Jodie Gord
June 2021
Jodie
Gord
,
MSN, RN
Medical Respiratory Intensive Care Unit
Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center
Milwaukee
,
WI
United States
Jodie had posters printed for the entire staff with an inspirational quote and a painting.
Jodie has been the glue that holds the MRICU together during such a difficult time. In March 2020, the MRICU was designated as the COVID ICU. We didn’t really know what to expect! Jodie was our fearless leader through it all. In the beginning she held multiple phone meetings a week with staff to update us on the latest COVID news. We were all scared: would we get sick? Would we bring this home to our families? Little did we know the level of stress, anxiety, and mental exhaustion this pandemic was going to have on the staff in the MRICU. Jodie was there for us at all hours of the day whether it be by email, text, phone, or in person. Her door was always open. She was even available to other areas that had questions about COVID.
If we were feeling stressed, Jodie would happily take us off the schedule for a much-needed break. She scheduled phone calls with the chaplain, provided information for the EAP, attended our weekly wellness walks, and even set up a “zen den” that included essential oils, a diffuser, massagers, and relaxing music. For caregiver week, Jodie had posters printed for the entire staff with an inspirational quote and a painting. She organized a bulletin board in the front of the unit with pictures of our loved ones to remind ourselves why we were there.
Personally, after an exceptionally hard shift where I sat with a patient during his last moments while his family was on Zoom, Jodie hugged me while I cried and told me to go home early to relax. She made sure to check on me that night as well as the next day to make sure I was okay. Despite a lot of negativity that was happening on the unit, Jodie was always cheerful and smiling. She was always there to encourage and motivate us to do our best despite a horrible situation. She always made us feel like we were doing a great job. She made us feel special. She made us feel like we were heroes. Thank you, Jodie, for your endless support during a tough time.
If we were feeling stressed, Jodie would happily take us off the schedule for a much-needed break. She scheduled phone calls with the chaplain, provided information for the EAP, attended our weekly wellness walks, and even set up a “zen den” that included essential oils, a diffuser, massagers, and relaxing music. For caregiver week, Jodie had posters printed for the entire staff with an inspirational quote and a painting. She organized a bulletin board in the front of the unit with pictures of our loved ones to remind ourselves why we were there.
Personally, after an exceptionally hard shift where I sat with a patient during his last moments while his family was on Zoom, Jodie hugged me while I cried and told me to go home early to relax. She made sure to check on me that night as well as the next day to make sure I was okay. Despite a lot of negativity that was happening on the unit, Jodie was always cheerful and smiling. She was always there to encourage and motivate us to do our best despite a horrible situation. She always made us feel like we were doing a great job. She made us feel special. She made us feel like we were heroes. Thank you, Jodie, for your endless support during a tough time.