Southern California

We got an urgent message about the Magnolia Rehabilitation and Nursing Center. They were short-staffed and needed nurses. I said, ‘OK, let’s go.’ It’s a little thank you in return. I was an LVN there while my kids were little. I was scared at first and didn’t know what to expect. But once we saw all those elderly, vulnerable people needing help, all those fears went out the window. Some of them hadn’t eaten or dressed. We worked as fast as we could and got them comfortable and gave them a keepsake — a teddy bear or photo of their loved one. We knew that this was their home. It brought back memories of my dad. Before he passed away, he told me, ‘You’re going to be a nurse. You have the love and personality to be a nurse.’ That stayed in my mind for a long time. Yesterday, I was like, ‘Dad, I did this.’ It reinforced my love of what I do for a living. It’s not going to work, but going to what I love to do.

My supervisor asked me if I would do this surge planning assignment to help coordinate the regional labor pool. I said, ‘Of course, I’ll do anything I can to help.’ It’s a state of emergency. I feel it should be all hands on deck. I’m only one piece of this. It has been very time-consuming, but it’s very important. For example, we’re helping our pharmacies have enough curbside runners so members can get their medications in a timely manner. These are extraordinary circumstances. I’m happy to do what it takes.

Four of us grievance representatives are working at the curbside pharmacy and COVID-19 testing pilot site outside the Corona Medical Offices in Riverside. This service is by appointment only, for high-risk patients who need to pick up a prescription or be tested for COVID-19, or both. Many of them are visibly sick — and they don’t have masks or gloves or anything — and they start coughing. Some are angry. But they’re all anxious, and they’re scared. If you can stay calm and controlled, they respond to that. It’s a good feeling when you see them ease up. At that point you just get them the help they need.

It is an honor to have the knowledge and expertise to help a patient struggling to breathe by placing a breathing tube. It is an honor to stand next to some of the most brilliant, dedicated, and brave colleagues. It is an honor to know we make a difference and we just may save some lives. It’s also an overwhelming mission. In an already stressful job, our families and friends routinely provide relief from the stress. We look forward to that respite. COVID-19 has taken that from us. We are under the most stress we have ever experienced, and we cannot see our families or friends for fear of making them sick. This is so trying. But we try to focus. We have a job to do, and we have each other. That helps me take a deep breath.

Families are incredibly anxious. There’s a lot of misinformation out there, and it’s our job to allay their fears. You just listen to them, give them the facts, and tell them ‘we’re here for you.’ Keep a brave face. Calmness is contagious. If you remain calm, everyone else will remain calm with you.

As a nurse of 44 years, I can say this is something that we all trained for — to be on the frontlines and to make a difference for people who are sick. This is our chance to rise to the very best of who we are and what we can do. I don’t think any of us thought in our lifetime that we would be part of a pandemic. Now we’re living it, and we’re seeing some of the most incredible work, care, and selflessness coming from our nurses at the medical centers.

I’m afraid that I may take the virus home to my family. I have two kids with asthma and my mom has COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). It’s scary. There are nights I don’t sleep well. I’m afraid,  but I know I need to step up to the plate and do what needs to be done.