Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1307977
November 9–December 14, 2020 Working Nurse l WorkingNurse.com 25 John Ferrer, RN, BSN CARE MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST II L.A. Care Health Plan Looking back on this year, what have been the biggest changes in your practice? The biggest change has been going from working in healthcare settings to an office setting and then to working remotely from home. It is important for me to recognize that although I am no longer working at the bedside, I am still making a positive impact in people's lives. Tell us about the most inspirational thing you've experienced as a nurse during this pandemic. Helping an individual who was evicted from his home because he had contracted COVID-19 and his roommate feared they would contract the virus from him. The indi- vidual was hospitalized and then discharged with no home to return to. I was able to connect him with community resources that helped him find stable housing and govern- ment assistance. What nonmedical support from family, friends or the general public has been most appreciated? The support from my family, especially my wife and daughter, is something I will forever cherish and appreci- ate. The flexibility to work from home and witness my 18-month-old daughter's milestones has also been priceless. How have you grown as a nurse since you started working in this profession? Nursing is a dynamic profession, and because of that, I have grown tremendously as a nurse and as an individual. I have experienced adversity, hardships and grief, which have taught me to be more empathetic and compassionate toward others. Michael Estona, RN, MSN-Ed. MEDICAL-SURGICAL SIMULATION FACULTY West Coast University, Ontario Looking back on this year, what have been the biggest changes in your practice? As a simulation facilitator, I have found the switch to remote instruction especially challenging. Simulation is largely a tactile experience; our on-campus program uses several high-fidelity man- nequins that mimic a live patient. The simulation faculty has developed new content to approximate the on-campus experience as much as possi- ble within the limitations of the available technology. We use interactive media, virtual patient monitors and test results, and other visual aids to simulate the effects of various clinical decisions. However, I am looking for- ward to a return to campus and some semblance of normalcy! Tell us about the most inspirational thing you've experienced as a nurse during this pandemic. The way medical staff in gen- eral has come together is cer- tainly encouraging. My coworkers have all been will- ing to help each other out, which gives me hope that we will come back from this sit- uation the better for it. What nonmedical support from family, friends or the general public has been most appreciated? The local community has been very generous with PPE. While we are still having to ration supplies and reuse N95 masks and gowns, we are much better off now than we were a few months ago. Local restaurants have donated food to hospital staff as well. The way the community has pulled together reinforces our faith in humanity. How have you grown as a nurse since you started working in this profession? Working as an instructor has directly affected my ongoing work in the hospital, as I feel I have grown alongside my stu- dents. I certainly have a greater understanding of why certain aspects of nursing education are so important and the logic behind the materials we pres- ent to students. As the situation evolves and the healthcare field learns more about how to limit the impact COVID-19 has on our community, it will be impera- tive that we adequately prepare new nurses for the roles they will play in the coming months and years. The opinion is the individual's sole opinion and not necessarily representative of that of the school, any instructor, or any student.