WRNMMC, Bethesda, Md.  –   The Army Nurse Corps (ANC) hosted a town hall at Walter Reed Sept. 20, with the corps’ leadership discussing its challenges and future.

The town hall provided a platform for Army nurses and other health care professionals to have an insightful discussion concerning the challenges and rewards of military nursing.

“We are the interstitial fluid of military medicine, in my opinion,” said Col. Jodelle (Jody) Schroeder, interim chief of the ANC. “I am truly an Army nurse,” she added.

Schroeder, originally from Minnesota, is a self-proclaimed "Army Brat" whose dad served in uniform as a veterinarian. She earned her nursing degree from Marquette University where she was also an ROTC cadet, minoring in military science.

After earning her commission into the ANC, Schroeder served in a number of staff and leadership assignments including as the service chief, Medical ICU and Enhanced Precautions Bio-Containment Unit (MICU & EPBU) at Walter Reed; deputy commander for nursing at the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research & Burn Center; deputy critical care nursing consultant to The Army Surgeon General; chief, Division of the Army Health Clinics for Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) in Germany; and chief nursing officer, LRMC.

“For me, the military has really become my family,” Schroeder said at the town hall. “The people to my left and right are the people I’m taking care of on a daily basis. It is all about the care of the warrior for me,” she added.

“Nurses have the exceptionally unique perspective of managing patient care at all levels,” Schroeder continued. “There are challenges across the board, but nursing offers endless learning opportunities and the ability to make a real difference,” she added.

“We provide responsive, innovative and evidence-based nursing care to enhance readiness, preserve life and function, and to promote wellness. To accomplish that, it is essential that we recognize the needs of the nurses across the force and respond to support them in their daily endeavors to accomplish the mission. Talent acquisition, retention and management are high priorities, in addition to a focus on readiness and alignment to support the Army’s fight tonight mission.”

Nursing burnout

Schroeder said nurses are taught early in their careers that critical thinking is one of the most important skills that nurses can have and utilize. “We are constantly in problem-solving mode.” And she added that “the profound sense of care” possessed by most nurses can introduce the challenge of caregiver fatigue.

“Any profession that has the responsibility to care for others in a way that nurses do are prone to suffer burnout if not managed diligently,” Schroeder said. “We recognize that the nursing shortage in health care makes for a difficult environment, but it starts with the local leadership and advocacy to recognize areas that need extra support for staffing, supplies, equipment, policies and procedures. Listening, hearing, and responding to those needs, and sharing up the chain is paramount to tackling nurse burnout. We take that very seriously and work to share tools for prevention.”

She also encourages nurses to advocate for themselves and other nurses and recognize when they need breaks. “Having the crucial conversations, communicating and collaborating with their leadership is essential to managing stress of the workplace. Being an active participant in our own health and wellness is also imperative.”
Nurses in uniform also have “a personal responsibility to ensure their basic professional and personal readiness of licensure, certification, physical, financial and family, Schroeder explained. “Additionally, the nursing skills we expect each nurse to maintain are primarily maintained through the daily business of patient care in our military treatment facilities, the engagement in simulation exercises, and regular training and course attendance,” she shared.

Maintaining nurses in the ranks

Schroeder said the ANC recently started working groups to look at maintaining nurses within it ranks. “Some of the solutions we are looking at involve pay parity, education and leadership growth opportunities in addition to training opportunities. We are also looking at quality of life factors and concerns. ROTC is our largest venue for [bringing] nurses into the Army, and we are exploring partnerships and increased scholarship opportunities. We have so much that is going on right now.”

Never a perfect balance

But Schroeder continues to stress the importance of balance.

“As a mom, wife and dedicated Army nurse myself, I tell [other nurses] that the reality is there will never be a perfect balance. That just is the reality of life in any profession. So, once you get past that, it is all about how you prepare yourself and develop the skills and relationships vital to managing your life of ups and downs. We all make decisions every day navigating life, and it is not all roses, so it comes down to the decisions we choose to make. For me, the benefits of this career and life I have made far outweigh the negative parts.”

For those considering a career as an Army nurse, Schroeder’s advice is for them to talk to Army nurses, hear their stories, and be prepared for “an adventure of a lifetime.”

She concluded with a powerful message that encapsulated the spirit of the ANC: "Care for the Warrior!"