BAPTISM BY FIRE
For a new nurse starting in the heat of a pandemic, keeping a cool head is key,
FOR 24-year-old Mindy Lugo, entry into the world of nursing was a baptism by fire. In March, just three months into her first job as a newly-minted registered nurse within NewYork-Presbyterian hospital’s high-risk pregnancy unit, the first influx of COVID-19-infected patients began descending on her workplace.
“I’d only been off orientation for one month,” says Lugo.
The most difficult time for Lugo was learning new tasks on the fly, especially since “it’s awkward to have to ask questions as a new grad” she says.
When dealing with COVID-19 patients, certain skills Lugo needed to sharpen included “dealing with oxygen, as I didn’t usually work with that,” and “monitoring my patients in general — I’m more diligent than ever before.”
Fortunately, co-workers and managers were extremely supportive. “They took minutes out of their day to make sure I knew what I was doing,” she says. “I felt a new wave of being comfortable [versus] being uncomfortable. Now if I see something new, I talk to someone who does it all of the time. If anything motivated me to be better at my job, it’s the call of patients — knowing that it’s already scary for them having complicated pregnancies and lingering COVID around, all I want to do is make them more comfortable.”
Helping others in crisis was what inspired Lugo to join the health-care worker ranks.
“I was stuck in Puerto Rico when Hurricane Maria hit,” she says. “There were a lot of injuries and not enough medical staff. In the hotel, where I was staying with my cousin — also a nurse — broken
ceiling tiles were falling. We tried to assist people the best we could.”
After returning home, Lugo applied to an accelerated, master’s degree nursing program at Columbia University, which she completed last August. Before the pandemic struck, Lugo was just getting accustomed to working with patients and newborn babies, helping mothers to breastfeed.
But with COVID-19 patients, “You want to limit your exposure,” says Lugo. “I had to figure out how often to be in their rooms to provide regular care and serve as their support person. Some of their spouses couldn’t be there for them. The anxiety of not being able to have visitors was the hardest part.”
Early on, difficulty also arose from deciding which types of masks were necessary and getting personal protective equipment from other hospital units.
“We had to be sparing of masks,” says Lugo. But since then, “My hospital has been amazing in terms of getting enough equipment.”
As her hospital grew more disease-ridden, Lugo, a New Jersey resident, and colleagues moved into a Sheraton Hotel in New York City to be closer to headquarters, ease her commute and allow her to report for her 7:30 p.m. to 8 a.m. shift, three to four days a week.
After work, Lugo returns to her hotel room, removes her used scrubs in the hallway to be discarded of later, and hops in the shower. She’ll then practice stretching, take a bath with salts to relieve chronic back pain and log in at least six hours of sleep before the next shift.
“I want to be back home, and at some point, I know I will,” she says, admitting that she is concerned about passing it to family members, since her father has asthma. Lugo hasn’t seen her sister, who lives in Brooklyn, in months.
“Her wedding and bachelorette party were canceled due to the disease,” she says. “I’d love to throw her a bridal shower once this is all over.”
To stay connected, “We FaceTime, often during the 7 o’clock shout-outs and applause for essential workers,” says Lugo.
While she is unable to witness these public salutes due to her work hours, the recognition and other shows of support have uplifted Lugo’s spirits, she says.
“Every time I’ve had a day which was tough, I go on Facebook. Friends and family reaching out makes me feel a lot better. A friend who works for NY Cake donated fresh cupcakes to our unit at Easter. I’ve received donations of bags, care packages, creams, thank-you cards from kids and patients. It makes you feel you’re not being forgotten.”
Lugo derives additional daily inspiration and lessons from her fellow nurses.
“There are so many things a lot of nurses have never seen,” says Lugo, saying that they are not afraid to call doctors to ask questions, otherwise mistakes happen. “To genuinely care about your patient — being an advocate — is a huge part of nursing.”
Patient gratitude has also boosted Lugo’s mindset and spirit.
“One woman thoroughly thanked me and my co-workers and called me the day after her discharge to give me an update on how she was feeling. She remembered my name, which nurse I was. It validates everything,” says Lugo.
Looking ahead, Lugo aims to improve her knowledge base and skills.
“I know I can be more expert in my field. I can do more,” she says.
Lugo says she’s grateful for the camaraderie and teamwork that she has with her colleagues.
“Every single one of the 20-plus nurses I work with have individually sat me down and helped show me how to do something,” says Lugo. “They’ve been bedside when things got difficult. They have been [there] non-stop. It makes all the difference for a new nurse. I feel like we’re a family and can call on them for anything.”