HEALTH CARE HERO: ‘I LOVE CARING FOR OTHERS’
Name: Kristy Elrod
Hometown (where you live now): Springfield
Job title: Manager of Intensive Care Unit
Where do you work: Mercy Health – Springfield Regional Medical Center
Describe what your day is like/what you do: When I get to work in the morning, I touch base with my charge nurse to see if there are any issues going on with staffing, patient acuity, etc. During the COVID-19 crisis, I speak with a lot of family members on a daily basis and make FaceTime calls. One patient in particular, I downloaded a special app on my phone to be compatible with the wife’s phone, and we had a time set up to talk at 10 a.m. every day. I spend a lot of my day helping staff on the floor, help with call lights, medication passes, and whatever I can do to help lighten their load.
What inspired you to get into health care? When I was in high school, my grandmother had breast cancer, my grandfather had already passed away, and she needed extra help at home. I was then attending a joint vocational school in Springfield to get my medical assisting certification and moved in with her to help relieve some stress from my dad and aunt, who were working full time. I have always known I wanted to be a nurse and taking care of her confirmed that. I love caring for others as though they were my family and look forward to work everyday.
What’s a memorable experience you’ve had in health care? I was taking care of an open-heart patient who had some complications post-operation. We weren’t sure he was going to make it out of the hospital, but he appeared to respond to me when I was caring for him. I ended up working extra shifts just so I could be his nurse, and his wife would always request me. He was always happy to see me, which is amazing as I am truly a stranger. This patient continued to recover well enough to go home, but has been in/ out of the hospital — he always remembers me and greets me with a smile, as does his wife.
It’s amazing how close you can become to your patients in the matter of a 12-hour shift. That’s what I love about my job!
What do you want readers to know about your job right now? I try to put myself in my patients’ and their families position. How scary would it be to become sick, admitted to the hospital, and you cannot have your family with you for support? I could not imagine being admitted without my husband by my side. This is why I spend so much of my time to help them connect with their loved ones, even if it’s using my personal phone. I will continue to do whatever I can to help ease their anxiety, nervousness, fear, etc.