Mourning the death of a fellow nurse, Alex Pretti
A Message from APNA President Allyson Neal
Dear APNA Members,
I’m reaching out to the APNA community today in the wake of the tragic death of Alex Pretti, a fellow nurse. Losing one of our own is traumatic and triggers many personal emotions. As nurses, we are extremely attuned to the health and well-being of our communities and, as psychiatric-mental health nurses, we have a full understanding of how violence and tragedy impact that well-being.
As the unifying voice of psychiatric-mental health nursing, APNA mourns this loss. We extend our heartfelt condolences to all of our colleagues in Minnesota and thank you for all you are doing to support those in your community as they navigate this time. We are here for you.
APNA condemns violence in any form. Our violence prevention position explains:
“Violence is a pervasive public health issue that affects individuals and communities across all sectors of society. From interpersonal violence to structural and systemic forms, its impact can be both immediate and long-lasting, contributing to physical harm, psychological trauma, and social disruption.”
Because we are psychiatric-mental health nurses, we will likely find ourselves in a position where we need to provide counseling and support to our colleagues and communities – while also navigating this for ourselves. I invite you to lean on APNA, your professional support system, as you need. If you are looking for a way to act, here are a few options to consider:
- Share helpful resources for grief, trauma, and resilience with your fellow APNA members on the Member Bridge All-Purpose Discussion Forum.
- If you feel strongly about what should or shouldn’t happen in your community, look to the APNA Mental Health Advocacy Toolkit for how to contact your representatives.
- Read through and share this NIMH Coping with Traumatic Events resource with those who might benefit from it.
I’m holding each of you in my heart during this time, as I mourn with you.
Sincerely,
Allyson
Allyson Matney Neal DNP, PMHNP-BC, PMHCNS-BC, PNP
President
American Psychiatric Nurses Association
