Words from a Nurse at Mount Sinai Beth Israel

We had the opportunity to talk to a registered nurse at Mount Sinai Beth Israel hospital in New York. She requested to stay anonymous. The following is a piece of her experience during the COVID-19 crisis:

“Last week, the president of our hospital came to my department, and I had a chance to chat with him. According to him, there is enough supply in our hospital for doctors and healthcare workers, including ventilators. And since this is the case for us, it should be equally as optimistic for the other hospitals in our hospital system. After five days of accepting the same amount of COVID patients, the numbers are coming down. But to quote Winston Churchill during WWII, “Now is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

My work is my choice. It is my duty to take care of the patients. What really touched me has been the help and support coming from all directions, including Life Preservation Initiative as well as the support from the folks in my city. Ever since the state government closed down all non-essential businesses, there have been meals delivered to the hospital every day, from different restaurants, organizations, and individuals. Walking on the streets, lots of people say hi to me and even bow to me. An old lady sitting at the flower bed while I was walking by told me to take care. Even those smoking on the street corners would wave at me and tell me to have a nice day. 7 o’clock every evening is the time the New Yorkers give standing ovations and celebrate those still working during this crisis. Being in the presence of such support, you don’t feel like you are fighting alone. I am just doing my job. It is my duty to take care of the patients.

There will always be problems at work, and all we can do is try to manage them. Do your best and have faith is the creed I’ve learned with my age. Thankfully, I am part of a great team. Most people share this belief. While I was taking a walk yesterday in the forest, I found on my trail, to my surprise, some wild chives, which I have only seen online before. The green leaves are just so full of life, which gives me hope. I wish this crisis could end soon so that I can go back to the carefree days of before.”

We are proud to be supporting those fighting on the frontline everyday for our well-being.