota nurse speaks out

The state of North Dakota has been an unlikely area of focus in the second half of the COVID-19 pandemic, first for the state’s incredibly high infection rate, then for the governor’s controversial decision to ask nurses who had tested positive for COVID-19 to continue working, and now, as one of the states with the highest vaccination rates.  Our guest for this episode is Tessa Johnson. Tessa is the President of the North Dakota’s Nurses Association, and she’s been thrust into the spotlight as the nurses in her state have grappled with the fallout from the governor’s executive order. Dr. Nurse Dan chatted with Tessa to get her take on that decision, her thoughts on how things could have been handled differently and lessons learned from being one of the epicenters of the pandemic. She also shares what it’s been like to become the face of the nurses in her state on national media outlets like CNN and MSNBC.  Links to recommended reading:  North Dakota Nurses Association  Tessa Johnson on CNN MSNBC: North Dakota Nurses Association president: 'We're in a very critical situation'   The full transcript for this episode can be found here: http://www.trustedhealth.com/the-handoff-podcast/tessa-johnson