LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) - Even as restaurants and other places of entertainment begin to open little by little, it is important to remember those men and women on the healthcare frontlines that are fighting everyday for those infected with the coronavirus.
Morgen Reppond, who works in Special Procedures at Christus St. Patrick Hospital took an offer along with about 400 other RN’s from across the United States to go help in a New York City unit for 21 days. She left on April 18 and returned home May 10. According to the New York Times, on April 18 there were 350,951 cases and 27,755 deaths in New York State.
“I wanted to help, I just didn’t know how,” said Reppond.
She said that soon after she saw a TV appearance by a New York nurse, she saw a Facebook ad from Krucial Staffing asking for nurses to go to New York City and help. They needed to be able to leave within 24-48 hours for New York.
“I was initially drawn to nursing because I love science and I love helping people, and nursing was just a career that I could basically do both,” said Reppond.
Reppond spent her time working nights. Buses would pick her and other nurses up from a hotel around 5:45 p.m. and they wouldn’t return to their hotel rooms until around 9 a.m. the next morning.
“New York wasn’t like anything I ever experienced. The streets were super quiet, you know I’d send pictures of Times Square and me trying to show my family I was here, and everyone was like ‘oh my god, there’s nobody in Times Square.’ For a city that never sleeps, they were sleeping. It was a very different experience. The nursing side of it was you hit the ground running and you didn’t stop until you got in your bed,” said Reppond, “I knew it was something that I needed to do in my heart. Once I did, I was happy that I did it. There were nurses from every state, actually. It was really awesome to see-I met a lot of people, I’d love to stay in touch with them.”
Reppond worked as a medical/surgery nurse in one of New York City’s COVID units, and Krucial supplied as many meals as they could to as many nurses during their time working due to the fact New York was practically completely shut down.
“Everyone was in survival mode and crisis mode and you did what you could, basically,” she explained.
While in New York City, Reppond was away from her husband and two children, ages six and two.
“It was hard being away from them for so long from my family, I was able to Facetime them twice a day. Once on the way to work and once on the way back. Without those Facetime calls, I doubt I would of made it the entire time. It felt so good to be able to see my boys and hug them, and sleep in my own bed, and have a normal schedule! Getting back on a good sleep schedule has been difficult, but it was good to see everyone, and eat!” she said when asked how it was seeing her family again only a few days ago.
Reppond decided to put herself in self-quarantine for the next two weeks, although healthcare workers are not required to. She was tested for COVID-19 upon leaving, but her results were negative.
“I’m trying to be safe,” she said.
Reppond also spoke on how it “was a good learning experience” and she will continue to “encourage other nurses to get out there and help and offer their knowledge and their skills, because they need it.”
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