Last May, we asked four local nursing professionals to share their distinctive perspectives on what then already felt traumatic: a worldwide pandemic caused by the outbreak of COVID-19. We now consider COVID an all-too-familiar disease, one that will join the likes of smallpox and polio in the history books of medical villainy.
Now, 12 months later, we have asked the same front-line heroes to update and expand on their perspectives on the continuing fight. Vaccinations are here, entering thousands of arms each day in Memphis. Variants of the virus have arrived, too, adding new layers of complication and anxiety even as reasons for optimism increase. With sympathy for the too-many lives lost and for all those grieving, and with inspiration from COVID-19 survivors and those who have cared for them, we share these views with hope for a healthier tomorrow.
photograph courtesy baptist memorial hospital
Kristin Quinn, BSN
Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit Nurse Manager — Baptist Memorial Hospital – Memphis
A native Memphian, Kristin Quinn earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Memphis. She has been with the cardiovascular ICU at Baptist since 2008. Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, she told us, “This is something we will take with us for the rest of our lives, whether that be in our nursing career or our personal lives. I have learned that, when push comes to shove, I wouldn’t want to be cared for by anybody else in the world.”
How are you? This past year has been difficult for most everyone, but front-line workers like you have witnessed the effects of COVID-19 on a daily basis. How do you take care of your-self while also taking care of others?
We made it this far! My team in the hospital has been absolutely incredible, compassionate, and brave this year. Having these people to lead has made my year move seamlessly even when we thought we could not give any more. Now that things are a little more open, I have made sure to take time to enjoy my family, my friends, and myself for self-care. A dinner or day just to unwind with other people going through the same things has made it easier on me.
When we talked one year ago, worst-case scenarios predicted a death toll in this country of 250,000 from covid-19. Instead, the coronavirus has claimed more than half a million lives. What were your thoughts as the number of cases steadily rose?
I cannot lie. We were scared. We were sad. We were mad. We continued to come to work every day and work hard, care for the sickest of the sick, and then leave to hear people saying they did not “believe the hype.” We saw “the hype” with our own eyes but could not put into words sometimes what we were seeing without every emotion coming out. We wept with families as they lost loved ones. We celebrated with those who beat the virus and went home! We supported each other on the roughest of days. We are a stronger team for it!
With the vaccine rollout, we are hopeful that we are seeing light at the end of the tunnel. When do you think we can return to normal life again?
Just like this time last year, I don’t consider myself an expert on timing of this virus or when we will be “normal” again, so I can’t really answer that. I do think everyone has to weigh the best options for himself/herself and decide what normal looks like to you. However, I was first in line to get my vaccine!
What impact do you think the pandemic has had on the nursing profession? Will it discourage people from becoming nurses, or inspire them because they see the leading role that nurses have played?
Nursing is forever changed. I have seen nurses do things we never thought we would see in our lifetime. The appreciation in the community for what nurses actually do has also increased. Many people have thanked our team for the hard work we have put in this past year.
I hope one day my children and grandchildren are proud that I had even a small role to play in this pandemic. They can be proud to say “my mom was a nurse during COVID-19!” I hope they remember the innovative things we, as nurses, have done this year.
I have also seen the incredible need for qualified nurses all across this country. Nurses have been given the opportunity to move to places they have always dreamed of to take their nursing careers to the next level. I think many nurses will continue to travel and move around where the need arises. Nursing has definitely changed in that aspect.
We asked this a year ago, and now we ask it again: What lessons have you learned from this pandemic?
Oh, the things we have all learned this year! I think the biggest lesson I have learned is just how thankful I am. I am incredibly thankful to have my family, my friends, and my team! My family and friends have endured my long hours at work to make sure my team is taken care of. My Baptist cardiovascular ICU team — how can I ever put into words how grateful I am for them? They have lifted each other up in what has absolutely been the toughest year in our lives. They have worked tirelessly, continued to make connections with patients and families (even when we knew the end outcome was going to be the worst), and they have given every ounce of themselves to take care of people.
I will never forget each and every person on my team and the impact they have had on our patients. Their compassion for patients and families at the very worst of times makes all the difference in the way our unit operates. We are truly a family. They are truly the “bedside angels” we should all hope for if we are ever sick.
How has the pandemic changed the average “day in the life” of a nurse?
The biggest changes we have had are in regards to the protective equipment needed to care for patients, limited visitation, and just overall stress. We have to wear masks all the time now but also protective eyewear, gowns, or specialty masks when needed to care for certain patients. With limited or no visitation in the hospital, nurses have really had to step in to be a patient’s comfort and familiar face when they can’t see their loved ones. Nurses have been the last face some patients ever see as they take their last breath.
When nurses go home now, the stress of the pandemic doesn’t stay at the hospital. It is carried over into their families’ lives as well. As nurses help patients and their families cope with the stress of the pandemic, they also go home and have to help their own families deal with their own stressors of the pandemic.
Someday, what will you tell your children or grandchildren about your role in the events of 2020-2021?
Lucky for me, my children have gotten to witness what I’ve gone through every step of the way this year. I hope they always remember how hard my friends and I have worked this year to keep our teams, our patients, and their families safe. I hope one day my children and grandchildren are proud that I had even a small role to play in this pandemic. They can be proud to say “my mom was a nurse during COVID-19!” I hope they remember the innovative things we, as nurses, have done this year. Most of all I hope they remember the impact that even just one person can have in such an important time.
