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2020 is the Year of Nurse
2020 is the Year of the Nurse
By Shanna Myers, BSN, RN
Clinical Nurse Supervisor
NURSING IS A HIGHLY RESPECTED CAREER: one in which people train
and educate themselves to a higher level of awareness. The COVID-19 pandemic has put this calling to the ultimate test. When the virus began affecting the vulnerable in our community in early 2020, nurses were called to be at the front lines – to take care of people when we understood little about how the virus affects the human body. In our hospital, we’ve seen a range of patients from those with symptoms like a common cold needing supplemental oxygen, to others requiring ventilation by a machine with a grim prognosis. This year, I’ve seen my coworkers struggle with many different fears: that they will succumb to this illness; that they won’t be able to protect themselves or their families; and that they will be unprepared for the unknown future of nursing. The COVID-19 pandemic has awakened many questions with quickly changing answers. For a time, we could expect that information and procedures would change hourly, and as a result, we all felt anxiety and mistrust – and asked ourselves, “Why?” “2020 is the Year of the Nurse.” I have seen this statement in action. I have seen my work family pray for all affected by COVID-19. I have seen one nurse take a travel assignment to work in New York at the epicenter of tragedy. I have seen one educator spend valuable time readying team members for a code situation in case of a positive patient or Patient Under Investigation (PUI). Director Christy Harwood has gone to great lengths to support her teams with modified staff assignments. She has worked with Engineering to convert as many rooms as possible into negative pressure rooms and provide needed access to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). This is all to ensure we are kept safe. This year more than ever, we are so thankful to be a part of AdventHealth. The teamwork and heart that went into preparing for the pandemic was stressful, but also rewarding. The rapidly changing details and procurement of necessary equipment has probably made more than one leader’s head spin. But despite this kind of pressure, Clinical Nurse Supervisor Staci Jackson says in the ICU, she has seen a cohesive change in their practice – namely, with how helpful team members are to each other when working with a patient in isolation. “The camaraderie is back,” says a nurse named Melissa. Our nurses are laughing and working together to create a joyful environment for everyone on the unit.