A young RN becomes a seasoned pro in a time of crisis.
In nursing school, you learn about pandemics, but when it happens to you, your whole outlook changes,” says Kaitlyn Zilly, BSN, RN. Kaitlyn, 23, graduated from Drexel University with a nursing degree in June 2018 and began work as a nurse in the medical surgical unit at Monmouth Medical Center (MMC). Less than two years later, she was plunged into a pandemic that hit New Jersey especially hard.
“It all happened very quickly,” she recalls. “In the med-surg unit, we see more of a general population—pneumonia, abdominal pain, cardiac conditions. Our unit shut down for a while, and we were assigned to work with critical care nurses. The situation was always changing, so you’d come in to work and not know what to expect.”
Personal protective equipment (PPE) was available, but the suits and equipment were at times awkward, as well as hot and sweaty. “Because you try to limit the number of times you enter the room of a COVID-19 patient, you try to do as much as possible each time, whether it’s giving meds, doing blood work, a range of care. Almost each visit took an hour, and you felt completely drained at the end of a shift.”
She wants to make clear she’s not complaining. “Would I do it all again? One hundred percent,” she says. In fact, when asked by a former nursing professor what she would tell current students about entering the field, she sent this message: “This tragic time we are all experiencing is the very reason I became a nurse. To make a change, to provide comfort and care to those who need it, to provide companionship, and to save lives. I love being a nurse, I am proud to be a nurse. The pandemic has only solidified that I went into the right profession.”
Sacrifice and satisfaction
Kaitlyn credits MMC administration for the hospital’s swift and effective response to the crisis. “The leaders really stepped up and were able to get us all the equipment we needed,” she says. “As for our nursing leadership, there was at least one manager on the scene every single day, including weekends and holidays, to make sure we had the support we needed.” Kaitlyn has missed seeing her family, most especially a niece born in March, who she has still not had the chance to hold. Still, there have been some compensations.
“As I’ve cared for patients diagnosed with COVID-19, I’ve also had the opportunity to meet new people and work alongside some of the best nurses and doctors at our hospital to provide the best quality care possible. We have been recognized as heroes by our administrating bodies and within our communities,” she says, citing as especially meaningful the “Heroes Salute Clap In and Clap Out” that took place at the hospital. “We have all sacrificed—some more than others—but I wouldn’t change this experience,” she says. “I can’t say for certain what the future will hold, because we don’t have enough data at this point.
“I do know one thing, though,” she says. “We were able to get through this together, and I know we can get through any challenges in the future.”