>>
>> TURNING NOW TO THIS IMPORTANT STORY HERE ICEY USE IN SHARP HEALTHCARES FOR ACUTE
CARE HOSPITALS WHERE 91 PERCENT
FALL DURING MONDAY'S CENSUS AND
THEY'RE JUST GETTING MORE AND
MORE FULL AND FOR MANY OF US
IT'S REALLY HARD TO COMPREHEND
WHAT IT'S LIKE FOR OUR HEALTH
CARE WORKERS.
SO WE HAVE AMBER KIRK, AN ICU
NURSE, ADVANCED CLINICIAN AND
PART OF RAPID RESPONSE TEAM AT
SHARP GROSSMONT HOSPITAL
JOINING LIVE TO GIVE US SOME
INSIGHT THIS MORNING.
GOOD MORNING TO YOU, AMBER.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
GOOD MORNING.
HEY, FIRST OF ALL, I MEAN THANK
YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU AND
OTHER NURSES AND FRONTLINE
WORKERS ARE DOING FOR OUR
COMMUNITY.
YOU GUYS JUST DO INCREDIBLE
WORK.
I KNOW IT'S A LONG HAUL, LONG
NINE MONTHS FOR YOU.
TELL US WHAT IT'S BEEN LIKE
LATELY WITH THIS SECOND SURGE
THAT WE'VE HAD.
IT'S SHARP GROSSMONT HOSPITAL.
>> AND THE FIRST TIME WE'RE
UNDOUBTEDLY NOT PREPARED.
>> AS TIME WENT ON WE
ACCOMMODATED THE SITUATION AND
YOU KNOW, WE EXTENDED HER ICU
AND CREATE A MARKET OF EIGHT
UNITS AND KIND OF JUST WENT
ALONG WITH THE PROCESS.
BUT NOW AND THIS DAY, YOU KNOW,
WE'RE BACK TO THE PANIC TRYING
TO FIGURE THIS OUT AGAIN.
OUR ICE USER REACHING OUR
CAPACITY SO WE'RE CREATING A
NEGATIVE PRESSURE ROOMS TO
ACCOMMODATE THESE PATIENTS FOR
MORE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS AND
WE'RE EXTENDING OVERFLOWING
INTO OTHER UNITS TO OPEN UP
OTHER ICE TO USE.
SO THE NUMBERS ARE JUST
BASICALLY TRIPLE.
YOU KNOW, WE WERE OVERWHELMED.
AND AMBER, JUST TO GIVE OUR
VIEWERS AN IDEA OF JUST YOUR
JOB ITSELF, I MEAN WHAT IS IT
BEEN LIKE FOR YOU SHOW UP TO
WORK?
>> IS IT JUST RUNNING AND
GUNNING THE WHOLE TIME?
MOST DEFINITELY IS FOR MY
POSITION.
>> I WORK IN THE ICU SO I TAKE
PATIENT ASSIGNMENTS BUT I'M
ALSO PART OF THE RAPID RESPONSE
TEAM THAT RESPONDS TO ALL THE
CODES THAT ARE CALLED OVERHEAD.
WHEN PATIENTS ARE DETERIORATING
GOBIN NEEDING VENTILATOR FOR
ASSISTANCE, SEBREE.
SO USUALLY WHEN I WALK IN IT
CAN JUST BE A MATTER OF
MADDIGAN FINISHING MY COFFEE
BEFORE I HEAR SOMETHING
OVERHEAD THAT I NEED TO RUN TO
WITHIN OUR UNIT.
WE'LL JUST BE GETTING REPORT
TAKING VITAL SIGNS ON OUR
PATIENTS AND ALL OF A SUDDEN
JUST SOMETHING COMES OUT OF
NOWHERE.
SO I WOULD SAY IT'S JUST YOU'RE
CONSTANTLY ON ALERT AND READY
FOR WHATEVER BECAUSE THE
PATIENTS ARE VERY SICK WITH
CURRENT VIRUS AND AS TIME GOES
ON IF THEY'RE REQUIRING MORE
AND MORE OXYGEN, WE JUST WE
REACH OUR OUTER LIMITS AND HAVE
TO ENTITY TO BE.
SO WE JUST NEVER KNOW WHEN TIME
IS GOING TO BE.
WE HAVE TO BE PREPARED AND
READY.
YEAH.
READY. YEAH. >> LOOK, WE KNOW YOU'RE STRONG.
NURSES ARE STRONG BY NATURE.
RIGHT.
BUT THE EMOTIONAL TALK ABOUT
THE EMOTIONAL TOLL THIS IS
TAKING YOU.
I MEAN YOU'RE SEEING YOU'RE
SEEING PEOPLE SOME OF THEM IN
THEIR IN THEIR LAST MOMENTS,
YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS HARD
WORKING AS AN ICE SENIOR STAFF
STANCE.
>> WE'RE USED TO THIS AND
EVERYONE'S A SUIT THAT WORKS IN
THE HOSPITAL SEEING PEOPLE PASS
AND THINGS OR SEEING PEOPLE
SICK AND UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE
WITH THEIR FAMILY.
BUT IT HAS BEEN A STRUGGLE TO
MAINTAIN OVER THE PHONE MY
PROFESSIONAL ASPECTS FROM A
HUMAN ASPECT TRAINED TO MAKE
THE FAMILY FEEL AT EASE.
THEY'RE NOT OUT THERE TO BE
WITH THEIR FAMILY MEMBER THAT'S
SICK.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO CONVEY
THEIR STATUS OVER THE PHONE.
AND AT THE SAME TIME NOT WORRY
THEM BUT ALSO BE TRUTHFUL.
IT'S BEEN REALLY HARD FOR US.
AND THEN AT THE SAME TIME WE
NEED TO BE WITH OUR PATIENT
THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ANSWER ALL
THE FAMILY MEMBERS QUESTIONS ON
THE PHONE AT THE BEDSIDE WITH
PATIENTS.
WE TRY OUR BEST TO TO BE A
HUMAN TO THEM WHILE WE'RE IN
THERE.
WE TRY TO ASK THEM ABOUT THEIR
FAMILIES, TRY TO GET THEIR
MINDS ALSO WHAT'S GOING ON
BECAUSE A LOT OF THEM ARE IN
FEAR.
THEY'RE IN THIS ROOM.
THE DOORS SHUT.
THEY'RE UNABLE TO HAVE ANY
FAMILY VISITORS.
YOU KNOW, ARE VISITING
SITUATION THAT NEEDS TO BE ALL
HOURS OF THE DAY AND OF COURSE
WE'VE HAD SOMEONE BECAUSE OF
THE INCREASE BUT JUST BEING
SUPPORTIVE TO THEM AND THE BEST
WAY THAT WE CAN AND MAINTAINING
OUR POSITIVITY FOR THEM.
IT GETS HARD SOMETIMES BECAUSE
WE SEE THE LOOK ON HER FACE AND
THEY'RE SCARED.
AMBER, I MEAN WE KNOW YOU'RE
ALSO A MOTHER.
>> YOU HAVE THREE CHILDREN AT
HOME AND YOU KNOW THE IDEA OF
COMING BACK HOME AFTER YOU'VE
HAD SUCH TERROR TERRIBLE, YOU
KNOW, INCIDENTS AND IT'S SUCH A
HARD DAY AT WORK.
HOW ARE YOU ABLE TO, YOU KNOW,
KEEP YOURSELF SAFE AND SANE
DURING ALL OF THIS?
>> WELL, I FOLLOW THE ADVICE OF
ANY ONE ELSE.
>> ALL OF US DO.
WE ALL TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
HAVE OUR HEALTH CARE MOMENTS.
WE ALSO NEED TO TAKE CARE OF
OUR HEALTH PHYSICALLY.
WE'RE ALL DRINKING OUR WATER OR
TAKING OUR VITAMIN C MAKING
SURE THAT WE EAT OUR MEALS AND
GET OUR ADDRESS BECAUSE
UNDOUBTEDLY A STRESS CAN TAKE
YOU OVER WHEN I DRIVE HOME FROM
WORK I WANT NOTHING ON THE
RADIO.
I JUST WANT SILENCE.
AND JUST TAKE THAT MOMENT TO
KIND OF TRANSITION TO IT COMING
HOME AND BEING A MOM.
AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, I
DON'T WANT TO BRING THE THOSE
EMOTIONS HOME BECAUSE I HAVE MY
CHILDREN TO TAKE CARE OF TO BE
POSITIVE FOR AND MAKE SURE TO
LET THEM KNOW THAT I'M OK AND
I'M THERE FOR EVER.
>> ONE REAL QUICK MESSAGE YOU
WANT TO SEND TO EVERYONE OUT
THERE.
>> WELL, I WANT TO SAY HEY, YOU
KNOW, WE'RE ALL WORKING SO HARD
AT THE HOSPITAL THE REST OF.
>> THERE IS THE LAB TECHS
HOUSEKEEP BEING CAFETERIA
WORKERS.
THE NUMBERS ARE INCREASING AND
THE WORKLOAD IS INCREASING.
AND YOU KNOW, IT SOUNDS CLICHE
TO SAY THAT WE'RE ALL IN THIS
TOGETHER BUT WE REALLY ARE.
EVERYBODY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
IN THIS ENTIRE SITUATION.
PEOPLE SAY THEY DON'T WANT TO
LIVE OUT OF FEAR WITH OVER 19
BUT I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WANTS
TO LIVE OUT OF REGRET.
SO PLEASE TAKE ME TO THE CDC
PRECAUTIONS RECOMMENDATION TO
LIMIT YOUR GATHERING'S.
PLEASE WASH YOUR HANDS.
PLEASE IF YOU HAVE ANY TYPE OF
SYMPTOMS THAT YOU'RE FEELING,
YOU KNOW, CALL YOUR PRIMARY
SHANE CONVERSATION OVER THE
PHONE.
>> AND JUST TRY TO TRY TO BE A
PART OF THIS SITUATION BETTER.
TWENTY TWENTY ONE.
YOU KNOW, WE LIVE IN A
BEAUTIFUL CITY.
WE ALL WANT TO GET BACK TO
ENJOYING LIFE AGAIN AND WE CAN
DO OUR PART TO CUT THOSE DOWN
AND STOP THE SPREAD.
YOU'RE HEARING IT FROM AN ICU
NURSE HERSELF.
AMBER, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.