Sarah Wright, RN, MSN
The Nantucket AIDS Network
Sarah Wright, RN, MSN, was executive director of the Nantucket AIDS Network (NAN) for five years. She left the position in December but continued to provide case management and home-based skilled nursing during staff transitions. NAN offers compassion and care to individuals on the island of Nantucket living with HIV/AIDS and their families. It also provides assistance with such needs as transportation, referrals for legal and social services, substance abuse counseling, and domestic-violence support. Prevention and education for both AIDS and hepatitis C are important components of the comprehensive community service program that NAN offers. In the following interview, Wright discusses her involvement caring for individuals living with HIV/AIDS.
Q. What is your nursing background?
A. I spent 24 years in the United States Air Force. I have a strong background in critical care, neonatal nursing, and flight nursing. I retired in 2000 at the rank of colonel.
Q. So what led you to work with the Nantucket AIDS Network?
A. The Nantucket AIDS Network had a reputation for providing exceptional care for people living with AIDS on Nantucket, and I wanted to be part of that organization.
I learned from past experience dealing with individuals with AIDS that it is a very complex medical condition that requires a tremendous amount of support and care. Not only do people need proper treatment, they also need food, shelter, and clothing. In addition, there is a huge emotional component involved. People need to know they are not alone and that there are people and services available to them.
Also, I've experienced firsthand what it is like to lose a family member from AIDS-related complications. My brother-in-law died six months ago. His personal struggles surrounding access to care and HIV medications made the work that I was doing at NAN seem even more important.
Q. Can you describe some particular challenges faced by residents of Nantucket who are living with HIV?
A. Housing and the cost of living are ongoing issues for all residents on Nantucket, but even more of an issue for those living with HIV is they are often not well enough to work. Other challenges include confidentiality, the lack of island-based specialized care, and gaps in services for individuals struggling with chronic illness and disease.
Q. What have been some of the personal challenges for you in doing this work?
A. First, I would like to say that the rewards have far outweighed any challenges I have faced. I feel that one of my top challenges has been complacency surrounding HIV/AIDS. I cannot tell you how many times I have had to answer the question, "Are there people living with AIDS on Nantucket? I thought it wasn't that much of a concern today." Other challenges include tenuous funding streams, lack of specialty care, and lack of end-of-life services on the island.
Q. Can you describe some personal rewards you have experienced?
A. It's all about the clients for me. Seeing someone progress from a very poor physical state to full health is what makes this work so rewarding. Things that help to make this happen include case management, home-care services, and proper medications.
Q. What do you feel is the most important piece of information that people need to hear about the AIDS epidemic?
A. It is still here! The drugs are good, but the emotional impact of having an incurable disease is something no one should have to experience. My advice is to enjoy your life, but be safe.
Q. Would you describe some of your clients and situations that you have encountered?
A. The clients on Nantucket are no different than those of any other community. They include gay men, heterosexual women, intravenous drug users, minorities, immigrants - and they represent all age groups. Most of our clients were diagnosed with AIDS at the same time they found out they had HIV. One man in particular had extreme fear because of his immigrant status. He was within 24 hours of death when he allowed me into his home. Six months later, he was working and riding his bicycle back and forth to the beach.
One of the greatest challenges HIV presents is the loss of dreams. One of the greatest rewards is when those dreams come back and clients are once again able to focus on their future.
Kim Jordan, RN, is a freelance writer and regular contributor to On Call.
