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Letter to the editor 6/11/20

Orange Park Medical Center nurses have earned our gratitude

Kathy Hester
Posted 6/10/20

There is no time more appropriate than now to salute Orange Park Medical Center’s professional, compassionate, and resilient nurses. Our nursing team is excellent at using their clinical …

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Letter to the editor 6/11/20

Orange Park Medical Center nurses have earned our gratitude


Posted

There is no time more appropriate than now to salute Orange Park Medical Center’s professional, compassionate, and resilient nurses. Our nursing team is excellent at using their clinical expertise--while keeping the patient at the center of all they do.
As we have faced challenging times reshaped by COVID-19, our nurses have adapted to a new reality, new protocols and recommendations, and evolving best practices without losing their passion for the important work of nursing. Last month, we celebrated National Nurses Week to honor their dedication and commitment. The compassionate care our nurses have showcased over the past three months is why we celebrate our nurses every year during this national day of recognition.
We recently celebrated the discharge of one of our first COVID-19 patients, Fernando Vizcarrando, after his 55-day stay battling COVID-19. Fernando, was a pilot, navy veteran, husband and father to three young boys. You can imagine his fear when he woke up in a hospital bed, isolated and unsure of this new world we’re living in.
In addition to being expert clinical caregivers, our team became the Fernando’s “instant family”, playing tic-tac-toe through his ICU room window, facilitating FaceTime visits with his family and celebrating every milestone of his recovery by lining the hallway to cheer him on when he graduated from the ICU and again to rehab. From the moment Fernando entered our ER, to the time he spent in our rehabilitation center, through to the moment he was able to walk out our doors to hold his children for the first time in eight weeks, our colleagues treated him like family. They lifted him up when he needed it most.
This is but one instance of the selflessness I witness daily at Orange Park Medical Center. I want to assure the community that, as part of HCA Healthcare, our nurses are supported in countless ways to provide the safest care always, but especially during this period. As part of this robust 186-hospital system, we learn from our fellow facilities about evidence-based best practices for treating COVID-19 patients that always reflect the Centers for Disease Control’s guidelines.
Our top priority is keeping our community safe, which is why you will also see universal masking in place, greeters checking for COVID-19 symptoms and temperatures at our limited open entrances, social distancing throughout our facility and increased disinfecting in high touch areas.
After over two decades as a nurse, I remain moved that we have provided such extraordinary care for our community and each other through such an unknown time. I extend my gratitude to them, and to our community for continuing to entrust us with your care. We will get through this, together.

Kathy Hester
Chief Nursing Officer
Orange Park Medical Center