YOU HEAR THE NUMBERS NEARLY EVERY SINGLE DAY YOU HEAR THE PLEAS THE URGING TO
GET MORE PEOPLE IN OUR
COMMUNITY VACCINATED AGAINST
COVID-19 SO WE CAN END THIS
PANDEMIC BUT THAT’S NOT OFTEN
THAT WE HEAR FROM THE PEOPLE
WHO ARE DOING THE HARD WORK OF
WORKING ON THE FRONT LINES
TRYING TO SAVE LIVES BUT WE’RE
DOING THAT IN TODAY’S CASE AT Q
AND A WITH
ALLISON GEPHARDT, A PATIENT
CARE COORDINATOR IN THE NEURO
SCIENCES ICU AT UNIVERSITY
HOSPITAL ALLISON FIRST OFF
A HUGE THANK YOU NOT ONLY FOR
BEING HERE BUT FOR WHAT YOU ARE
DOING. RIGHT NOW I WANT TO TALK
TALK ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING
RIGHT NOW THE
REAL SITUATION ON THE GROUND IF
YOU WILL IN THE HOSPITAL AND I
KNOW I MENTIONED THE WORK IN
THE NEURO SCIENCES ICU HOWEVER
THAT ICU
IS CARING FOR COVID-19 PATIENTS
IS THAT RIGHT.
THAT IS CORRECT SO I WORK
IN A NEUROSCIENCE IS ICU ON A
NURSING
MANAGER THERE.
>> WE’RE AT 14, BUT ICU THAT
THROUGH THE PANDEMIC SURGES HAS
ACTUALLY EXPANDED TO HEAR IF
PATIENTS. SO WE KEPT
OUR SENSES HERE IN THE ICU
PROVIDING CARE FOR STROKE
PATIENTS AN EXPANDED TO CARE
FOR COVID PATIENTS
AND HAS THAT NEED IN THE
COMMUNITY HAS
INCREASED SO WE’VE EXPANDED OUR
14 THAT ICU TO 30 BEDS
CURRENTLY THAN IN THE PREVIOUS
SURGERY ACTUALLY HERE FOR UP TO
42 PATIENTS.
>> WHAT IT’S LIKE RIGHT NOW FOR
YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES IN THE
HOSPITAL DEALING WITH THIS
LATEST SURGE CAN YOU WALK US
THROUGH A DAY.
>> LATELY YOU
KNOW IT’S IT’S DIFFICULT AND
KNOWING THAT THIS 3RD SURGE WAS
COMING FOR US. YOU
KNOW WE WE ALL TAKE A DEEP
BREATH BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT
RIVER AND
THE INTENSITY AND THE RESOURCES
AND THE TEAMWORK THAT COMES
WITH EXPANDING OUR ICU AND
PROVIDE A CURE FOR COVID
PATIENTS AS WELL AS OUR SICK
AND START PATIENTS. SO YOU KNOW
WE JUST RELIED ON OUR OUR TEAM
WORK AND EACH OTHER AND TO YOU
PROVIDE AND EXPAND AND AS THE
HUMIDITY NEEDED AT THIS TIME.
YOU KNOW WE WE SUPPORT EACH
OTHER EVERY DAY WE WE BUILD
EACH OTHER UP IN THE MORNING,
WE KNOW THAT DIFFICULT TIMES
ARE COMING. WE KNOW THAT
THEY’RE GOING TO BE AN
UNPREDICTABLE EVENTS DURING THE
DAY. YOU KNOW AS WE BOUGHT
THIS 3RD SURGE AND WHAT WE
NOTICE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
OUR PATIENTS PREVIOUS THEIR
PATIENTS HOUSING COULD REALLY
KIND OF PREDICT WHEN PATIENTS
WITH BEACH. THE COUNTY A LITTLE
BIT ARE SICK. THROUGHOUT THE
NEXT 12 IN 24 HOURS. BUT REALLY
HERE DURING THE STOP THE SURGE
WORKED WE’RE SEEING QUITE IT
CHANGED OUR
PATIENTS WEAR. IN THE MORNING
PATIENTS MIGHT BE VERY STABLE
AND THEN BY THE AFTERNOON WITH
JUST A FEW HOURS AND WE’RE
WE’RE REALLY MAKING INTO THE
WAR PROGRESSIVE
CARE WHERE WE’RE COUNTING ARE
INTUBATED PATIENTS VERY QUICKLY
AND TO HELP
AND IMPROVING GIVE THEM A
CHANCE TO RETURN HOME TO THEIR
FAMILIES AND THAT’S SOMETHING
THAT I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT IN
TERMS OF THE PREVIOUS URGE YOU
HAVE WORKED THROUGH AND THIS
DELTA VARIANT.
>> DOES IT SEEM LIKE ME YOU’RE
YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT HOW IT
SEEMS LIKE THINGS PROGRESS
FASTER WITH CASES RIGHT
NOW ARE SYMPTOMS MORE SEVERE
HAVE YOU NOTICED A DIFFERENCE
AND HOW PATIENTS ARE FAIRING.
>> NO I
THINK THEY SEEM QUITE A
DIFFERENCE ESPECIALLY IN OUR
QUEUE CARE UNIT WHICH 16 IT’S
PROVIDE HERE FOR COVID PATIENTS
AND WHERE
WE’RE SEEING ASIAN ARE SICK
HERE COMING TO THE HOSPITAL
ACTUALLY I BELIEVE THERE ARE A
LITTLE BIT MORE STATE COMING IN
THE HOSPITAL THAT WE’RE SEEING
IS STILL SEARCH
AND PREVIOUSLY WE’RE HAVING
PATIENTS ON HIGH FLOW AND NASAL
CANYON WAS AND OUR ACUTE CARE UNITS THAT ARE SUSTAINING THERE AND QUITE A FEW MORE OF THOSE
ARE IN OUR CARE UNIT BEFORE
THEY COME TO THE ICU
SO WE ARE SEEING PATIENTS ARE A
LITTLE BIT MORE SICK THAN WE’VE
SEEN IN OUR PREVIOUS.
SURGES THEY ALSO KNOW THAT
THEIR PATIENTS AT HOME THAT ARE
ALSO STRUGGLING AS WELL SO.
JUST TRYING TO GET TO DO WHAT
WE CAN DO FOR THE COMMUNITY.
WHAT ARE FAMILIES OR PATIENTS
IF THEY’RE ABLE TO WHAT ARE
THEY TELLING YOU.
>> ABOUT BEING
HOSPITALIZED ABOUT DEALING WITH
ALL OF THIS ANY STORIES THAT
STAND OUT IN YOUR MIND.
>> YEAH, YOU KNOW IT’S IT’S
A STRUGGLE. IT’S A STRUGGLE
BECAUSE ALL OF OUR PATIENTS ARE
SOME OF THESE PERSON, YOU KNOW
THESE ARE
THESE ARE PEOPLE’S LIVES AND
HAS BEEN SET YET ANOTHER SON
WAS AND DADS MIGHT THINK
ESPECIALLY WITH THIS SEARCH
SAYING A YOUNGER PATIENT
POPULATION WHERE IN THEIR 30’S
IN THEIR 40’S RATHER THAN IN
THEIR 50’S 60’S AND A LITTLE
BIT CLOSER TO THE AGE OF US
PROVIDING CARE FOR THAT.
YOU KNOW, IT’S DEFINITELY
ALARMING TO SEE PATIENTS AND
LIKE THIS, YOU KNOW WE’RE
SEEING DIFFERENT STORIES TO
WHERE FAMILY MEMBERS WHO ARE
AND YOU ARE VACCINATED ARE
WE ARE SEEING THEIR
UNVACCINATED FAMILY MEMBERS AND
OUR HOSPITAL AND
WE’RE WE’RE HELPING WITH THAT
CONVERSATION THERE OVER
FACETIME DUE TO THE LIMITED
VISITATION AT A HOSPITAL AND
IT’S BEEN IT’S BEEN A DIFFICULT
BALANCE YOU KNOW ARE YOU’RE
SEEING IS STEPPING IN FOR PART
OF THESE VERY PRIVATE
CONVERSATIONS AND BECAUSE WE’RE
THAT LINK BETWEEN FAMILY THAT
CAN’T BE HERE IN PERSON AND AND
THEIR FAMILY MEMBER AND SO
TRYING TO FILL THAT GAP I THINK
THAT’S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT’S
AND
REALLY DIFFICULT AND YOU KNOW,
AND SO WE HEAR AND WE DON’T
ALWAYS SEE OUR PATIENTS THEIR
BEST YOU KNOW WHEN THEY’RE IN
THE HOSPITAL AND THEY’RE NOT
FEELING. WELL, WE DON’T GET TO
SEE THESE VIBRANT PEOPLE THAT
WE KNOW THAT THEY ARE AND SO
YOU KNOW IT’S BEEN IT’S BEEN
DIFFICULT THAT THOSE FAMILY
MEMBERS HAVE UP A LITTLE BIT
BRETT WIN. THEY THEY WISH THEY
WOULD HAVE HAD SOME OF THOSE
CONVERSATIONS A LITTLE BIT TO
HER TRYING TO BE AND I’M A
LITTLE BIT MORE.
PROACTIVE IN TALKING TO THEIR
FAMILY EVER BECOMING VACCINATED
PRIOR TO HOSPITALIZATION.
AND THAT’S WHAT I WANT TO AND
WITH YOU KNOW WHEN YOU ARE
DOING THE HARD WORK YOU AND
YOUR COLLEAGUES OF EXPANDING
YOUR ICUS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU
HAVE.
>> THE ABILITY TO CARE FOR THE
PATIENTS WHO ARE CRITICALLY ILL
WHEN YOU HEAR TALK ABOUT PEOPLE
NOT WANTING TO GET THE VACCINE
ARE WANTING TO WAIT LONGER NOT
WANTING TO
WEAR MASKS, SEEING THE LEGAL
BATTLES PLAYING ON OUT YOU KNOW
OUTSIDE THE HOSPITAL WHAT WOULD
YOUR
ADVICE BE. WHEN IT COMES TO
THOSE SAFETY MEASURES WHAT
WOULD YOU TELL SOMEONE
WHO IS TRYING TO MAKE THE
RIGHT DECISION OR TRYING TO
JUST DECIDE WHAT THEY THINK IS
BEST FOR THEIR FAMILY.
>> LATELY SO YOU KNOW I WE
STRONGLY ENCOURAGE SENSE TO YOU
ARE ABLE TO BECOME VACCINATED
TO
BE VACCINATED AND FOR THEIR OWN
PERSONAL HEALTH AND FOR THE
COMMUNITY. IF IF THAT DOESN’T
IF YOU’RE SHARING IT DOESN’T.
IT’S NOT
YOUR CHOICE. ITS STRIDE
ENCOURAGE YOU TO WEAR A MASK TO
THEM AND TO SOCIAL DISTANCE AND
TO JUST HELP KEEP THE COMMUNITY
SAFE.
>> ALISON IT’S NOT LOST ON ME
HOW POSITIVE YOU UP THROUGHOUT
ALL OF THIS SO A HUGE THANKS
FOR ALL OF US HERE TO YOU AND
TO YOUR FELLOW NURSES FOR THE
CARE OF YOU ALL ARE PROVIDING
AND OF COURSE, THANKS FOR YOUR