'We're in a crisis,' retiring nurse says of pandemic

A friend of mine — I'll call her "Jane" — is a nurse at an area hospital.

She has devoted more than 40 years of her life to the health care profession, caring for a wide range of patients — orthopedic, neuro, emergency, surgical and many others.

One day last week, Jane told me she had news that was both exciting and sad. The news is she's going to retire in a few weeks.

Health care, she lamented, has changed, at least from her perspective.

"It isn't 'health' care anymore," she told me. "It's 'sick' care."

Far too many people, Jane said, aren't doing simple things to stay healthy, including exercise and proper nutrition, things they should be doing to help maintain good health.

And now, more than half the eligible people in Cape Girardeau County are avoiding the COVID-19 vaccine, something that can help them avoid the virus and/or passing it along to others.

As a result, more and more unvaccinated people are once again turning up in hospital emergency rooms and COVID care units.

Jane says she's tired of it.

"What we're going through in the hospital scares me," Jane said. "We're in a crisis and it's not worth risking my own health if others aren't going to take simple steps to take care of themselves."

Jane is not alone.

A recent study by the International Council of Nurses (ICN) found 20% of its National Nurses Associations (NNAs) were experiencing an increased rate of nurses departing the profession in 2020 citing heavy workloads, insufficient resources, burnout, and stress related to the COVID pandemic. And that was before the emergence of the delta variant.

Earlier this year, a study by McKinsey & Company found more than 22% of nurses said they are considering leaving their current positions in 2021 to either go into another profession or retire, with female nurses twice as likely to consider leaving as their male counterparts.

For nurses like Jane, boosting vaccination rates could help slow their exodus from the nursing field while simultaneously stemming the spread of coronavirus.

Dozens of medical associations and societies recently issued a statement urging health care organizations to require their employees to be vaccinated, and last week, the Missouri Nurses Association (MONA) announced it, too, "supports workplace mandates" and "strongly encourages" all health care workers to be vaccinated.

"MONA stands with employers that are requiring all their nurses and health care workers to be vaccinated," according to a statement the group issued last week. "MONA also supports the American Nurses Association's updated statement on immunizations and recommends all nurses be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus to protect themselves, patients, and family members."

The statement went on to say the association "did not come to this stance lightly" and acknowledged "the uneasiness of many who have chosen not to be vaccinated."

The decision to support vaccination mandates, MONA said, came "out of respect for the many nurses who did their ethical duty of getting the vaccine and are now caring for increased numbers of COVID-19 positive patients and vulnerable populations."

Vaccinations, MONA said, are one of our greatest public health achievements and are critical to continue stemming the spread and resulting disease, disability, and death related to COVID-19."

SEMO athletes sign NIL agreements

Southeast Missouri State University soccer player Emma Brune has inked an NIL agreement with Fresh Healthy Cafe in Cape Girardeau.Submitted

If you're a fan of college sports, you probably know the NCAA's rules pertaining to the commercial use of a collegiate athlete's name, image and likeness (NIL) have changed.

Effective earlier this summer, the NCAA is allowing college athletes to profit from their personas, allowing them to monetize their success by endorsing products and entering promotional agreements with all sorts of businesses.

At least two Southeast Missouri State University athletes have reportedly signed NIL agreements with local businesses, the most recent of which is soccer standout Emma Brune. Brune, a standout athlete at Saxony Lutheran High School, is majoring in health nutrition at SEMO and has become the "collegiate ambassador" for Fresh Healthy Cafe in Cape. She will represent Fresh Healthy Cafe on the eatery's social media platforms and at special events.

Fresh Healthy Cafe's NIL agreement with Brune followed a similar agreement in late July in which Southeast men's basketball's Nygal Russell signed on with Wings Etc. in Cape Girardeau. The junior guard was believed to be the first SEMO athlete to sign an NIL agreement.

Fresh Healthy to add second location

Speaking of Fresh Healthy Cafe, Rick Hetzel, who owns and operates the franchise eatery's location in the Saint Francis Medical Center complex, says a second Fresh Healthy Cafe is planned at 601 N. Kingshighway.

The new 1,350-square-foot location, which many years ago was home to the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce, will feature indoor and outdoor dining along with drive-through service.

Hetzel said remodeling at the new location has been delayed because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the construction industry, so a target opening date has not been determined.

Buckner-Ragsdale building has new owner

A downtown landmark, the Buckner-Ragsdale building on the corner of Broadway and North Main Street, has been sold.

Local Realtor Bobby Gray told me Friday the building has been under contract for several weeks and the deal is set to close in a few days.

However, he said he was not at liberty to disclose the identity of the new owner.

Vendor spots open for Oktoberfest

Uptown Jackson will be converted into a Bavarian hamlet Oct. 1 and 2 for the town's eighth Oktoberfest.

The event will feature a biergarten, live music, family activities, German food, a pet parade and probably more than a few pairs of lederhosen.

Oktoberfest has been chosen for inclusion in the Missouri Bicentennial Passport Challenge, so the Uptown Jackson Revitalization Organization (UJRO) expects attendance of 20,000 or more.

Booth space is available for food and beverage (nonalcoholic) vendors as well as for vendors selling hand-crafted items, local produce or plants.

"As a vendor, Oktoberfest is a great opportunity to showcase products or services to people from every generation in a safe and fun environment," said Janna Clifton, UJRO executive director.

More information for those interested in Oktoberfest vendor space is available by emailing uptownjacksonmo@gmail.com or by calling UJRO at (573) 200-6542.

Applications will be accepted until Sept. 20, but space for entree food vendors is limited.

Refrigerator watch

We're moving into Week 45 since we ordered the refrigerator for our kitchen remodel project.

In case you're wondering, we were wise enough to hang on to our old refrigerator, which occupies a corner of our garage.

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