Thank You to Our Heroes!
Jaron Felix, ER RN
Kaiser Permanente Anaheim
Today we want to honor Jaron Felix, a ER RN at Kaiser Permanente in Anaheim, California. Here is his story in his own words.
What a roller coaster of emotions this whole pandemic has been. The uncertainty of what we had in front of us was quite an experience. I am a Registered Nurse in the Emergency Department at Kaiser Permanente and I am more proud than ever of how our staff has been able to face and handle these challenging times. I recall the early days of working in the ER and the anxiety that the staff had with everything that surrounded them. Watching the news and current events brought even more anxiety and questions. Do we have enough PPE (personal protective equipment)? What's our disaster plan when the surge hits? How do we safely treat these patients while minimizing procedures that would increase our exposure to this highly contagious disease?
The whole landscape and scope of Covid-19 changed everything that we were used to in the ER. It definitely took a toll on our staff at times. We would have mini huddles during our shift to vent and to encourage each other. We would schedule zoom meetings on our days off to check in on everyone and have a moment to listen to each other's concerns. Our staff fully embraced the challenge and we would cope with the challenge through generosity. Staff would bring in homemade masks, head covers, and face shields for one another. Food became our comfort. We are grateful for the many donations that the community has given us and I must say, I definitely have eaten way more donuts than I should have. Through it all, I'm just proud to be a part of something that provides the most fundamental need of every human, and that's health.
I never would have imagine that I would be wearing an N95 while grocery shopping. I never would've imagine that I would have sores on my nose and ears from wearing masks all day. I never would've imagined that it felt awkward to shake someone's hand and that 6 feet of distancing was a thing. I never would've imagined Covid-19 and its impact on life as we know it
I'm thankful that I am able to give back to the community. It'll be a very interesting conversation to have with my kids when they're learning about this all in school. My kids aren't old enough to understand it all yet, but when that time comes, I will proudly tell them I worked with heroes.
Thank you Jaron for your commitment, dedication, and compassion for your patients and communities.
If you have a story and pictures of a front line nurse you would like us to highlight on our website and social media, please email them to us at info@helphopehonor.org.
