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It’s impossible to describe to those outside of healthcare what everyone inside healthcare has been through this past year. There’s still so much uncertainty that many don’t yet understand how deeply this pandemic has changed them. The coronavirus is, unfortunately, here to stay. But, so too is the heart of UVA Health — our nurses.  

This Nurses Week, let’s take a moment to honor UVA Health’s courageous nurses for showing up every day for their patients and each other in every inpatient, outpatient, and procedural unit across the organization. This year in particular, they overcame challenges and learned new skills in order to stay focused on what matters most: delivering expert care to patients. 

“This ‘wild ride,’ as I call it, has shown us our true strength,” says Professional Nursing Staff Organization (PNSO) president Barb Trotter. She and incoming PNSO president TJ Lovdal resumed their leadership duties just last month, after being pulled into full-time patient care roles on COVID units over a year ago.

“Nurses really stepped out of their comfort zones this year,” says Lovdal. “COVID nurse or not, we’ve all had to be flexible in our roles and the way we provide patient care. I am so proud to be a UVA nurse and even prouder of UVA nurses. They are more incredible than they realized.”

For Caroline Nganga, RN, in the new Infusion Center, it was when visitors were no longer allowed that her role shifted. Especially vulnerable because of their immunocompromised state, patients with cancer arrive at the Infusion Center scared and alone. “At the same time that I communicate and educate as a nurse, I also now comfort my patients, offer a listening ear, and run out to grab their favorite snacks,” says Nganga. “I am their nurse, their friend, and their family member.” 

Though care delivery looks different now, it remains Nganga’s greatest joy. “Nursing is something that comes from within. When you have the heart of a nurse, your first duty is to make sure your patients are OK.”

With her kids being homeschooled, Nganga admits there were days that felt overwhelming, but the support of her team has helped her stay engaged and positive. “Everyone, including our managers, asks how they can help. Someone even offered to watch my kids!” 

Teamwork is a theme that also resonates with Jenna Schmaltz, RN, Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery, who helped out in the COVID clinic last year and is the current shared governance chair for Pediatrics. “Our team has become even stronger through this year,” says Schmaltz. “We’ve all come together to achieve amazing things, with the common goal of meeting our patients’ needs.”

They’ve shifted to telemedicine as much as possible, but many orthopedic conditions require an in-person visit. By coordinating with providers and the IT, X-ray and Infection Control teams, Schmaltz and her colleagues have been able to creatively and safely bring kids in for both urgent surgical needs and ongoing care for complex conditions.

Like Nganga, Schmaltz continues to find energy and fulfillment in her role. “As nurses, being adaptive is ingrained in our profession,” she says. “I’m really proud of my teammates. COVID is another thing we’ve been presented with, but we’re built to overcome. To us, there is no room to fail, because people depend on us.” 

When next asked, “What has the pandemic been like at UVA Health?” perhaps think of our nurses. They were scared but even braver. They are tired but still strong. Without a second thought, they have banded together to turn the impossible into the everyday.

For Trotter, it’s a much simpler explanation. “We are here, taking care of people,” she says. “That’s what nurses do. We show our patients love by giving them the best possible treatment we can.”