Jamie Chiveral and Tanya Mummert, while nurse managers are superheroes of nurses in their own right. In these difficult times, I would like to draw attention to their bravery, kindness, patience, and expertise that led to a team of 150+ nurses and nursing assistants being able to stand at the ready to face COVID-19.
The night our first COVID patient was admitted, I was called down to the Tower 1 unit to open the negative air pressure unit that had been constructed there. When I arrived, I was met by an unfamiliar humming, plastic tenting, and new protocols to be quickly explained. I'll be honest, I was frightened. I gowned up as directed, gloves-gown-gloves-hair cover- PAPR and unzipped the tent to enter the unit, not having any clue what I was going to face that night. As I entered through the second phase door and walked down into the unit, I saw the familiar face of the nurse I would be working with.
Then I saw Tanya, already gowned up and ready to help. I told her I was surprised to see her so late at night and she told me she was there to make sure we were all okay, adjusting to the new situation, and would stay as long as we needed her to in order to feel comfortable. I felt a huge sense of relief knowing I wasn't in this alone. At 0430, Jamie arrived on the floor and immediately came up to me to ask how it went, how could she help, and what we needed. I felt respected, cared for, and definitely not alone.
Those first days brought many changing protocols and adjustments as the world struggled to understand this new virus. Jamie and Tanya were there for us every day, splitting up the days and nights so we could have one of them here all of the time. They left their families before dawn to meet us in the mornings and stayed late into the wee hours of the next day if needed. They initiated daily update video chats where we could ask questions, get clarifications, and most importantly, remind us that they were here every step of the way. They brought humor and camaraderie to difficult times bonding us as a team, much like a commander, with their infantry. They may not have signed into patients directly, but I am convinced that our patients at YH got better care because of their unfailing presence in difficult and fearful times. They didn't encourage us from the sidelines or from behind a screen, they rolled up their sleeves, strapped on their many times reused N95, and worked alongside us. They deserve to be recognized for going above the call of being a manager, and instead, volunteering for service in the trenches, standing alongside their troops, and being amazing nurses.