Rhea Iarussi is a home healthcare nurse in Westminster, Colorado.
take better care of myself spiritually. I couldn’t rely on what I had always done.” Iarussi made extensive use of the pandemicspecific materials on jw.org and asked friends and family to point her back in a spiritual direction if they saw her spiraling with anxiety and depression again. According to a study conducted by Smith’s group, more than half of the doctors, nurses and emergency responders providing COVID-19 care could be at risk for one or more mental health problems—including acute traumatic stress, depression, and anxiety. That’s what happened for Josie Rodas, an emergency department nurse on Long Island, New York. Rodas was working on the COVID floor of her hospital. Sweating profusely under her personal protective equipment and often without time to eat, she rushed to help one patient after another. A few coworkers quit under the strain. At home, she slept alone out of fear of asymptomatically infecting her husband. “I was just so low,” she said. Then her mother, who lives alone, contracted the virus. Desperate to help but needing to stay safe, Rodas constantly monitored a remote camera for the rise and fall of her mother’s chest—a sign that her mom was still breathing. Even though Rodas dropped off meals and called throughout the day, she felt helpless. “I’m
caring for these patients at work, but I can’t even care for my own mother,” she said. “That was heartbreaking.” But, just like for Stewart and Iarussi, Rodas’ congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses mobilized. They sent texts, cards, called, FaceTimed, and Zoomed to help her not to give up. “Talk to God,” one friend told her. “He will help you.” Rodas found respite as she continued to worship with them regularly online, joined ministry groups on Zoom, and intensified her prayers. “If I didn’t have this spiritual association virtually, who knows?” Bianey Nuñez is a 27-yearold registered nurse in Lafayette, Colorado, at the Boulder County Jail. Throughout the pandemic, Nuñez remained positive and focused on each of her patients. “I truly love what I do. To be able to work in such a critical time, with a population that is kind of forgotten, honestly, I just find it rewarding,” said Nuñez, referring to the inmates of the county jail in Boulder, Colorado. Even after two outbreaks of COVID-19 occurred at the jail, Nuñez remained focused on each of her patients. “I get to know the person behind the mugshot.” There were different challenges during the pandemic. “It was nerve- wracking at times,” said Nuñez. Issues surrounding COVID-19 “were talked about every day at work. It was intense.” Nuñez credits her spiritual routine as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses for helping her serve on the front line as a nurse. Every day since starting working at the jail, “I always say my prayer and ask for wisdom,” she said. In addition to praying during the 15-minute commute to work each morning, she listens to a 10-minute Bible talk and plays American psychological and psychiatric associations, while not advocating or endorsing any specific
Nuñez finds that taking even a few moments to think about spiritual matters helps her get through her workday.
religion, acknowledge a role for spirituality and religious faith in coping with distress and trauma. Lawrence Onoda, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist in Mission Hills, California, noted a number of ways spirituality can help, including giving people “a positive hope and meaning toward life, comfort by looking for answers and strength from a higher power, and a collective shared experience of support and community.”
Denver Urban Spectrum — www.denverurbanspectrum.com – December 2021
29
Adrian Barnes, a helicopter flight paramedic based out of Sacramento, California, said filling up the spiritual “tank” has also helped counteract the emotional toll of healthcare work on the front line. During his hour-long commute to and from work, he listens to uplifting religious songs and audio recordings of the scriptures on JW Library, a free app from Jehovah’s Witnesses, available on Android and IOS platforms. (For the same content, simply navigate to jw.org on the web.) “This keeps me focused and calm,” Barnes said. In his 24hour shifts, he sees pain, suffering, and hopelessness. “It can be emotionally draining. There comes a point when you have to look to someone greater for help, and that’s God.” Editor’s note: For more information on comfort through the scriptures, visit https://www.jw.org/en/bibleteachings/peace-happiness/realhope-future-bible-promises/)