WE ASSUMED THAT THE WORST OF IT
FOR MICHIGAN HOSPITALS WAS THAT
AWFUL STRETCH BEFORE THE
VACCINES WERE DEVELOPED AND OUT,
AND YET, HERE WE ARE IN WHAT
ADMINISTRATORS ARE TELLING US IS
EVEN WORSE.
AND FOR THOSE NURSES AND
DOCTORS, WORKING THOSE PACKED
WARDS AND CARE UNITS, THE
VACCINE DOES MAKE IT WORSE IN A
WAY, BECAUSE THEY’RE WATCHING
PEOPLE WHO DID NOT HAVE TO DIE
IN MOST CASES.
I’M VERY HAPPY TO HAVE WITH ME
THIS MORNING, FOUR DEDICATED
HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS, THESE
ARE THE NURSES WORKING IN INSANE
CONDITIONS.
SUSAN GRANT, THE CHIEF NURSING
OFFICER FOR BEAUMONT HEALTH.
ERIN CAVANAUGH, NURSE CLINICAL
COORDINATOR FOR HENRY FORD.
AND BRITTANY AT SPARROW HOSPITAL
IN LANSING, WHICH WE KNOW HAD A
HORRENDOUS STRETCH WITH THE
VIRUS.
AND PRISCA IS WITH HENRY FORD IN
WEST BLOOMFIELD.
I WANT TO START BY SAYING, I
ADMIRE WHAT YOU’RE ALL DOING AND
COMMITMENT WITH WHICH YOU’RE ALL
WORKING, BUT I KNOW THIS HAS
BEEN A HORRENDOUS STRETCH.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE TIME AND
LET ME START WITH YOU, SUSAN.
TELL ME A LITTLE ABOUT WHAT THIS
STRETCH HAS BEEN LIKE, GIVEN
THAT YOU’VE ALREADY BEEN THROUGH
THREE OTHER SURGES AS YOU’VE
CALLED THEM AND THEY SOMEHOW
KEEP GETTING WORSE.
>> WELL, THAT’S RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, NURSES THROUGH THE
FIRST SURGE, WHICH WAS REALLY,
YOU KNOW, OUR HIGHEST SURGE, BUT
WE’RE REALLY CLOSE TO THAT NOW
ON THIS FOURTH SURGE, AND
STEPPED UP AND HAVE BEEN VERY
DEVOTED AND DEDICATED TO CARING
FOR THEIR PATIENTS AND FAMILIES
AND HAVE DONE THAT OVER AND OVER
AGAIN, AND THIS TIME IT’S HARDER
BECAUSE, AS TIME HAS GONE ON AND
THE PANDEMIC HAS BEEN SO
PROLONGED, IT HAS REALLY CAUSED
TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF EXHAUSTION
AND FRUSTRATION, QUITE HONESTLY,
TO SEE THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO
ARE VERY, VERY SICK FIGHTING FOR
THEIR LIVES, WHO COULD HAVE
PREVENTED IT AND BY GETTING
VACCINATED AND SO, IT’S BEEN
VERY DIFFICULT AND VERY
FRUSTRATING.
>> Devin: PRISCA, IT’S
INTERESTING BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT
YOU ALL HAVE REALLY BEEN TRAINED
TO DO AND TRAINED FOR, AND YET
FOR IT TO JUST KEEP COMING AT
YOU SO RELENTLESSLY, WITHOUT
REALLY AN END IN SIGHT, IS
ASKING SO MUCH OF YOU AND YOUR
COLLEAGUES, ISN’T IT?
>> IT’S ASKING SO MUCH, BUT AT
THE SAME TIME, THIS IS WHAT
WE’VE BEEN TRAINED TO DO, THIS
IS WHAT WE DO.
WE DON’T HAVE A CHOICE, BUT TO
BE THERE FOR THE PATIENTS.
>> Devin: THERE’S NO CHOICE, BUT
YET, IT IS--
IT’S GOT TO BE SO MENTALLY
TAXING AND YOU MUST FIND
YOURSELVES, AND SEE A FAIR
AMOUNT OF DESPAIR AND DEPRESSION
AMONG YOUR CO-WORKERS, DON’T
YOU?
>> YES, AND EVEN FRUSTRATION TO
COME ASPECTS, BECAUSE LIKE
EVERYONE KNOWS THE FIRST SURGE
WE DIDN’T HAVE A CHOICE, NOBODY
HAD A CHOICE, THERE WAS NOTHING
TO HELP.
WE WERE ALL DOING THE BEST THAT
WE COULD.
WITH THIS FOURTH SURGE, I MEAN,
WE HAVE THE VACCINE, WE HAVE THE
BOOSTER AND I PERSONALLY FEEL
LIKE IF EVERYBODY WOULD JUST GO
GET THE VACCINE, IT WOULDN’T BE
THAT BAD.
I HAD COVID IN NOVEMBER.
I NEVER HAD TO GO TO THE
HOSPITAL BECAUSE I WAS
VACCINATED, I HAD MY BOOSTER.
YOU KNOW, I HAD A -- MY SYMPTOMS
WERE TWO DAYS AND IT WAS GONE,
YOU KNOW AND THAT’S WHAT I’M
TRYING TO TELL EVERYBODY.
THAT’S WHAT I’M TRYING TO TELL
EVERYBODY, GO GET VACCINATED, IT
DOESN’T MEAN YOU WON’T GET IT.
>> Devin: WE’RE STRUGGLING TO
GET THE MESSAGE ACROSS.
YES, YOU MAY GET SICK, BUT
PROBABLY NOT WITHOUT THE DIRE
CONSEQUENCES.
ERIN CAVANAUGH, I LOVE THAT YOU
HANDED OUT SUPER HERO T-SHIRTS
TO ALL OF YOUR COLLEAGUES WHICH
I THINK IS EXACTLY THE RIGHT
MESSAGE.
THERE MUST BE THOUGH A LOT OF DIFFICULTY IN KEEPING UP THAT HE
DIFFICULTY IN KEEPING UP THAT HE
IS IS THAT ESPIRIT RIGHT NOW.
>> I HANDED OUT T-SHIRTS TO MY
CO-WORKERS, AND THEY DON’T FEEL
LIKE HEROES THESE DAYS, SOME OF
THE PATIENTS UNVACCINATED CAN BE
DIFFICULT AND OF WHAT WE’RE
TRYING TO TEACH THEM.
IT’S GRUELING, WORK, IT’S LONG
HOURS, IT’S EXHAUSTING, BUT IT’S
SO HARD TO SEE PEOPLE SO SICK
THAT COULD BE PREVENTED.
BUT, MY CO-WORKERS, AND I’M SO
GRATEFUL FOR THEM TO BE BY MY
SIDE AND TO JUST WALK INTO WORK
EVERY SICKLE--
SINGLE DAY.
>> YOU’RE HEROES IN THAT SENSE.
BRITTANY, I’VE READ STORIES
WHAT’S GOING ON AT YOUR HOSPITAL
IN SPARROW.
IT’S BEEN HORRENDOUS.
I DON’T KNOW HOW YOU ALL ARE
KEEPING UP.
IT’S BEEN ONE OF THE CRISIS
POINT HOSPITALS, I THINK, ACROSS
THE ENTIRE STATE.
TELL ME A LITTLE ABOUT WHAT YOUR
EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN LIKE.
>> WELL, AS WE’VE BEEN TALKING,
I’VE JUST PLAYED BACK THROUGH MY
MIND WHEN THIS FIRST STARTED AND
I REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE
SHELTERING IN PLACE, AND I WAS
THINKING, BOY, I HOPE THIS IS
OVER BY EASTER.
HERE WE ARE IN DECEMBER OF 2021
AND IT’S STILL SURGING, COVID
HASN’T GONE ANYWHERE.
IT’S BEEN REALLY INTENSE AT
WORK.
I’VE BEEN WORKING IN THE ICU FOR
15 YEARS AND IN THE LAST 18 OR
SO MONTHS, I HAVEN’T SEEN DEATH
ON THIS SCALE BEFORE AND THAT’S
BEEN REALLY DIFFICULT TO HANDLE
PERSONALLY.
I’VE HAD A LOT OF PATIENTS REACH
OUT AND GRAB MY HAND RIGHT
BEFORE THEY GO ON A VENTILATOR
AND BEG ME NOT TO LET THEM DIE.
THAT’S HAPPENED MORE THAN ONCE.
THESE PATIENTS HAVE BEEN
ISOLATED FROM THEIR FAMILIES AND
LAMENTING -- THERE’S LIMITING
VISIT HOURS AND OPPORTUNITIES
FOR THEM TO SEE THEIR LOVED ONES
SO I’VE BEEN KIND OF, YOU KNOW,
HOLDING THE CELL PHONE AS THE--
THEIR LOVED ONES HAVE BEEN
SAYING GOODBYE TO PATIENTS AND
ITCH’ I’VE LISTENED TO A LOT OF
THINGS ON THE PHONE THAT HAVE
BEEN DIFFICULT AND IT’S HARD TO
GO JUST GO HOME AFTER WORK AND
JUST MAKE DINNER AND ACT LIKE
EVERYTHING’S OKAY.
YOU TAKE THE STORIES WITH YOU
AND WE CARE ABOUT OUR PATIENTS,
SO I WOULD SAY IT’S REALLY
CHALLENGING.
>> Devin: THAT’S WHAT I WAS
GOING TO ASK YOU ABOUT, YOUR
COPING MECHANISMS AND
STRATEGIES.
SUSAN, WHAT DID YOU DO AT THE
END OF THE DAY?
DO YOU FIND IT IMPOSSIBLE TO
LEAVE WORK AT WORK OR FOUND A
WAY TO MAKE THE BREAK?
>> I DO STRUGGLE TO LEAVE WORK
AT WORK.
YOU KNOW, I THINK MY COLLEAGUES
HERE ON THIS PANEL, YOU KNOW,
ARE WARRIORS AND THE COLLEAGUES
I WORK WITH, THEY’RE WARRIORS
AND IT HAS BEEN SUCH A STRUGGLE
AND IT’S--
YOU CAN’T LEAVE THE WORRY AT
WORK BECAUSE THESE ARE ALL
PEOPLE WE CARE ABOUT WHO SAVING
LIVES LITERALLY EVERY DAY, AND
THEIR WELLNESS AND WELL-BEING IS
CRITICAL AND PARAMOUNT.
>> Devin: PRISCA, I KNOW YOU’VE
HAD AN EXPERIENCE THAT’S BEEN
EXTREMELY FORMATIVE FOR YOU,
GOING BACK TO 2020 YOU HAD A
PATIENT YOU REFERRED TO AS THE
LAST MAN STANDING.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE
BIT?
>> AND SO, IT WAS A PATIENT WE
HAD FOR ABOUT ONE MONTH IN OUR
UNIT AND THIS WAS AT THE END OF
THE FOURTH SURGE.
SO JUST LIKE EVERYBODY THAT HERE
KNOWS WE CALLED IT, ONE DAY THEY
DO WELL AND THE NEXT DAY THEY
DECOMPENSATE.
AND SOMETIMES THEY DIE FROM
THAT, BUT THIS PARTICULAR MAN
WAS THERE FOR A MONTH, HE WOULD
DO WELL ONE DAY, THE NEXT DAY
WAS A BAD DAY FOR HIM, AND THEN
TWO DAYS LATER HE JUMPED BACK
UP.
SO WE HAD SUCH HIGH HOPES FOR
HIM.
HE WAS JUST OUR LAST COVID
PATIENT IN THE UNIT AT THEENED
OF THE FOURTH SURGE AND EVERYONE
WAS PRAYING HE’D BEEN THERE AND
HOPING THAT HE WOULD DO WELL AND
BE ONE OF OUR SUCCESS STORIES
THAT WOULD WORK OUT OF THE UNIT.
AND HE ENDED UP NOT MAKING IT,
NO FAMILY AT THE BEDSIDE AND SO
MANY DAYS, HOLDING HANDS, SEE
THE FEAR IN HIS EYES, AND
LOOKING AT THE FACES HE DIDN’T
KNOW AND WE WERE THE ONE THAT
COULD HOLD HIS HAND AND TALK TO
HIM.
SO, IT WAS A PARTICULARLY
DIFFICULT ONE, YOU KNOW.
AND THAT’S THE ONE THAT MADE ME
GO HOME AND CRY AND JUST HATE
COVID AND EVERYTHING TO DO WITH
COVID.
>> Devin: I CERTAINLY GET THERE.
ERIN, I MENTIONED OFF THE TOP OF
THE PROGRAM, YOU’RE ALL TRAINED,
OF COURSE, TOWARD GOOD OUTCOMES
AND YOU LIVE EVERY DAY WITH THAT
KIND OF HOPE IN YOUR HEARTS AND
IN YOUR HANDS AND MINDS, AND
YET, YOU HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH
SO MUCH.
NOT FAILURE ON YOUR PART BECAUSE
CERTAINLY, THERE HAVE BEEN
FAILURES IN THE SYSTEM AND
FAILURES IN PATIENTS, TO DO THE
BEST THINGS FOR THEM, BUT YOU
JUST HAVEN’T -- HAVE YOU HAD
ENOUGH GOOD NEWS AND GOOD
OUTCOMES TO KEEP YOU TO MAKE IT
FROM ONE DAY TO THE NEXT?
>> IT IS ONE DAY AT A TIME,
DEVIN, AND THERE’S ALWAYS GOOD
NEWS.
I ALWAYS TRY TO BE POSITIVE.
I LOOK AT MY CO-WORKERS AND SEE
THE STRENGTH THROUGH THEM.
I SEE PATIENTS WHO ARE WILLING
TO WAIT LONGER, WHO ARE
UNDERSTANDING, WHO GET WHAT’S
GOING ON.
THERE’S GOOD NEWS BECAUSE OF THE
SCIENCE THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE.
I MEAN, WE HAVE SO MUCH
TECHNOLOGY.
THE MEDICINES THAT ARE
AVAILABLE, I’M VERY GRATEFUL FOR
THAT, BUT THE COMMUNITY HAS A
PARTICIPATE IN THAT, ONE GETTING
THE VACCINE, INTO COMING IN WHEN
THEY’RE VERY, VERY SICK.
THERE’S ALWAYS HOPE AND FAITH,
I’M VERY HOPEFUL THAT ALL THE
HEALTH SYSTEMS WILL CONTINUE TO
HAVE THE STRENGTH THAT WE’RE
TRAINED TO DELIVER.
>> Devin: YEAH, BRITTANY, THOSE
OF US IN MY BUSINESS HAVE
STRUGGLED MIGHTILY WITH
MISINFORMATION.
I GET E-MAILS CONSTANTLY FROM
PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE CRAZIEST
IDEAS AND THINGS TO SAY ABOUT
COVID AND THE VACCINE.
I CAN’T IMAGINE WHAT IT’S BEEN
LIKE FOR YOU TRYING TO FIGHT THE
FLOW OF BAD INFORMATION AND YOU
MUST SEE IT ALMOST EVERY DAY IN
PATIENTS.
>> I DID HAVE TO STOP READING
THINGS ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR A
WHILE.
THERE IS A LOT OF
MISINFORMATION.
I DID THINK OF A -- ONE HOPEFUL
STORY IS OUR VERY FIRST COVID
PATIENT THAT WE ADMITTED AT
SPARROW ACTUALLY RECOVERED, AND
EVERY COUPLE MONTHS, SHE SHOWS
UP AT THE HOSPITAL WITH HOMEMADE
LUNCH AND DROPS IT OFF FOR THE
DAY SHIFT AND THE NIGHT SHIFT
NURSES.
SHE MAKES A CARD AND GIVES IT TO
US.
AND WE HAVE REALLY SEEN A LOT OF
SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY AND I
THINK THAT INCREASES MORALE WHEN
I THINK SO LOOK REALLY BLEAK
HERE, JUST GETTING A LITTLE NOTE
OR SOMEBODY SAYS LIKE, I SEE
WHAT YOU’RE GOING THROUGH AND I
SEE WHAT THE PATIENTS ARE GOING
THROUGH, THAT MAKES THE
DIFFERENCE.
I CAN’T EVEN EXPLAIN.
>> Devin: WELL, WE ALL SEE WHAT
YOU’RE GOING THROUGH AND I
CERTAINLY DO, AND I’M GLAD WE
ALLOWED THE FLASH POINT AUDIENCE