In early March 2020, the Coronavirus began to impact the state of Georgia and the Atlanta area. Emory Healthcare and Emory University Hospital Midtown finalized plans for the management of the COVID-19 patients expected to present to EUHM as the Coronavirus. Unit 62 was designated as a COVID Unit as the volumes continued to climb, shortly after the team returned to their newly renovated floor. Unit 62 continued to provide COVID care until very recently and stands at the ready to be recommissioned as needed in anticipation of winter volumes. The team experienced significant challenges when illness struck the nurses and nurse techs, causing staffing shortages amid the stress of managing an aggressively contagious and unknown virus. Months later, Unit 62 is now skilled in the care and management of this very special population of COVID patients. We would like to recognize Alicia Carson, Clinical Nurse Specialist of Units 52/62, for her extraordinary leadership and devotion to the incredible team of nurses, nurse techs, and unit clerks, and float staff who come in day after day and night after night to care for the patients who need them. She supports every team member who enters the unit. She never fails to advocate for her nursing staff, translating the physical, emotional, and clinical demands of caring for COVID patients so that the rest of us can better support and protect the nurses and providers.
Alicia is an exemplary leader, never losing sight of the mission while remaining calm and resourceful. She has never allowed the stress and anxiety that comes with leading through such a crisis to permeate to the staff. She stands out as a source of strength, caring, thoughtfulness, safety, quality, and reassurance not only during the COVID crisis but every day as she leads our nursing staff in Unit 62. In honor of Alicia's leadership and commitment, Unit 62 has been deemed as a COVID-outstanding unit. Each staff member will receive the newly created DAISY COVID pin in recognition of your outstanding excellence in professional nursing care during this unprecedented healthcare challenge.