Nurses - Herald Community Newspapers 05-06-2021 - East

May 6, 2021

A Salute to

TRUE HEROES

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Nurses have always been on the front lines of health care, but never more so than since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Long considered the heart and soul of the health care system, now, their role as teachers, advocates, caregivers, critical thinkers and innovators has put them in the forefront of this transformational moment in public health.

On these pages, meet some of the exceptional nurses in our communities.

True heroes:

TRUE In HEROES: IN THEIR OWN WORDS TheIr own words KERINTH AFFLICK

ADAM ATLAS

Population Health Department, St. John’s Episcopal Hospital

Glen Cove Hospital/ Northwell Health Medical Unit 2 South

A

s a nurse in the Population Health Department of St. John’s Episcopal Hospital, Kerinth Afflick follows up with patients after they are discharged from the hospital and helps to make sure they are getting and taking their medications and they are making and getting to their follow up visits to doctors.

“When you first become a nurse you are so young, and a little ignorant,” said Afflick, who will admit to being in her early 50s. She has been a nurse for 28 years. “You learn. You learn patience, learn to listen, listen to problems and follow up. You become a psychiatrist as the patients need someone to speak with and you become a great listener.”

There was one patient, she said who was undocumented that Afflick assisted to ensure they were aware and used all the resources available to them for more than two years.

There are some other patients who, because of the coronavirus pandemic, are alone.

“One patient didn’t use our pharmacy (St. John’s has an in-house pharmacy), they were isolated because of Covid,” she said. “They tried to rely on CVS and we called CVS and asked them to please deliver the meds.” Which was done.

Afflick said for her being a nurse is about giving back. “It’s not about the thank you so much as making sure that [the patients] are OK."

TRUE HEROES:

B

I

’ve been a registered nurse for just over a year, I entered the field after many years as a short story writer, translator, teacher, even a bartender. Originally from Louisville Ky., I met my girlfriend and moved to Manhattan about 10 years ago. I entered an accelerated nursing program at Mount Sinai about 18 months ago — before Covid happened — but recognized this capacity for being a nurse about 10 years ago by caring for my dying father.

So, I got my license in February 2020, Covid happened, and we moved out here. My girlfriend has a home in Locust Valley. That means I’m new to nursing and at 45, working in what has essentially become a Covid ward, keeping up with younger nurses. I don't know if that’s good luck or bad, however, with the experience and expectations of someone at my stage in life, it wasn’t a shock. Anyhow we

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

SARAH AVIS

JEANINE CAPPELLO

St. John’s Episcopal Hospital

Operations Manager, Mercy Hospital Family Care Center

eing an emergency room nurse Sarah Avis said is like “trying to thrive in controlled chaos.

You have zero patient info, teamwork is critical and you trying to find the missing piece of a puzzle.”

When Avis, 34, was young her mother was very ill. “I like how there was people to help in my mother’s time of need,” she said, explaining why when she went to college she chose nursing as her profession.

Now eight years in, Avis views the role of nurse as multifaceted. “It means just being there through an extreme time and making someone as comfortable as possible and being someone they can trust,” she said, “especially during Covid. Families are limited. We play the role of caregiver, friend, family member. It can be hard. As a nurse you are supposed to have an emotional barrier. We see so much certain

trauma and a lot of grief, it’s emotional. As a nurse you also want to be there. It is very challenging.”

Recently, Avis witnessed “a young life lose. “It was extremely emotional,” she said, describing how a family member sank to the floor. There was hugging to console this person and more family handholding and hugging. Sometimes just being a presence is very challenging for a very busy ER.” St. John’s emergency department serves nearly 49,000 patients annually.

don't choose the time for things.

As a Covid ward there are peaks and troughs. It’s busy, it's chaotic, but we make our way through it. Now that there are protocols and we've been vaccinated, the world’s gotten used to a new normal. But people are sick, hundreds are dying, every day.

Becoming a nurse, I’ve learned we're all human. Our time on earth is precious and finite. And I’ve learned that it’s possible to be removed, dispassionate, but remain passionate about treating people with humanity.

I

always wanted to be a nurse. My uncle was a physician, so growing up I used to go into work with him and see him taking care of all the patients. At 14-years-old I was a candy striper, later I volunteered in a local hospital feeding babies, and then I went and started as a PCA. And through that, I put myself through nursing school.

My first job was at an Ob-Gyn office and there were a lot of young women there with teen pregnancies in the community I was working in, and I just really took a passion to it.

So, I grew in it and became a part of the Nassau County Perinatal Service Network, where we focus on the underserved communities to make sure they have easy access to prenatal care.

Covid hit our population very hard. A lot of our patients are living in multi-family

households, and Covid just ran rampant. A lot of them don’t have access to healthcare, so we really made sure we advocated for them.

Through a grant, we were able to provide our patients with PPE. We were also able to provide our patients with food. A lot of patients were out of work because of Covid, so there was no food for their families.

Not only do we treat the patient, but we treat the family. We watch the children grow and then they have kids again and they trust us and want to come back to us.

Our nurse heroes WeThank you Eva Jones

Kayla Rein, RN

Relief Staff Nurse, Fresinius

Mount Sinai South Nassau

My amazing sister, Eva Jones, RN, is the exemplary model of a nurse who is compassionate, caring and expertly skilled. With 35 years of dialysis experience, working for both major national dialysis companies, Davita and Fresinius, Eva offers the ultimate level of competence, bringing heart and kindness to ensure her patients’ smoothest and most comfortable sessions three times per week.

They feel her love and confidence and are glad Eva’s in charge.

Through pandemic Eva worked in a Covid-only outpatient dialysis clinic every day, sometimes up to 105 hours in a twoweek period, perpetually short staffed because other staff called out. She opened the clinic at 4 a.m., leaving at 10 or 11 p.m.

Think about that. When a situation lands in your lap and you step up to the plate to do what is necessary, that’s an extraordinary person with a conscience. Thank God for nurse angels like Eva Jones!

Kayla Rein is my hero, my nurse, You may consider me biased because Kayla is my granddaughter. She worked tirelessly, 12 hour overnight ER shifts throughout the height of the pandemic and continues to do so today! I was there for her offering moral support along the way.

Little did I know I, myself, would become an ER admittance in mid-January — due to a DVT. I witnessed first-hand the arduous, hard-working nursing staff. Needless to say, I was the “lucky” one, having granddaughter to attend to my unexpected needs.

Thank God for our outstanding nurses and all other health care workers who routinely go above and beyond — day in and day out!

— Virginia Rein-Biehl, Oceanside

Ross Rieman

Phyllis Imbriano

Northwell LIJ/Northwell Forest Hills

Phyllis Imbriano was honored by Tiegerman Schools at their gala on March 25.

Phyllis has worked with Tiegerman for 21 years; as the school Nurse at Tiegerman Preschool, Elementary School, UPK and A.L.L. for Kids, also serving as the full-time nurse at Glen Cove Preschool/ Elementary School.

Among the many tributes to Phyllis: “When my daughter Grace was younger, she attended Tiegerman Elementary School.

Nurse Phyllis took great care of her and the other students. As a parent of a special needs child, you are always anxious when you get a call from the school! The first thing Nurse Phyllis would say is,“Grace is fine. I am calling about...”. I loved how aware she was and I can imagine she had the same sensitivity for the other students. I never worried about my child in school because I knew how supportive Nurse Phyllis and the staff were.”

Healthcare heroes don’t just touch the lives of their patients, but also the lives of their loved ones. From the perspective of a family member and also a future wife, we are amazed at the dedication, commitment and sacrifice Ross Rieman has devoted to saving lives, not only in the emergency room as a nurse practitioner at both Northwell LIJ and Northwell Forest Hills, but also as a volunteer (Second Assistant Chief) in the Woodmere Fire Department.

In a hospital located at the epicenter of the pandemic, Ross tirelessly attended to Covid-19 patients in an overflowing emergency room without regard to his own welfare. He took extra shifts when his dedicated colleagues were ill with Covid-19. When not treating patients, Ross served his community through the fire department, ensuring that people who experienced Covid-19 symptoms received the care they needed.

Ross is the epitome of what a true healthcare hero represents.

School Nurse Supervisor, Tiegerman Schools

— Jame Krauter, Director of Fund Development, Tiegerman

— Audrey Rieman and Kristen Brocavich, Hewlett

— Maxine Mayreis, Glen Cove

Mary Stillwagon Retired

Jennifer Ryan, RN

NYU Langone Winthrop Hospital Jennifer Ryan, my wife, was a true a beacon of selflessness and compassion throughout the grimmest days of the Covid-19 pandemic. Jennifer provided outstanding to patients afflicted with Covid-19 in a homecare setting.

The courageous, compassionate care delivered by Jennifer and her homecare colleagues was instrumental in reserving local hospital capacity and resources for the most critically ill patients at the apex of the pandemic.

I salute and commend these true American heroes!

— Brendan Ryan, North Merrick

My mother, Mary Stillwagon (BSN-BC, MS, Lac.), retired from a 40+-year tenure at Glen Cove Hospital Northwell Health in May 2020.

She started her healthcare journey in the ICU at Glen Cove Hospital and continued her career there up until last year, amidst the pandemic. Mary also went on to receive her Masters in Science and became a Licensed Acupuncturist in 2005, all while working full time at the hospital.

What nurses do for the world is truly amazing. Mom worked hard and sacrificed to ensure the comfort, care and treatment of each patient she oversaw. She treated countless patients, worked alongside hundreds of other healthcare professionals and always did it with grace, relentless dedication, and love in her heart.

On behalf of our family, her friends, and associates, Thank You, Mary. Your retirement is well deserved! Now it’s time for us to take care of you.

— Laura Stillwagon, Glen Cove

Priti Chohan

South Shore University Hospital I am so proud of the selflessness and dedication my daughter, Priti Chohan, BSN, MBA, RN, Patient Care Services Manager at South Shore University Hospital, has shown throughout the pandemic. She has stepped in countless times to assist her team on the front-line, maintaining order in such a hectic environment, and sacrificing time on the personal and familial front to give to caring for those affected.

Most importantly, she has given her time to support her team, who were exposed to the virus and on the front-line daily.

Healthcare is truly a special calling, deeply rooted in compassion and empathy Therefore, I would like to extend my gratitude to all the courageous essential workers who have helped to support our community throughout this tumultuous time.

— Sudesh Chohan, Huntington

Susan Atwell

Mount Sinai Hospital Susan Atwell is a special person in my life.

She is a registered nurse, RN BsN, who works in the PACU (Recovery) Department of Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. She has been the most dedicated and determined nurse for her patients for the past 11 years at Mount Sinai Hospital. She began her nursing career 36 years ago with that same determination to help others in need, and it has only grown stronger through the years.

In addition, Susan, who lives in Woodmere, is a devoted mother of three incredible children, Robert, Christine and Matthew. She raised them by herself while holding a fulltime nursing job. She is the happy grandmother of an adorable 1-year-old little guy, Daniel, too! Susan is my real hometown hero. I am very privileged to be her friend.

— Donna Shulman, Hewlett

Our nurse heroes

THANK YOU NURSES FOR PUTTING YOURSELF OUT ON THE FRONT LINES. WE GREATLY AppREciATE YouR sERvicE!

Thank you

We

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Megan Brenner

Long Beach Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

— Marcella, longtime Long Beach Nursing resident

A special

Ali Artz, owner of Ambiance, in Hewlett, has prepared self-care goodie bags, containing a variety of hair care items, for the nurses at Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital in honor of Nurses Week. Goodie bags for over 500 nurses will be donated in an effort to continue to support frontline workers during these difficult times.

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IN THEIR OWN WORDS

ANN MARIE DISTANISLAO

CARMEN COX Lynbrook Restorative Therapy & Nursing

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TRUE HEROES:

started off in banking, but switched to nursing because I love taking care of people.

Today, nursing is very challenging due to the pandemic. At the beginning, during spring 2020, we nurses were in-service constantly, getting educated by our supervisors about Covid-19. That’s what pulled us through.

On the job, we wear a mask, goggles, surgical headwear, and a disposable gown.

Every time we leave a patient’s room, we discard the mask and gown, and wash the goggles. It’s uncomfortable, but to fight the virus, we have to start with our first-line workers for the protection of the residents.

Our staff members are all tested for Covid-19 twice a week, in a little unit that does the nasal swabbing here on site.

Not having family members of patients visiting the facility makes our job a lot easier,

A Pair of Widex Moment™ Hearing Aids

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Megan always has a smile on her face. Her warm and caring attitude is only matched by her stellar clinical skills. There was a time when I required wound care after a prolonged and complicated hospital stay. I was scared or in pain, and really able to trust that Megan was going to take care of me. Megan is always “on the ball”.

I am so grateful for Megan during that time and I know that I healed so well in large part to the level of care Megan provided.

Even after thewounds were healed, Megan would consistently check up on me. It was so nice that Megan continued to care about me.

I am so impressed with Megan’s “can-do” attitude, and that she was always willing to lend a helping hand to other nurses and nursing assistants who needed it.

Complimentary Hearing Screening

Emergency Nurse, Long Island Jewish Valley Stream because we have to control interaction from the outside. But we do help our patients communicate with loved ones virtually.

The virtual chats are scheduled with our recreation person. A nurse or aide can hold a cell phone so a patient can speak using FaceTime. We can also have the family members visit on-site, but not inside the facility. They stand in the entrance foyer between the double glass doors. The inner glass door is locked and the resident is brought down to sit on the inside. Then they talk with their loved ones on cell phones while smiling at them through the glass.

We are trained to let our residents know what’s going on, but to keep them comfortable, and to give them respect and dignity at all times. Remember, this is their home.

I

have a brother with Down syndrome so I was kind of a nurse even in my childhood, and I kind of grew up with him, favoring caring for people with a personal touch.

I went to nursing school and graduated in 1987, during the AIDs epidemic. I graduated from St. Vincent’s School of Nursing, and worked in the East Village where the AIDs epidemic was really fired up, so I had seen a lot of death and dying back in the 1980s. I thought I’d never see it again. And then Covid came.

The first wave was very heavy in our Emergency Department, but we pulled through. The Northwell Health system quickly got it together, and we were very organized.

We have a tiny Emergency Department, and as the volume increased we transferred out to the North Shore facilities.

The wisdom that I brought having had been

through something terrible like this before was that I knew I had to dress in the full PPE, the personal protective gear. Back in the 1980s we didn’t know it was sexually transmitted so we were wearing all sorts of hats and gowns and face masks. So I guess that was the little bit of wisdom there that I had. I also gave a little support to the newer nurses, letting them know that we’re going to get through this.

But it was also very overwhelming for myself. People were coming into triage and they could barely say their name, and then they would just drop dead in front of you. It was very scary. We did the best we could with what we had.

But even when it got overwhelming you still had to stop and give that extra personal touch, whether it was giving my phone charger to them so they could try and call a family member.

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In celebration of our

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By Scott Brinton sbrinton@liherald.com

W

e had always known that nurses were heroes; the women and men who offered us a modicum of comfort at our darkest hours while quietly monitoring our heart rate, blood pressure and medications prescribed by our doctors. They watched over us, soothed our pain with a smile.

We never really knew, however, what heroes they were until the coronavirus pandemic struck Long Island in March last year, sending already tired hospital staffs into overdrive. Nurses were at the very front lines of the crisis, and the physical and mental toll that they endured was unimaginable to most.

Nurses were, of course, accustomed to death. It is part of medicine. No amount of training, however, could have prepared them for the onslaught of Covid-19 cases that they would see between March and June 2020 — or the rapidly rising death toll.

With family and friends barred from entering hospitals during this grave period, nurses were often the very last people that the dying saw before they took their last breaths. 2020 and 2021 have very much been a battle for survival, and our nurses have fought it valiantly.

Many of them have been infected with Covid-19 themselves. Some have died.

We cannot thank our nurses enough for all that they did for us last year, but we should try. In this photo essay by Herald Photo Editor Christina Daly, we make the attempt, showing you, our readers, some of the faces who carried on through all the confusion and fear and heartache to protect and preserve life.

For more photos, see liherald.com.

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Photos by Christina Daly/H

1: Nurse Danielle Frantino, front, is in the Emergency Services Unit at Northwell Health Glen Cove Hospita Nurse Cel Christian Lumbera is her left.

2: Nurses Jaya Roy and Maria Cardone, of the Rehabilitation Unit at Northwell Health Glen Cove Hospital.

3: At Northwell Health LIJ Hospital in Valley Stream, nu educator Savita Amin reviewed notes with nurses De Pellitteri, Christine Luongo and Emily John, of the Pa Services Unit.

4: Taking in a lighter moment outside Northwell Health Hospital were Patient Services nurses Villaflor Andre Pascual, Ivana Klanac-Stern, Ann Marie Distanislao, Sheleema Harinandan, Benyanoot Rodthong, Emily Jessica Ruggierro, Debra Pellitteri, Saige Amoruso an Catherine Naranjo.

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5: At Mercy Hospital in Rockville Centre, nurses Jeanne Colamussi and Claire Odayan, nurse manager Meghan Clark, and nurses Bincy Mathew and Jennifer Okoye celebrated their profession.

6: Nurse Mary Sloane held a newborn in the Mercy Hospital Maternity Unit.

shortly after, with her family still in the parking lot. Asha said the experience made her cherish her time with her family.

10: Chris Frasco, left, and, Frank Masi, nurses at NYU Langone Hospital in Mineola.

7: Curtis King, a transporter, at Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital in Oceanside.

8: Nurse April Dones, of the Maternity Unit and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Mount Sinai South Nasau, was all smiles behind her mask recently.

9: Nurse Asha Ali, of NYU Langone Hospital, spoke of a 40-year-old patient who arrived at her unit struggling to breathe. The patient grasped her hand and told her, “You are you my angel.” The patient died of Covid-19

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True heroes:

TheIr own words TRUE In HEROES: IN THEIR OWN WORDS MEGHAN EVANS

JOEMELLE KHAN

Emergency Department, Mount Sinai South Nassau

Nassau University Medical Center

I

chose to become a nurse because I wanted to work in the medical field and be at the bedside caring for patients. Growing up, I was inspired by the nurses I met and saw first-hand how they took care of people, not only physically, but also emotionally.

The nursing profession means teamwork. I am beyond lucky to work in an area that has incredible teamwork. I would not be able to provide the best care without the help of our amazing patient care technicians and unit clerks, also amazing doctors and physician assistants who have taught me so much over the years.

I have been an Emergency Department nurse at MSSN for nearly 10 years, also a member of the ED’s Unit Based Council and ED Trauma Committee for more than five years. We are always working on creating new ways to provide excellent nursing care for our patients.

The nursing profession has taught me a

lot about life. I enjoy helping people and find myself helping others inside and outside of the hospital. I see first-hand how fragile life can be, so I try to keep a positive mindset and take care of myself physically and emotionally.

We never know what is going to come through those ED doors and we must be prepared for anything and everything. We laugh together and we cry together. We lift each other up when we are feeling down or scared and celebrate the happy moments with each other.

Nursing has always been a profession that is challenging yet rewarding. Emergency nursing is typically fast-paced and can be stressful.

When the Covid-19 pandemic arrived in March 2020, we were challenged in ways we had never imagined. Our team came together — we cared for our patients, we cared for their family members and we cared for each other.

TRUE HEROES:

I

I

’m from Harlem and lived in Queens near Valley Stream. My first degree was in finance, but when my father went into a hospital with a stroke it struck me that hospital workers had good intentions, but there was not enough help, and I was drawn to nursing.

It helps that I come from a family with a lot of doctors and nurses in it, so I asked a lot of questions, did some research, and seven years ago became a licensed nurse. For me nursing is a great field if you are the kind of person who cares. The money’s good, you can go anywhere in the country and you can help a person just by holding their hand.

I worked at the Nassau County Correctional facility, and then two years ago I came to work at the Emergency Room at Nassau University Medical Center. We get it all. Helicopters come in and out, drownings, stabbings, shootings,

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

HAYDEE LAJERA

MITCH MARAVILLA

Director of Nursing, Lynbrook Restorative Therapy & Nursing

Medical/Surgical/ Oncology Unit, Mount Sinai South Nassau

’ve been in long-term care nursing for 28 years, and Director of Nursing for 15 years. I consider being a nurse as a calling. It requires dedication and compassion because, while we take care of patients' and residents’ physical needs, we must also address their emotional and spiritual needs.

During this pandemic, our dedication to our profession was put to the test. We could not stay home from work to avoid the deadly virus.

Some of us isolated ourselves from our families for fear of exposing them. Many of us got Covid and some died.

As the Director of Nursing, I had to care for my staff. They feared catching Covid and infecting their own families. I ensured that they were educated and had enough PPE, encouraged them, cried with them when they were emotionally drained, and sometimes bought them food or sewed masks for them.

For our residents, I crocheted hats and scarves during the winter, which made them smile.

When nursing homes were closed to visitation, nurses brought phones and tablets to Covid-positive patients so that their families could say goodbye to them. I once held a patients’ hand as she took her last breath and told her son who lived in another state that she died peacefully. One day I had to “sneak in” a priest to administer a patient’s last rites.

Now our facility is Covid-free. We have passed several inspections and continue to follow all infection control guidelines from the CDC and the New York State Department of Health. We have vaccinated most of our employees and residents, and hope the public will do the same so this pandemic will end soon.

car accidents.

In the last year Covid took over. That was challenging in part because I took the pandemic personally. My cousin, Marilyn Howard, a mentor to me, was the first school nurse in New York City to die of Covid.

Emergency room work has made me an even more compassionate person. You need a tough exterior, but still care. But I have plenty of support for that at home. My wife is also a nurse. We talk to each other about all these issues.

W

hen I was in high school, my dad was sick and in and out of the hospital. I had to help my mom take care of him, and that’s when I decided to take up nursing in college.

The nursing profession is a calling. It is indeed a tough and stressful job. You need to have a certain virtue to become a good nurse.

We call those virtues “TLC,” tender, loving care.

It requires a lot of patience and dedication.

Even if you are an experienced nurse, you don’t assume that you know everything. Every day is a continuous learning process.

I’ve learned a lot in two decades of being a nurse. It’s made me stronger, resilient and appreciative of those people around me, such as my friends, family and co-workers, as well as my patients and their families.

When the pandemic started, our floor was turned into one of the Covid-19 units. I was so scared. I’ve never been in this kind of

overwhelming situation in my entire career.

I was physically, mentally and emotionally drained. There was a time when one of my patients could barely breathe, and I remember him saying, “Help me. Help me. I feel like I’m drowning.” As I waited for the rapid response team, I held his hand and encouraged him. I felt hopeless and prayed for him. I was his only support. It was also devastating when some of my co-workers got sick with Covid, including my husband, who is also an employee at the hospital.

Our unit has remained the Covid floor for the hospital, but this year has been more manageable. I’m proud and privileged that I am a part of the process. Nursing is tough, but when you think of the lives you have touched, the lives you saved, it’s such a wonderful feeling. It’s priceless.

TRUE HEROES:

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

DIANE PAEZ

LYSTRA BULLEN

Glen Cove Hospital ER/ Northwell Health

Oceanside Care Center

I

’ve been a nurse for 33 years, first at St. Vincent in Manhasset on a ventilator floor, labor and delivery, post-partum care and in the emergency room at Glen Cove the last decade.

I know it’s a cliché, but I think nursing found me. I was an average student in high school and didn’t have a lot of confidence. That all changed in nursing school. I felt like this was where I needed to be. The book part’s a large component, but taking care of people is not something you learn in a book. It comes from having empathy for others, understanding that it’s not just people, it’s somebody else’s mother, somebody’s child.

This whole last year has been difficult. It’s the first time I felt I don’t know if I can make it.

I have another eight years and I hope I can get through it.

We’re not a trauma hospital, but an emergency room sees everything, and beginning

last March Covid is all we saw. It was scary at first — new information every day about PPE, about treatment. But we got better at it. And the community support was really special, like a parade. Maybe the parade’s moved on, but we’re still here doing the work.

Still, nursing is an excellent career, so many kinds of jobs. It doesn’t have to be all high drama. Financially it’s great, you can’t be outsourced. There will always be a place for nurses.

M

y job as a Certified Nursing Assistant is really a story about my dad. After my father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, my sister took him in, but he would do unpredictable things like leaving the house unannounced.

Within a short time after we put him in a nursing home, he was totally different. When I visited him, he would say, “I ain’t givin’ no trouble,” and I could tell he was getting good care.

About a year after he entered the nursing home, I decided to help others like the home helped my father, and I became a CNA. My job is hands-on. I bathe the patients, feed them, take them to the bathroom, talk to them, and learn the little things that help them feel calm.

My work takes dedication because, when people can’t do self-care anymore, they go through a kind of depression. They miss their families. They may have underlying medical

conditions. We have to be very patient and sensitive. We approach each one individually and build bonds, step by step.

When the pandemic began, everyone’s heart was bleeding for our patients. Families couldn’t visit in person anymore. Patients coming back from the hospital had to be isolated for Covid testing.

But the patients understood because they watched the news, and they respected our explanations. They wanted their families to be safe, so they accepted window-side visits, video chats, and phone calls. These protocols are still in effect at this time.

The nurses and CNAs have had to work extra hard to give the patients what they need.

It’s been trying, but because we know our patients so well, everyone has adapted.

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Located in Rockville Centre, The Chelsea at Maple Pointe offers assisted living and memory care in a loving, homelike environment. Our residents are encouraged to exercise both their bodies and minds on a daily basis during our lifestyle activities.

ASSISTED LIVING • Superior living alternative for seniors to maintain independence and choice • 24-hour Emergency Response System • Full-time RN, Nurse on site 24/7 • Exciting and engaging social, recreational, and educational calendar of events

THE COUNTRY COTTAGE • Specializing in Alzheimer’s Memory Care • Secure environment for independence • Full-time social and recreational staff • 24 hour supervision and care • Private dining and activity areas for social and wellness enhancement

Call Us Today: 877.474.4288 www.chelseaforyou.com

THE COUNTRY COTTAGE During National Nurses week, weinwant thank Shari Stein, BSN, RN, • Specializing Alzheimer’sto Memory Care • Secure environment for independence Director of Health Services for her hard work and dedication!

• Full-time social and recreational staff ASSISTED LIVING • Superior living alternative for seniors to maintain independence and choice • 24-hour Emergency Response System • Full-time RN, Nurse on site 24/7 • Exciting and engaging social, recreational, and educational calendar of events THE COUNTRY COTTAGE • Specializing in Alzheimer’s Memory Care • Secure environment for independence • Full-time social and recreational staff • 24 hour supervision and care • Private dining and activity areas for social and wellness enhancement

NURSE OF THE YEAR

by the New York State Center for Assisted Living

(NYSCAL)

We Congratulate Her!

260 Maple Avenue, Rockville Centre, NY 11570 Call Us Today for Details and to Schedule a Tour: 877.474.4288

www.chelseaforyou.com

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With Amazing, Award-Winning Staff!

• 24 hour supervision and care Shari Stein, BSN, • Private dining and areas for RN social Callactivity Us Today: 877.474.4288 Director of Health Services www.chelseaforyou.com and wellness enhancement has been named

TRUE HEROES: LORRAINE RIXFIELDS

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

BARBARA SIMMS Nurse Practitioner, Mercy Hospital

Nassau University Medical Center

was a medical assistant for 20 years in a family practice office in Seaford. When my daughter went to college I decided to go back to school to be a nurse. Everyone thought I was a nurse, anyhow. I managed to get my degree and 15 years ago, became a regular staff nurse at NUMC’s pediatric unit. I just got this position as assistant nurse manager at the end of January.

I love going to work. It's a job that I wouldn’t mind being at forever.

In a pediatric unit, we get a little bit of everything. I also float to the nursery, neo-natal.

So, I’ve gotten to see a variety of patients, newborn to age 21. When I was a medical assistant I dealt with adults, but in pediatrics you’re dealing with the parents too, making sure they’re knowledgeable ofwhat’s going on with their child.

When Covid hit there was so much we didn’t

know. I took out my sewing machine and made caps and masks for whoever needed them. The load was so heavy, we were stressed out, but we had to put that aside.

But the pandemic also put us in the public eye in an incredible way. Recently I pulled into a gas station in my scrubs and a man at another pump, a total stranger, shouted out, “Thank you!” That’s the kind of thing that makes you feel appreciated as a nurse.

I

worked in the airline industry in human resource management and I had a sister that worked here (Mercy Hospital) as a nurses’ aide.

My sister was diagnosed with cancer while she was an employee here, and she had a tough battle for seven years.

She was an employee here, a patient here, and she passed away here.

After she passed away, I made the decision to become a nurse. And going to nursing school, I knew that I only wanted to work at Mercy because I felt that it was paying back for what I felt they did really well for my sister.

I started nursing school in 2005 when I was 39, and I came straight here in 2008 and I’ve been here ever since. My mother went into nursing at the age of 40, so I think that let me know that no matter what the age, if you want to change, you can change.

When Covid hit, my patient was the first

patient on the floor to get it. For me I think it was just trying to do the best that you can to keep your patients OK. And Covid was an eyeopener as far as seeing how fast a patient can decline, unfortunately.

I think for most nurses, when you go into nursing you don’t go into it looking for someone to praise you for what you do or sacrifice. You do it because it’s something in your heart.

Celebrating the inCredible nurses at OCeanside Care

From Left to Right: Denise Rupay, Tom Rowal, Patricia Neils, Catherine Frisch Canning, Kellie O’Connor Hammond, Laura Tini, and Ayana Douglas 2914 linCOln avenue, OCeanside, nY, 11572 PhOne: 516.536.2300 • www.OCeansideCC.COm

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I

BEHIND EVERY LIFE WE SAVED, THERE WAS A TEAM OF DEDICATED NURSES. THANK YOU.

We are pleased that the Year of the Nurse has been extended from 2020 through 2021 in recognition of your hard work, bravery, and commitment to save lives. Thank you. This Nurses Week, we thank you for showing up, stepping up, and putting our patients before yourselves during this pandemic.

Behind every life we saved, there was an extraordinary team of dedicated nurses.

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www.southnassau.org/nursing