“我担心自己会变成一个积极的人吗? 绝对!Lynn Wiles说. "... 我会尽我所能保护自己——但我确实担心."
文/欧文·B. 哈勒尔
每学期, faculty at bet8体育娱乐入口's 健康科学学院 pour their hearts into preparing the next health-care providers. 很多都是年轻人, innocent souls who still have so much to learn about selflessly dedicating their lives to save others and inevitably will devote themselves "to the welfare of those committed to their care,弗洛伦斯·南丁格尔说过, 现代护理的奠基人.
与此同时，这些讲师在现场加倍工作，履行同样的承诺. Many of these professionals now find themselves on the front lines of a pandemic that is wreaking havoc on our global population with no real end in sight. COVID-19已经改变了ODU的教育. 它改变了许多教师的生活, 面对逆境和可能的感染，谁被召唤去行动，而不是退缩.
ODU教员Lynn Wiles, 贝丝·特伦布莱和唐娜·罗斯只是这些医疗保健专业人士中的三位. Their stories offer a passionate prism through which to view their efforts to support their students, 帮助别人, 与看不见的敌人作战, 为未知做好准备，在自己的生活中找到平衡和一些正常的感觉.
怀尔斯，一名护士 在圣塔拉弗吉尼亚海滩综合医院的急诊科, 在急救领域工作的时间比教书的时间长吗. 她选择留在前线不仅是因为她喜欢床边护理, 但也因为它影响了她的课堂教学.
"I think it's critical to remain current with clinical practice given that I teach didactic and clinical courses that are acute care and patient-focused,她说. "I also love being a resource for the staff and students and enjoy working with my clinical team members to develop evidence-based practice projects and staff education."
虽然COVID-19产生了一系列独特的问题和对暴露的恐惧, 急诊科是一个经常受到疾病威胁的环境. 在其中工作可能意味着对许多病原体敏感, 包括艾滋病毒, 肝炎和流感, 怀尔斯说. 这就是为什么个人防护装备(PPE)变得越来越重要.
"I started patient care before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for standard precautions and routine glove use,她说. “我担心自己会变成一个积极的人吗? 绝对! ... 我会尽我所能保护自己——但我确实担心."
自2019冠状病毒病大流行以来，怀尔斯的生活变成了令人眼花缭乱的杂耍表演. 平衡她在门诊、急诊科和家庭之间的工作一直是一项挑战. She no longer leaves the house (other than walks or bike rides) except to go to the hospital on Thursdays. 她的家人去杂货店买东西，因为她传染给别人的风险更高. 她好几周没见她妈妈了.
“如果需要的话，我已经把我的主卧室变成了我的隔离区, 包括工作区域,她说. “现在，我仍然和家人一起出去玩，但绝对是在很远的地方. 我们正在使用大量的Facetime和Zoom来交流."
怀尔斯的ODU日程是“紧凑的”，由8个小时组成.m. 到5点.m. 大多数时候，她说. Her husband Chris works the same hours from his home work space as an IT systems analyst for Operation Smile, 和她的女儿考特尼, 詹姆斯·麦迪逊大学二年级学生, 她在弗吉尼亚海滩的家里也有自己的学习空间吗.
A beeping smart watch reminds Wiles when she hasn't been active enough while she is hunkered down in front of her computer. 她的反应是休息一下，走一小段路. 下午五点半来.m.她的家人下班后会散步或骑自行车作为保持距离的单位.
她的急诊室还没有人满为患, 怀尔斯说，她和她的同事们随时准备应对COVID-19病例的冲击. 但压力已经造成了损失. 许多同事都把孩子送到了其他地方，因为他们有暴露的风险.
“记住, 急诊护士倾向于与其他急救人员联系，比如急救人员, 火, 警察, 所有这些都有可怕的曝光风险和疯狂的时间表,她说. 一些人也在为配偶的调动而奔波."
经历这一切, 社区精神一直是把大家团结在一起、缓解焦虑的粘合剂, 怀尔斯说.
“卫生保健工作者正在团结起来，加紧加班. 我们在努力保护彼此，”她说. "We are acknowledging everyone - not just those of us who provide care but the people not on the front lines who are cleaning, 烹饪, 提供物资, 等. 我们是一个团队. 在家庭方面，家人花时间聚在一起. 这是巨大的."
"The efforts from everyone to stay home so that we at the hospital don't become overrun with more patients that we can treat has been touching,贝思·特伦布雷说. “护士总是在这里为社区服务. 看到社区在这里为我们服务真是太好了."
当加拿大 不是在护理学院讲课, the Williamsburg resident works as a registered nurse in the intensive care unit (ICU) at Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center. 她做了25年的护士，在重症监护室工作了13年.
"What I quickly discovered is that I love the education and advocacy aspects of nursing,她说. “对我来说，这些激励因素并没有改变，它们指引着我的职业生涯. 我对重症监护室很感兴趣，因为它的强度和病例的多样性, but also for the opportunity to work with patients and families at a time when they are most vulnerable."
在病毒暴发期间，遵守适当的个人防护装备和卫生规程是关键, Tremblay说, 强调她更关心的是她的家人和病人. She said she has "always had a ritual of sorts" for not "tracking in" unknown infectious agents at home.
特伦布莱说，她的生活在这次大流行期间受到了干扰, 但它们远不是灾难性的. She counts herself fortunate to work at ODU given its quick conversion to online courses that have allowed her to work from her home. 她根据需要去医院支持正常的工作人员. 既然所有的选择性手术都取消了, 它解放了工作人员来帮助其他医院部门.
至于她的学生, Tremblay说 she has had to boost her support for them - especially those struggling with illness in the family or having difficulty managing because they have children at home full time or increased work hours. 她还得对自己的功课负责. 她正在写一篇关于电子烟使用的论文，这场危机打断了她的数据收集.
12到13个小时的轮班工作很累人, 因此，特伦布雷“通常每天都晚起，给自己时间来减压和处理."
“对我来说，减压就像是和我的狗出去散步, 在我的菜园里干活, 或者我的家庭瑜伽练习,她说.
特伦布雷在这场危机中的经历充满了积极的时刻，她说. Her hospital has been proactive in thinking ahead for innovative staffing solutions that will best care for the community. 她在重症监护室的工作人员一直保持积极和关怀，公开和诚实的沟通. 家人和朋友已经凑钱提供个人防护装备，以帮助减轻任何短缺. 社区合作也一直是暖心的.
“整个社区都非常友好和感激. 我们把孩子们画的彩虹挂在窗户上，表达感激之情。. "The efforts from everyone to stay home so that we at the hospital don't become overrun with more patients that we can treat has been touching. 护士总是在这里为社区服务. 看到社区在这里为我们服务真是太好了."
Tremblay notes one noticeable negative impact of COVID-19 in the ICU: the absence of family members at the bedside. Providing care for patients and helping them to connect the loved ones has taken on "an added dimension now,她说.
在紧急插管后给病人的丈夫或妻子打电话 ... I know that they cannot come to the bedside for me to show them firsthand how I am caring for their spouse,她说. “更重要的是，我知道在大多数情况下，病人是被隔离的. So, I really have to be cognizant to check in with them more often and also to help them develop a support plan for themselves. 即使他们单独在一起, 他们需要有愿意的家人和朋友, 打个比方来说, 和他们一起走过暴风雨."
“当我到家的时候, my family makes sure I remove my scrubs and go straight to the shower before I touch or sit on anything,唐娜·罗斯说.
Rose，一位临床助理教授 在护理学院, 还是诺福克森塔拉利医院的注册护士. 罗斯吹嘘说，她和她的两个女儿布里特尼和阿什利都是俄勒冈州立大学的毕业生.
在员工健康服务部门工作与她34年的床边护士工作相比，已经发生了明显的变化, 她说. 现在她的“病人”是她的雇员. 她的工作是确保员工身体健康，能够安全地工作. 她评估又评估. 她协助进行年度健康检查, 评估伤害和暴露, provides fit testing for N95 masks and determines whether employees are safe to return to work after absences for a variety of reasons.
"Ensuring that employees are up to date on vaccinations is a large part of the job also,她说. “我不知道有这么多东西要学."
Exposure issues are not as high for Rose as they are for health-care professionals on the front line. 不过，她还是戴了个人防护装备以防万一. 至于她在ODU的全职工作，她在家工作. 她通常每周在员工健康办公室呆一天, 但是最近, 事情变得更忙了，她的回应是增加了随叫随到的班次.
“当我到家的时候, my family makes sure I remove my scrubs and go straight to the shower before I touch or sit on anything,她说.
罗斯和怀尔斯和特伦布雷一样，在ODU远程办公. 她丈夫在诺福克海军造船厂工作, 她的大女儿, Brittney, 刚刚完成她的博士学位.D. 现在他正在家里等着搬到南卡罗莱纳开始工作.
Having a good team that works hard and still takes time to 分享 occasional laughs has had a big impact on keeping up spirits at the hospital, 罗斯说.
她说:“你可以想象，在这场全球卫生危机期间，我们部门一直非常忙。. “我们得到了经理们的大力支持, 从一线团队协调员一直往上. 他们不断让我们了解最新情况，鼓励我们，感谢我们."
当被问及休息或减压时, 罗斯承认，就她的职业而言，她可能没有最好的习惯.
“不幸的是, 护士——以及大多数卫生保健提供者——没有像他们应该的那样照顾好自己. 我们变得如此习惯 ... 到只做该做的事和照顾病人, 所以我不太确定休息是什么样子,她说. “有了旅行限制和保持社交距离的指导方针, 我试着多休息一下, 当你不做这两份工作之一的时候. 我正在做更多的阅读，散步和骑自行车. 好吧，也许你可以边看网飞边吃东西."
怀尔斯，特伦布雷和罗斯 这个国家的医疗保健系统中有很多齿轮吗. Their roles in the current crisis are important to their communities that at a moment's notice could find themselves embroiled in an upsurge in COVID-19 cases. Equally important to these health-care professionals are the students that they equip for the future through the education they provide, 他们对最佳实践的坚持和他们的灵感. The three leave these parting words for students who feel the calling to one day put themselves on the front lines of a health crisis:
“保护好自己，”怀尔斯说. “你们乐于助人的热情令人惊叹，但我们并不是不可战胜的!"
"Anyone who wants to be a part of this amazing 'club' will need to develop the ability to think through complex situations, 情绪弹性和深切的同情心,特伦布雷说. “如果你准备好了，我们张开双臂欢迎你."
“虽然在这种时候，这看起来很令人兴奋, 在照顾病人的时候，你必须尽量保证自己的安全,罗斯说. “我还想说，我们需要你! 如果护理是你的职业，那么不要让这阻止你."
