President of American Nurses Association to Visit WakeMed this Week

RALEIGH, N.C. (November 28, 2022) — WakeMed’s more than 2,800 registered nurses represent a highly skilled, compassionately committed group dedicated to providing the safest, most advanced care to all who seek our services. Much like their colleagues across the state and nation, the work of a WakeMed nurse is vastly different compared to three years ago. Managing the headwinds of COVID-19, high patient volumes, and staffing fluctuations have turned the U.S. Nursing industry on its head.

That is why WakeMed — and in particular, WakeMed Nursing’s Karen York, RN — is taking a step to support nurses’ mental health and well-being by inviting Ernest Grant, PhD, RN, the 36th president of the American Nurses Association (ANA), to speak directly to WakeMed bedside nurses and Nursing leadership on Thursday, December 1. The ANA has been in existence for 125 years and represents the interests of 4.3 million nurses in the U.S. — the nation’s largest health care profession.

“At WakeMed, we put our patients first and we need to take care of ourselves to continue our mission,” says Karen York, a bedside nurse at WakeMed’s Raleigh Campus and chair of the Clinical Nurse Council. “Now more than ever, we are looking for ways to improve our work-life balance and prepare for what’s ahead in our industry. We look forward to hearing from Dr. Grant, who has his finger on the pulse of the current and future state of Nursing in North Carolina and our country.”

Grant will visit WakeMed Raleigh Campus on Thursday, December 1. He will tour several hospital units and lead discussions on the following topics.

• You Are the Priority: Supporting Nurses’ Mental Health & Well-being — 10:15 to 11:15 am, Dec. 1, WakeMed Raleigh Campus — Andrews Conference Center.
• The State of Nursing in North Carolina & the Nation — 1 to 2 pm, Dec. 1, WakeMed Raleigh Campus — Andrews Conference Center.

A distinguished leader with more than 30 years of nursing experience, Dr. Grant has served as ANA president since 2019. Throughout the pandemic, he was an expert voice on the impact of the pandemic on U.S. nurses and an advocate for vaccination among health care workers. He previously served as president of the North Carolina Nurses Association (NCNA) and continues to champion for nurses, the nursing profession, and the patients they care for.

Both Dr. Grant and Karen York, RN, (WakeMed) are available for media interviews immediately before and after the above-mentioned presentations.

About WakeMed Health & Hospitals

Serving the community since 1961, WakeMed is a not-for-profit health care system founded and based in Raleigh, N.C. WakeMed exists to improve the health and well-being of our community by providing outstanding and compassionate care to all. WakeMed’s 970-bed system comprises a network of facilities throughout the Triangle area, including three full-service hospitals, seven emergency departments, a dedicated Children’s Hospital and Rehabilitation Hospital, more than 80 physician offices and Wake County’s only Level I Trauma Center. WakeMed’s mission-driven team includes more than 10,300 employees, 1,000 volunteers and 1,300 affiliated physicians, along with the more than 700 physicians and providers with WakeMed Physician Practices — all representing the best minds and the biggest hearts and the finest quality in health care and community health. For more information, visit www.wakemed.org or follow WakeMed on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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