>>> SO, THIS CAREER HAS DPIVEN
US NEW APPRECIATION FOR OUR
HEALTH CARE WORKERS.
HOSPITALS STILL BEING PUSHED TO
THE MAX WITH A LOT OF STATES
SEEING MORE THAN A 200% NIECE IN
COVID CASES OVER THE PAST FOUR
WEEKS.
SOME HAVE ACTUALLY TURNED TO
TRAVEL NURSES, WHO LEAVE THEIR
HOMES TO GO TO WHERE THEY’RE
NEEDED THE MOST.
>> WE’RE JOINED BY TWO OF THEM
THIS MORNING.
LAURA KUDLO WORKED IN HOT SPOTS
LIKE WISCONSIN.
AND LAURA FITZSIMMONS.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING
US.
>> LAURA, LET’S START WITH YOU
THIS IS YOUR FIRST EXPERIENCE
WITH TRAVEL NURSING.
YOU HAVE TWO SMALL KIDS BACK AT
HOME.
YOU WERE SENT TO NEW YORK CITY
AT THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC
EARLIER THIS YEAR.
WHAT MADE YOU DROP EVERYTHING
AND DECIDE THAT THIS WAS
SOMETHING THAT YOU WANTED TO DO?
>> I WANTED TO LEAVE THEM A
LEGACY THAT WAS MEANINGFUL.
I DON’T CARE HOW HISTORY
REMEMBERS ME, BUT I REMEMBER --
IT’S IMPORTANT TO ME HOW MY KIDS
WILL REMEMBER ME, TO PROVIDE
THAT EXAMPLE FOR THEM.
>> AND, MORGAN, YOU’VE BEEN A
TRAVEL NURSE NOW FOR A FEW
YEARS.
SINCE THE STAFRT PANDEMIC,
YOU’VE BEEN TO THREE DIFFERENT
CITIES TO HELP OUT.
WHAT CHANGES HAVE YOU SEEN IN
THE HOSPITALS YOU’VE BEEN
WORKING IN?
>> I MEAN, NOTHING IS LIKE YOUR
TYPICAL HEALTH CARE ANYMORE.
WE ALL WEAR N95s, ALL HAVE PPE.
IT DEFINITELY PUTS A KINK IN THE
PROCESS OF TREATING PEOPLE AND
FIGURING OUT HOW TO HANDLE THIS
DISEASE PROCESS.
>> LORI, YOU’VE SEEN A LOT OF
TRAGEDY IN THESE CITIES,
ESPECIALLY EARLY ON IN NEW YORK.
WHAT KEEPS YOU MOTIVATED TO HELP
KEEPING FOLKS ALL OVER THE
COUNTRY?
HOW ARE YOU COPING?
>> WHAT KEEPS ME MOTIVATED IS
LARGELY THAT I HOPE THERE’S AN
END IN SIGHT.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> THE VACCINE, THERE’S A FINISH
LINE ALMOST.
AND WHAT -- HOW DO I STAY -- HOW
DO I COPE?
IT’S HARD, BUT YOU FIND FRIENDS.
YOU FIND A WAY TO TAKE CARE OF
YOURSELF, AND YOU TAKE COMFORT
IN THE LOVE OF THE PEOPLE WHO
ARE SUPPORTING YOU.
>> MORGAN, YOU KNOW, I’VE GOING
TO A SISTER WHO IS A NURSE, WHO
CONTRACTED COVID.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU THINK
ABOUT, THAT YOU WORRY ABOUT?
>> I MEAN, YEAH.
BOTH LAURA AND I WORK IN THE
E.R.
WE’RE CONSTANTLY IN CONTACT WITH
COVID PATIENTS.
OUR PPE KEEPS US SAFE.
I’VE GIVEN BLOOD TWICE AND THEY
DO THE ANTIBODY TEST WITH THAT
AND I HAVEN’T HAD IT, WHICH IS
INCREDIBLE.
IT MEANS EVERYTHING IS WORKING.
>> THAT’S GREAT.
YOU TWO DIDN’T KNOW EACH OTHER
UNTIL YOUR LATEST ASSIGNMENT
THERE IN GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN.
IN FACT, YOUR FAMILIES ARE A FEW
HOURS AWAY.
YOU DIDN’T GET TO SEE THEM FOR
THANKSGIVING.
DID YOU END UP SPENDING THE
HOLIDAY WITH EACH OTHER?
>> YEAH, WE DID.
>> YEAH.
IT WAS A GREAT FRIENDS-GIVING.
>> WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?
>> LAURA MADE A BEAUTIFUL MEAL,
AND I SAT AND I WATCHED.
>> SHE CLEANED.
SHE CLEAN EDED.
>> THAT’S SWEET.
WE ONLY HAVE ABOUT A MINUTE
LEFT.
LAURA, I KNOW YOU’RE COMING FULL
CIRCLE AND COMING BACK TO NEW
YORK CITY NEXT MONTH.
EXPERTS KEEP SAYING THERE’S A
DARK WINTER AHEAD.
EVEN THAT PHRASE, DARK WINTER,
SCARES ME A LITTLE BIT.
ARE YOU MENTALLY PREPARING
YOURSELF FOR WHAT’S TO COME?
>> I AM.
I ANTICIPATE THERE’S GOING TO BE
JUST A LARGE FLOW OF PEOPLE
COMING IN.
THE FLU HASN’T REALLY HIT US
YET.
I DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT’S GOING
TO LOOK LIKE WITH THE VIRUS, BUT
IT’S GOING TO BE A LONG STRETCH
JUST GETTING PEOPLE ON BOARD
WITH THE VACCINE, GETTING PEOPLE
ON BOARD WITH STILL WEARING THE
MASK.
>> YEAH.
AND, MORGAN, TO BRING THIS FULL
CIRCLE ON THE LIGHTER SIDE OF
THIS, AS WE COME OUT OF THIS,
HOPEFULLY -- YOU STARTED YOUR
TRAVEL CAREER, REALLY, TO
EXPLORE THE COUNTRY AND THE
WORLD.
YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO WORK IN
HAWAII.
DO YOU THINK YOU’LL BE SAYING
ALOHA ANY TIME SOON?
>> I AM CROSSING MY FINGERS THAT
JANUARY IT HAPPENS.
IF NOT, WISCONSIN IS ALWAYS
HOME, BUT I WOULD LIKE A LITTLE
WARM WEATHER.
>> WISCONSIN, HAWAII.
IT ALL WORKS.
BEAUTIFUL PLACES.
>> COCONUTS OR CHEESE CURDS.
>> LAWYERA MORGAN, WE’VE ALL
SAID IT, NURSES MAKE THE WORLD
GO ROUND.
IF YOU’VE EVER BEEN IN THE
HOSPITAL OR HAD A FAMILY MEMBER
IN THE HOSPITAL, WE ALL KNOW HOW
IMPORTANT IT IS TO HAVE A NURSE
BY YOUR SIDE.