Despite the demands of working in hospitals or doctors’ offices or volunteering at COVID-19 vaccination clinics, many local Peoria nurses say that their work is satisfying.
Illinois Neurological Institute registered nurse Christa Fuchs says her patients do not hesitate to thank her for being a nurse, and she even had a patient tell her that she was one in a million.
"It's rewarding. The patients are so excited and appreciative. Come in and get vaccinated so that we can get back to normal."
Audrey Wylie says her experiences with vaccination clinics were so great that it’s hard to put into words what they meant to her.
"It was organized, and everybody that's coming in there is so happy and grateful, and some brought cards as thank-you's. Some brought gifts. It shows that people do care. There's still people that care in the world and want to put this pandemic to an end and do their part to help."
Another INI registered nurse Betsy Fennel says her experiences volunteering at vaccination clinics have been gratifying to see patients’ excitement when getting their vaccine.
Fennel encourages people to not only get the vaccine, but to keep their scheduled appointments... to avoid wasting any vaccine doses.
"At the end of the day, if we've had people that have not shown up and not called, then we have vaccine that we're trying to find people to give it to, and it just causes a lot of people to work a lot later and a lot harder."
The coronavirus dramatically changed how medical professionals care for their patients. Nurses are now required to take patient temperatures and do COVID-19 screenings at the entrances of hospitals and doctors’ offices.
Additionally, many patient visits are now via phone or video, instead of in-person.
With all these changes and volunteering at vaccination clinics, some medical professionals that work closely with COVID-19 patients are facing burnout.
Nursing supervisor Ashley Reach says at times she is burnt out due to keeping up with new changes and different stressors than what nurses normally face, such as ensuring that enough volunteers are available for vaccination clinics and that staff members are healthy.
Reach says the risk of getting COVID-19 is also a big concern for many nurses.
"We're exposed daily whether we know it or not, and we have to continue taking those precautions. It's just a risk we have to take. We're all healthcare workers, and this is the job we signed up for. Whether it's just day-to-day stuff or a pandemic, it's just what we have to do."
Despite the fear, stress and burnout, many nurses say they are still satisfied working closely with patients.
Registered nurse Bill Stickelmaier works alongside neurosurgeons and cares for patients as they enter surgery. He says no matter the task at hand, he and his coworkers support one another, and he is still happy to work in the medical field.
"I think it's kind of brought all the neurosurgery staff kind of a little bit closer. We've helped each other out a little bit more. We had three nurses from our group volunteer to give vaccines at the clinic. Everybody had to pitch in and help answer their calls. It's been good for team building I think."
Whether in a pandemic or not, Reach says OSF takes proactive steps to ensure patients and staff are protected and healthy. OSF’s initiative and steps towards combating COVID-19 stand out to nurses in the Peoria area.
Reach also says she is still satisfied in her position as a nursing supervisor after handling the pandemic for over a year. She says one of her biggest takeaways is that while she has supervisor responsibilities and volunteers at the vaccination clinics, INI nurses, doctors and staff work together to prioritize the health and safety of patients and themselves.
"Especially with OSF, they have been on top of it. They kept us in the loop the whole time. They're always trying to give us the resources that we need, so I'm very satisfied with the way we all handled it here."
While the pandemic constantly changes and impacts us all, medical professionals say they are constantly adapting and working diligently to bring the pandemic to an end.
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