Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1130164
June 10–July 15, 2019 8 Working Nurse l WorkingNurse.com ON THE QUICK Nursing & Healthcare News T hirty-six years ago, nurses in San Francisco established the country's first specialized AIDS unit. A new documentary film, 5B, tells their story. The First Step When nurses at San Francisco General Hospital established Ward 5B in July 1983, an epidemic was devastating the Bay Area's LGBT community: a mysteri- ous autoimmune disease with bizarre symptoms and a 100 percent fatality rate. AIDS patients faced severe stigma. Clinicians and support staff were often reluctant to provide care or even basic hospital housekeeping due to fear of contagion, homophobia or both. Clinical nurse specialist Cliff Morrison, RN, BSN, MBA/MPH, M.S., then the direc- tor of the hospital's forensic psychiatry program, recalls that he was "more pissed off and angry than scared" by the situation. He and 11 other SF General nurses volun- teered to establish a new unit, Ward 5B, specifically for treating patients with AIDS. Backlash At first, the Ward 5B staff wasn't even sure how big a risk they were taking; the epidemiology of HIV was still a question mark. Even when it became clear that the infection risk was relatively low, the work took a huge emotional toll. All the staff could really provide was palliative care for the dying. The nurses soon discovered that there were political consequences as well. Staff members in other units were alarmed by the presence of AIDS patients in the hospital. "Some of the nurses refused to give care," recalls retired 5B nurse Alison Moed Paolercio. Others demanded the right to wear masks and protective gear for any con- tact with AIDS patients. After a staff member was infected through a needle stick, several nurses took their complaints to the union, the press and the California Division of Labor Standards. One nurse even accused the Ward 5B nurses of having a "homosexual hierarchy" that provided "preferential treatment for AIDS patients." The union and the labor board eventually rejected these complaints, but it was a long and bitter battle. Philanthropic Effort Distributed by Verizon Media and co- directed by Dan Krauss and Paul Haggis, 5B uses a combination of present-day interviews and archival footage. Today, antiretroviral drugs can completely sup- press the virus, making it untransmit- table, but HIV persists. 5B is both a powerful testament to what nursing can achieve and a sobering reminder of the price nurses must some- times pay for those efforts. To learn more or find a screening, visit 5bfilm.com. A portion of the documen- tary's proceeds will be donated to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria via the film's partner, (RED). WN ON THE FRONTLINES The first AIDS ward in the country was run by nurses who volunteered for the assignment. Before treatment options were developed, the work was mostly palliative care. Wanted: Support Group Facilitators BRN seeks RNs with mental health or substance abuse experience D o you want to help other RNs recovering from substance abuse or mental health issues? The BRN is looking for qualified facilita- tors for nurse support groups. Nurse support groups are an impor- tant part of the BRN's intervention pro- gram for RNs whose practice is impaired by substance use or other mental health problems. These groups provide regular opportunities for nurs- es to share their experiences and help one another. With dozens of support groups throughout the state, most meeting weekly, the BRN needs qualified nurses to facilitate or co-facilitate each group. The facilitator's role is to lead the group, keep discussions on track, pro- vide interventions and referrals in the event of a crisis and complete the group's various official reports. Facilitator Requirements To become a facilitator, you must be a currently licensed RN, not on probation and with no pending charges. You need at least three years of substance abuse or mental health experience, including some prior group process experience. Naturally, you must also believe in the 12-step and disease models and agree to maintain participants' confidentiality. To find out more about the support groups and requirements to become a facilitator, visit www.rn.ca.gov/inter- vention/int-support.shtml. WN For direct links to the websites cited, find these articles at WorkingNurse.com The Nurses of Ward 5B Documentary about pioneering San Francisco AIDS unit