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CORONAVIRUS HEROES | NURSES OF EMANUEL

Nurses go above and beyond during pandemic

BY SABRA STAFFORD

The nursing staff of the Critical Care Unit, Progressive Care Unit and Medical Telemetry Unit at Emanuel Medical Center have been on the frontlines in the fight against coronavirus and caring for the community. And often these units had to go do their jobs without always knowing the risk it could pose to their own health and that of their loved ones.

“Our teams work incredibly hard to keep our patients, our staff, and our community safe,” said Alise Angeles, RN, Nursing Director for Critical Care Unit, Progressive Care Unit and Medical Telemetry Unit. “The healthcare team members assigned to the patients with COVID-19 know that they are caring for patients with a virus that is still revealing itself to the world.”

The work of these nurses extends beyond the realm of medicine. Because COVID-19 patients had to be kept in isolation, it fell upon these nurses to serve as a connection to loved ones.

“The importance of making a connection with their patient for the healthcare team while wearing the PPE is challenging,” Angeles said. “The nurses share the importance of knowing their patient’s story and being the best support to the patient who is not only in isolation for safety, but feeling isolated. It takes looking at it from our patient’s perspective. The value of taking the time to make eye contact and express encouragement is important.”

At the height of cases in Stanislaus County, the needs these nurses were meeting seemed unending and their dedication has not gone unnoticed by their healthcare colleagues.

“Everyone is stepping up and going beyond every day in this COVID- 19 crisis,” Angeles said. “The teams’ dedication to make sure that the patients are safe, the team members are safe, and the community is safe is nothing short of extraordinary. The responsiveness of the healthcare team when there is a need is amazing to see during this time when we continue to learn more about COVID-19. It touches your heart when you see the team rise up to care with compassion and dedication every day.”

And in return, the units have greatly benefited from the support of the entire hospital.

“We knew that this pandemic would be touching our lives and it was amazing how everyone on the healthcare team jumped in to prepare,” Angeles said. “We have a COVID Task Force team that, multiple times a day, makes sure we all have the latest information for education on COVID-19, care of a patient with COVID-19, the PPE process and assessment of equipment needs.”

“Our teams at Emanuel have truly gone above and beyond during these challenging times,” said Emanuel Medical Center CEO Lani Dickinson. “I couldn’t be prouder of the amazing work they’re doing for our patients, community and each other. Our employees have really stepped up and shown their commitment to making

sure we are providing safe care for everyone who walks through our doors.”