Looking back on the past year, nurse Sarah Varney thought first about the strange locations where she and her fellow nurses have worked: testing members of the community in a parking lot at a basketball court, on the walkway outside of an apartment building, and under an outdoor tent, sweating in the summer and bundling up in the winter.
Varney is the Director of Nursing Practice and Clinical Education at Northern Light Mercy Hospital. Not only were she and many colleagues in unfamiliar territory, they were carrying unfamiliar gear.
“There was new safety equipment, new ways of communicating, new swabs, and new procedures,” she recounted.
Nurse Ashley Kayumba prepares to administer a vaccine at Northern Light Mercy’s vaccine clinic at the Portland Expo. The clinic, which is at 239 Park Ave., is now open for walk-in appointments.
Yet, nurses have continued to care for frightened and severely ill patients. Each day they go to work, they go in with the intent of giving patients the very best care they can. Nurses also act as patient advocates and emotional supports, another skill much in need this year.
“Visitor restrictions are hard on patients and hard on our care teams,” Varney said. “But we have also become adept at learning how to use cameras on phones or tablets to communicate with families. What I saw our nurses do in response to this pandemic was simply remarkable.”
The American Nursing Association’s theme for National Nurses Week 2021 is the same as it was in 2020. Once again, it is the Year of the Nurse because in truth, it always is. Nurses and their teams saved lives before the COVID-19 pandemic and they will continue to long after.
“When I work with new nurses, I get to be at the bedside again,” said Varney. “It’s there that I revel in a sense of purpose. You can see the person you are working with and how you are making a difference in their day. I think that’s really special.”
“Over this past year, nurses at Mercy Hospital and across Northern Light have worked with fellow nurses, doctors, care teams, administrative leaders, and volunteers to truly answer the call to serve their communities. I am humbled by the collective efforts I continue to see day in and day out,” said Bette Neville, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer for Northern Light Health.
While pandemic procedures feel more routine this year than they did last, both reflected on the progress that has been made, including the opening of Mercy Hospital’s mass vaccination clinic located at the Portland Expo.
“We’re doing vaccine clinics wherever we can,” Varney said. “Patient units, practice settings, and now at the Expo. It’s been a hard year, but we have a lot to look forward to.”
“The vaccine clinics are a totally different way of interacting with patients,” Neville added. “And it’s so positive. People receiving their vaccine speak of so many emotions and a sense of relief.”
Once construction on its Fore River campus is completed later this year, Mercy’s State Street campus will close, and its medical services will move to its expanded hospital and new surgery center located on Fore River Parkway. The prospect of bringing departments together to integrate patient care and feel more like one big team is an exciting opportunity for all at Mercy.
“We will continue to keep our focus on the mission in front of us as we work our way through this pandemic,” said Neville. “To all our nurses—you are brave, you are resilient, you are indispensable, and we thank you. Keep up the amazing work!”
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