HEALTH

Aspiring Nurses Step Up Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

While COVID-19 cases trend downward, the lessons learned by frontline healthcare heroes like West Coast University (WCU) alumna and Nicklaus Children’s Hospital nurse Amaris Rodriguez will leave a lasting impact.

“When the pandemic started, no one knew what was going to happen,” said Rodriguez. “I have asthma and faced the shortage of PPE when treating patients. I would go home to my kid and would tell him not to hug me because I didn’t want to potentially expose my family.”

As WCU alumni and staff stepped up during the health crisis, going above and beyond the call of duty, their resilience and bravery helped them face the challenges brought on by the pandemic.

“We are never prepared for a pandemic but learning how to cope effectively with key stressors and triggers brought on by the pandemic, remote learning, being in a nursing program, or working on the frontlines are important,” said Angela Arocha, Public Health Lead Instructor. “That’s why I always direct students to use the resources at student services and encourage them to share things about themselves at the beginning of each class.”

These are the very real and personal challenges nurses face on the frontline of COVID-19. That’s why, as educators of the community’s future healthcare heroes, WCU is dedicated to building student confidence and aptitude in responding to emergencies.

“We strive to provide an education that meets the current demands of the industry and, right now, what we need is well-prepared nurses who are ready to take on a challenge,” said WCU Didactic Instructor Daniela Vanegas. “During the pandemic, we closed the gap of remote learning by continuing to do online simulation and clinical rotations. While students were home, they earned a great education that will play an important role in helping relieve the health systems impacted by COVID-19.”

Emergency and disaster preparedness courses, coupled with the hands-on experience in the Simulation Lab, teach critical problem-solving skills needed when treating patients amid the pandemic. The faculty in the Simulation Lab offers students an experience mirroring those that nurses face every day, using high-fidelity manikins–that mimic human responses–and current healthcare technology in realistic patient care settings.

“In the Simulation Lab, the professors would always put us in situations with minimal information, similar to the experience we had at the start of the pandemic,” said Rodriguez. “It puts you in a situation you’ve never seen before and preps you for any scenario.”

As the challenges of COVID-19 affected aspiring nurses and those on the frontlines, students’ needs went far beyond curricuINSPIRE HEALTH38 inspirehealthmag.com § #inspirehealthmag lum and technology. WCU’s student-centric culture became in-

creasingly critical to the success of its nursing students. “I love West Coast University because you’re not just a number. Everyone knows you and has your back,” said Rodriguez. “If you needed help, the professors were there for you, and many of the lessons they taught me have stuck with me even to this day.” As the challenges and Daniela Vanegas pressures of starting a nursing career amid a global health pandemic set in, instructors like Vanegas are diligent in identifying and responding to the new needs of students. “I call my students if they’re not doing well to find out what’s going on. We try to be there for them not just as educators but as people and counselors so that they model that behavior with their patients,” said Vanegas. “When it comes to nursing, it’s more than a job. It’s a responsibility to our patients where we have to put our fear aside and go forward with what we have to do. When you see the results of your work, you won’t even remember how scared you were.” “Now everyone can see that nurses do so much more than just pushing fluids and giving patients medicine,” said Rodriguez. “We’re there for patients emotionally and, for isolated COVID19 patients in the hospital, we’re the only ones who could physically be there for them at all.” “Now, more than ever, the nursing profession is recognized, appreciated, and respected, and the students should take pride in that,” said Arocha. “When we look back at this historically, we will know nurses are one of the professions that made the biggest difference in living and surviving this pandemic.” As nursing students continue to step up amid the pandemic, they’re experiencing a new kind of healthcare environment that demands resilience, critical thinking, and high levels of quality patient care. “Where there are high stakes, there is a huge growth potential,” said Vanegas. “Being there to educate the patients and hold their hands during their most vulnerable moments is how we’re going to help end this.” ————————————

Amaris Rodriguez

West Coast University is institutionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) 1001 Marina Village Parkway, Suite 402, Alameda, CA 94501, 510-748-9001, www.wascsenior.org

West Coast University's Nursing programs are programmatically accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), 655 K Street, Suite 750, Washington DC 20001, (202) 887-6791, http://www.aacnnursing.org/CCNE.

WCU offers career placement assistance but cannot guarantee employment.

The opinion is the individual’s sole opinion and not necessarily representative of that of the school, any instructor, or any student. Due to the current COVID-19 outbreak, the University has moved most of the on-ground courses into a distance education modality. However, as soon as the COVID-19 circumstances change, students will be expected to return on campus to complete their program onsite in the regular learning modality as approved by WSCUC and outlined in the university catalog.