Frank Bernard Bobadilla, Nurse Manager, 7 East Medical Surgical Unit
“Heroes Work Here: This sign greets me every day as I walk into work. To be honest, there are times when I do feel like a literal comic book superhero. You can’t help it when you’re wearing a face mask and protective eyewear similar to Spider-Man or Batman. As I walk into my unit, my colleagues are barely recognizable in their PPE [personal protective equipment].
It’s anyone’s guess as to who is who. The bigger change is the patient population we’ve been seeing in our medical-surgical and stroke unit. We had to quickly acclimate ourselves to the specialized care that COVID-19 patients require. Rapid responses, intubations and cardiac arrests unfortunately have become the norm. Despite these changes, our teamwork dynamic has remained as strong as ever. When emergencies are called overhead, everyone knows their role and does their part, even if it’s just to observe those going into the isolation rooms and providing a quick cross-check to ensure everyone’s PPE is appropriate.
The long day ends with the removal of my N95 mask and a quick look in the mirror at the deep markings it has left on my face. I know the marks are only temporary—and so is COVID-19. The virus has proven to be a formidable adversary, but we will continue to fight the battle, hopeful that we will soon come out victorious.”