“Healthcare Heroes”: Recognizing Nurses During COVID-19

According to co-hosts Dr. Jim McDonald and Dr. Philip Chan, this week’s episode is long overdue. We’re talking to a nurse! This week’s guest expert is Erin Abrahamsen. She is a nurse and team lead on the Rhode Island Department of Health’s COVID-19 Prevention Field Team. She also works in the emergency department at Rhode Island Hospital and serves as a nurse in the Rhode Island Air National Guard.  Erin shares stories that highlight the versatility and adaptability of nurses working in emergency response scenarios. She talks about her experiences being deployed to Afghanistan as a trauma nurse in 2019, working in an emergency department during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, and working with RIDOH to ensure that nursing homes, corrections facilities, and shelters have access to supports and resources that prevent the spread of COVID-19. What is it like wearing full PPE while treating someone who is positive for COVID-19? How do healthcare workers like Erin who’ve been a part of the response since the start stay motivated for the long haul? Download this week’s episode to find out.