NEF Scholars on the frontline
caring for patients during the
COVID – 19 PANDEMIC

I am a Registered Nurse and Nurse-Midwfery/ Nurse Practitioner student living in New York City. I am a student at Frontier Nursing University. In mid-March, I was told by the hospital where I was assigned for my clinical rotations in the Bronx, were no longer allowing student clinical rotations. I was only 14 births away from graduating. With that news, I decided to switch from a part-time schedule to a full time schedule at my RN position at Planned Parenthood, but I was furloughed 2 weeks later.

I am still working as a Stem Cell Transplant Coordinator while wrapping up my last few weeks of my PhD in Nursing. It has been challenging to generate new workflows/processes and novel problem-solving while our "normal" is disrupted. The hospital I'm working for is doing the best that they can to protect patients and staff. Every person who enters the hospital gets their temperature taken upon entry. Patients and visitors are screened at the door with COVID-related questions. I feel safe at work, and that's truly a testament to Houston Methodist, I think.

As a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Primary Care at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, I have been actively involved in planning and executing some of the front-line efforts regarding COVID-19.
The first project I was involved with was setting up a drive-through point-of-care anticoagulation testing site so that individuals who needed INR testing could have that done without entering the clinic buildings (see pictures below).

Thank you for the opportunity to share my story during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected healthcare delivery in many ways, and, for many advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), face-to-face care has been restricted to essential encounters only.

I am not on the front lines with COVID-19 nor can I render direct patient care. Unfortunately, I have an autoimmune disorder. This has not stopped me from lending my voice In educating the community and nurses.

Life has been hectic lately, as I, along with my colleagues at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill work to finish up a class of senior nursing students and get them ready to launch. We will be graduating over 180 baccalaureate-prepared nurses, and while it's been a challenge to pivot to remote learning mid-semester, it has been rewarding to witness the tremendous efforts of our students, faculty, and staff.

COVID 19 is certainly dominating hospital resources but providers are now faced with the challenges of caring for our adult and pediatric patients (who do not have COVID 19) in the setting of a global pandemic. It is through these times that the adaptability and comprehensive nature of the nursing profession has been highlighted for the greater public to see.

It all began with a runny nose and my eyes hurt. Felt like they were being pierced. Allergies? But, I've never had allergies. My throat felt as if I had swallowed a jolly rancher and it got stuck. I’d inhale deeply, but it wasn't enough. I checked my temperature, but I didn’t have a fever. Over the next few days my body ached, my muscles hurt.I felt like I had rhabdomyolysis, no muscle tone, a workout gone bad? I was so tired. I spent days on the couch. My stomach hurt. My mouth tasted funny. I didn't have the energy reserve to do anything. I was talking to one of my best friends one day and all of a sudden, I started having chest pain. This was the final straw.

I hope that you and members of your team are well and safe. These are certainly different times. My family and I are well. I am the Director of Inpatient Operations at my hospital. Since the COVID-19 Public Health Crisis, I have been serving as the Incident Commander in my hospital's disaster command center.  I am so proud to be working alongside of these dedicated health care workers.