Adventist Health Castle | Windward Health | Summer 2020

‘ IT’S JUST WHAT WE DO’ Ryan Price, RN, has been a nurse for 13 years, including the past seven years at Adventist Health Castle. He has always worked in intensive care units (ICUs), caring for the most critically ill patients, including those hospitalized with COVID-19. As a precaution, the father of two young children chose to live in an apartment away from his family to avoid the risk of bringing the virus home from work. He sees them a couple of times a week, from a distance. It’s a sacrifice he is willing to make. “I feel more than any other time in my career that I’m really needed, that I can really help make a difference in people’s lives,” Ryan says. “The worst part for patients and their families is the isolation they feel when they can’t physically connect with each other, especially when a patient’s health is fading. It makes me sad.” Because of new coronavirus-related protocols, patient visitation has been restricted to those who are nearing end-of-life, so nurses are playing a bigger role than usual to keep families informed. While many patients who are hospitalized are able to communicate with their loved ones on their cellphones and other electronic devices, gravely ill patients in the ICU are often sedated or on ventilators and are unable to connect to the outside world. “In the absence of family contact, we are the cheerleaders for our patients,” Ryan says. “And we try to be the eyes and ears for family members, communicating empathy and helping to paint a picture with our words to assure them that their loved ones are being well taken care of. It’s hard to articulate how we do that—it’s just what we do.” To help him get through each day, Ryan looks for silver linings: “I appreciate that my family is safe, that I’m able to help my patients and hold emotional hands with people when they most need it. When patients don’t make it, I can help their loved ones with closure during unimaginable grief. “It’s hard being away from my own support system, but it’s a blessing to know I can support others,” he says. “I have leaned into my faith to guide me during a very surreal time in my life.” SUPPORTING THE ‘FORGOTTEN’ FRONT LINE In a global pandemic, a hospital’s registration team usually is not top of mind among frontline workers. But at Castle, they are the first people (after the screening station) that patients see when they arrive at the hospital for outpatient services or emergency care. Patients with a recent travel history or any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19 are flagged by the screeners before they check in with a registrar. As the manager of patient access at Castle, Sunnylei Norr oversees registration in the main lobby and Emergency Department. It’s a position that allows her to tap into her years of experience in customer service at a health insurance organization. Shortly after she joined Castle in February, health care providers everywhere were gearing up to respond to the growing threat of a virus with no known cure. In the early days of the coronavirus crisis, Sunnylei recalls, there was understandable anxiety among Castle’s registration staff, who spend up to 10 minutes with each incoming patient while facing potential exposure to unknown health conditions. It was important that these frontline associates receive the same kind of customer support that Castle provides to patients. Working with her supervisor, Sunnylei made sure the registration areas had appropriate personal protective equipment, and in the beginning, when the screening station and registration staff were overwhelmed with patients, she was at their side helping. She also made daily visits to each unit and at shift change to check in with associates and make sure they had everything they needed. With new information unfolding each day from national and local health organizations, it was important that her frontline team follow the latest protocols. The communications binders she created for each station helped staff respond to patients’ questions and concerns. They also provided current, date-stamped information from CDC, Hawai‘i’s health department and Castle’s administration. “We need to be prepared to respond to each person who comes in to the hospital according to what’s appropriate,” says Sunnylei. “Some come in scared or upset; others are cheerful. I’m grateful to be here for the patients who need us.” Ryan Price, RN, is separated from his family—10-year-old son, Kainoa; 8-year-old daughter, Ella; and wife, Melissa—while he cares for critically ill patients in Castle’s Intensive Care Unit. support of a physical community,” says Castle’s Senior Chaplain Sara-May Colón, reflecting on how her ministerial work has adapted to new visitation rules. She continues to do rounds every day, trying to visit as many patients as possible, from the Birth Center to the Intensive Care Unit. She has found, in the absence of family visitation, that patients have a deeper understanding of the spiritual care—not just religious support—offered by Castle’s chaplains. The biggest challenge, says Sara-May, is helping families feel as connected as possible. She credits Castle’s nurses who, now more than ever, are a key communications link. At each shift change, nurses do their best to update families and give them opportunities to visit loved ones virtually through their own smartphone apps or iPads that are available in each of the hospital units. “It’s hard to create community when there’s no physical presence, and it’s challenging for families to adjust to virtual visits,” Sara-May says. “We’re all learning a different way of loving people.” The best part, she says, is watching all of the associates working together to make a difficult situation work, advocating for patients and making the best possible experience for them. “Through the use of social media and technology, a beautiful camaraderie has risen out of a crisis.” WINDWARD HEALTH | 5

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