Lenae is a nurse who defines excellence. During the spring 2020 COVID reallocation process, she was assigned to the COVID ICU with other OR department nurses, myself included. Lenae received the call from the ICU manager and reported the following day to the ICU. From the first day, Lenae provided emotional support and encouragement to the 7 of us that reallocated to the same unit with a daily text, a morning prayer, and uplifting thoughts.
There was a day that I observed Lenae in the unit assisting a primary ICU nurse admit a patient from the emergency department. It was Lenae's third admission that day. This patient was rapidly declining and presumed to be COVID +. Lenae maintained calmness in a chaotic environment. The staff all had isolation garments on and N95 masks that muffled everyone's voice as they tried to talk over the negative airflow fans. They were moving around the small room stepping over IV lines that roped out to the unit hallway and.
Again Lenae remained calm near the patient's head working elbow to elbow with the other nurses to stabilize this young woman. The physician and respiratory therapist prepared for intubation. Lenae is an outstanding operating room nurse and without hesitation was able to assist in this procedure during an intense time. Even as the patient began to projectile vomit, Lenae helped manage her airway and risked her own safety to care for this lady. She helped to clean her, care for her, and tell her she is going to be ok by giving the contact her family was not able to provide while visitor restrictions had been placed. Lenae moved like one of the ICU nurses, knowing the steps to stabilize her anxious and critical patient.
I saw Lenae from her first day concerned and insecure about how to care for patients in an ICU to one of her last days caring for patients there like she had been trained as an ICU nurse. She makes me so very proud that I was part of a reallocated team with her and so very honored to be her sister.