I have a super-power...

Just like many of us, I am reading and hearing more about Coronavirus daily.  While there is much uncertainty, I see this as an opportunity for nurses, as well as physicians, to step up and lead our organizations and communities through this. While even our "trusted sources", the CDC and WHO appear to exhibit some concern, they also have a somewhat steady hand on the wheel. The media's nearly hourly tally of infected or fatalities is a bit unnecessary because it seems to be more anxiety-producing than informative. Perhaps a less dramatic approach to counting would be helpful. This really is the time for those of us in healthcare to focus on fact over fiction and science over politics. It is important to prevent the "hype" and focus on prevention, containment, and management. To share an example of what I mean, here is my interaction at the grocery store last Sunday. The cashier says to the person in front of me "did you find everything you need?", the person replies "no, you are out of hand sanitizer", and the person behind me says "you don't need it, just use Dial soap". I asked this person why they thought Dial soap would help "sanitize" their hands? She replied it kills all germs. At which point I politely went into full-blown nurse mode and tried to educate her about proper hand hygiene ( a conversation I have had over a dozen times already with friends and family).  When she asked me why I thought I knew more, I explained that I am a nurse and went on to talk about the virtues of soap and hot water as well as the right kind of hand sanitizer. By the end of this couple of minutes, about 8 shoppers were listening and nodding their heads. While this is a small example of how we can help clarify fact from fiction, it makes me grateful for the fact that I have a super-power. I am a nurse! Now is the time to use our super-power.