Employees of John Peter Smith Hospital share their personal feelings treating coronavirus patients in a series of videos posted on the hospital’s YouTube channel.
“In 18 years, this has been like the most trying time mentally that I have had as a nurse,” said Patrice Milton, who manages a recovery unit.
On a lighter note, dietary supervisor Lauren Lawrence showed off her protective equipment.
“We have our fashion item of the year, our lovely masks,” she joked.
Nurse practitioner Antay Parker, a single mother, spoke about being forced to live separately from her teenage daughter.
"I look forward to the day soon when I can wrap my arms around her and give her a big hug with no worries of spreading disease,” Parker said.
The hospital called the videos "Voices of JPS."
JPS’s chief executive Robert Earley said the videos tell the story of what he sees every day.
"It chokes you up,” he said. “It makes you realize how lucky you are to be in this position at this time period."
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
The county-owned facility was treating 76 patients with coronavirus on Tuesday. Nine have died since JPS saw its first patient in mid-March.
In all, 22 out of 7,200 hospital employees have tested positive.
And despite the risk to their own health, the doctors, nurses and other workers keep coming to help others.
"Incredibly good things are being done in a fight we don't quite know the answers to,” Earley said. "It gives you hope in humanity. It gives you hope in medical answers. It gives you hope and strength when you don't have answers.
Hope and strength were on full display in the employee videos.
"Corona, we will defeat you because we have all the tools to defeat you,” laundry worker LaClavere Rwema said.
Parker, the nurse separated from her daughter, summed up the thoughts of her co-workers.
"While none of us dreamed we would be on the front lines providing care in a pandemic, we find ourselves here nonetheless,” she said.
"We're doing all that we can to make an impact on those around us and our community," Lawrence said.
