Thank You to Our Heroes!
Julie Cummings, RN , Maine General Health, Augusta, Maine
Today we want to honor Julie Cummings, RN , Maine General Health, Augusta, Maine. Here is her story as reported by Hannah Yechivi (NEWS CENTER Maine).
Julie Cummings has been in New York for 25 days now helping to battle COVID-19 coronavirus. Cummings works seven days a week and 12 hours a day, all in an effort to help patients get better.
"We leave our hotel at about 6 in the morning and get home at about 9 at night, and just do it every day. We do everything from passing out food trays, to passing meds, to cleaning out patients... it's intense but it's rewarding!" said Cummings. With lower COVID-19 numbers here in Maine, Cummings packed her bags and flew to New York to help fight the virus in a hot-spot.
"It was really scary because you don't know what you're walking into, pretty much all I knew was that I was coming to New York City, what hotel I was going to, and that was it," said Cummings. Cummings is staying at a hotel where other nurses from throughout the country are also staying, buses pick the nurses up at 6 am to work 12-hour shift in different hospitals throughout New York.
"Every day we are allowed to wait in the line, and get a new bunny suit, new shoe covers, new hat cover, new respirators...every day we are completely covered," said Cummings.
Cummings and many other nurses are doing many jobs to help with the shortage of hospital staff members. "I certainly wasn't used to taking care of intubated patients or critically ill patients but they trained us and we knew what we were doing," said Cummings. Her initial contract was to work for 21 straight days, 12 hours a day. Cummings has decided to extend her work contract to help positive COVID-19 patients.
"I have chosen to extend until New York doesn't need me anymore," said Cummings.
Julie's' dad, Mark Byron, says she got into the medical field to do exactly what she is doing now, helping others when they most need it.
"A lot of people said to me...you know I wouldn't let my daughter go...well she's in the medical field...people that are sick need compassionate people to help them and that's the way Julie is," said Byron.
Byron says he is extremely proud of his daughter. "She is compassionate, she's committed to doing what needs to be done..someone has to do it!" said Byron. Julie will be testing herself before coming home to Maine and self quarantining for fourteen days upon her arrival. Then, she will join the nursing ranks at Maine General Health in Augusta.
Thank you Julie 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.
