Our nurses go above and beyond
During the pandemic, nurses from Cedars-Sinai were reassigned to new or newly created units. Some are learning new skills to stay safe. And every nurse has worked long hours since the first day of the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare professionals around the world have done heroic things for their patients and their communities, and our nurses are right there on the front lines.
Keeping numbers low
Every day throughout the pandemic, our nurses all pulled together to work safely. They also did so much more by getting the word out to family and friends to stay home and slow the spread of the virus. Scott Brickner, BSN, said he understands that people may be tired of hearing these messages, but they continue to be important.
"I know that everyone has COVID fatigue out there in the public, and I know that in your head, this is some far-off problem, but we're here seeing it firsthand," Brickner said. "And so if there's any precaution I could ask you to do, it’s please stay with us and follow the guidelines. Mask up. Help us be here for you if you ever need us."
Nurses around the world continued to repeat this message, and we’re seeing the results in lowering numbers and improved outcomes.
Helping the vaccine rollout
Now, as more and more of the population is becoming vaccinated, we’re all seeing the difference our nurses can make. Joni Stokx, a nurse at Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital, has been caring for COVID-19 patients since the beginning. She’s grateful for the fellow nurses on her unit who have been "picking each other up when they're down" during this challenging year.
When the vaccine started to roll out, she was overcome with emotion. "Anything that can help with the stress and ease my mind a little bit—it just brought me to tears," Stokx said. "We're one big family. There's kind of a sense we're in the trenches together. And most people don't know what it's like to be in the trenches. So the only people that really do understand are the people that we work with."
Melissa Rue, an RN with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, is hopeful that the COVID-19 vaccine will help turn the tide. She said, "It's an honor to have it be available at Cedars-Sinai and to be one of the first people to get it in California."
Treating more than COVID-19
Our nurses have also worked hard to avoid a second crisis by safely providing care to everyone in the community who needs it. In fact, since March 2020, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has treated more than 37,000 non-COVID-19 patients. That’s 93% of all inpatients. Everyone focused on wearing masks, physically distancing and limiting visitors. Rigorous testing also helped keep people safe.
Make a real difference
If you’re a nurse looking for an opportunity to work with the best healthcare professionals for a system that’s helping lead the fight against COVID-19, consider Cedars-Sinai.