GU healthcare heroes: Dr. Erin Shankel keeps those skilled nurses coming
Published: April 20, 2021
Author: Carla Morris
When talk turns to COVID heroes, emergency room nurses often top the list, and for good reason: Research says they endure stress linked to heavy workloads, high patient-nurse ratios, schedules that don’t permit rest, and their own fears over contracting COVID.
But other unsung heroes in the nursing profession deserve recognition too, like creative problem solver, nurse-educator Erin (Black '01) Shankel, who’s journeyed off the beaten track to equip her students and fill critical demands for skilled nurses.
And, make no mistake about it, the need for nurses has surged. A report released earlier this year cited a 245% increase in nurse staffing demands from September 2020 to December 2020, largely due to COVID.
As those numbers soared, Erin, assistant professor and coordinator of the nurse practitioner program at Belmont University (Nashville, Tennessee), faced several difficult tasks:
- teaching crisis-weary nurses,
- helping them pivot to online coursework, and
- supplying them with hands-on clinicals at a time when usual clinical providers closed their doors.
Hard realities: work, life, and COVID-19
Erin guides nurses through advanced studies that lead to a graduate degree, a program that equips them to serve as nurse practitioners. Since the onset of COVID, her students frequently encountered sick, suffering, and dying patients in their work. Their attempts to switch gears quickly from crisis to classroom often proved difficult. With little time to renew, refresh, and reset, they struggled with mastering challenging new coursework and skills.
“It’s hard to hold students accountable to high academic standards knowing what they are experiencing in their work life,” she says.
The abrupt shift to online classes didn’t help either. Erin embraced the unenviable task of guiding nurses (notorious “hands-on” helpers) from classroom learning to remote learning.
“My students were nervous about moving to online classes,” she says, “but they’re doing well.”
The clinical challenge
Today, Erin scrambles to find hands-on clinical training opportunities for students; COVID restrictions have forced many clinical-providers to close their doors. She and her Belmont colleagues leaned into creativity, forging new partnerships with the city, medical schools, medical units, and offices in the area. Among the results:
- Drive-in COVID testing in Nissan Stadium allowed students to fill clinical requirements while meeting the community’s needs.
- A call center in collaboration with the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) engaged students with the public by answering questions about COVID and providing information.
Erin recently invited private schools to host pediatric clinics and hopes for a positive response.
The creative nurse
In the meantime, she stays engaged, networking, and on the lookout for fresh ideas. Her work with the Tennessee Department of Health resulted in the distribution of free COVID testing kits. She regularly serves with Belmont University’s Health Services and participates on the faculty senate, a platform she has used to move ideas through to university leadership.
And, through it all, the prospect of research fuels her imagination. She contends that we need to know more about COVID as it relates to health on college campuses, and the ethics associated with vaccine distribution. Like items on a “to do” list, the voids Erin identifies say as much about her persistence as a problem solver as they say about the scope of her influence and understanding-behind the scenes, yes, but deserving just the same of celebration.
Thank you, Erin, for your work.
