HENDERSON, Texas — Four nurses from UT Health in Henderson spent two weeks helping out at one of the hardest-hit hot spots in the county, a New Jersey hospital.
According to UT Health, all four tested negative for COVID-19 upon returning and were quarantined for a week as an added precaution. On May 6, they walked back into the hospital they had left about a month ago.
"I mean, they're in the bed huffing and puffing because they can't breathe," Shante' McDonald, an RN in the UT Health Henderson emergency room said. "They're sweating because they're working so hard to breathe."
When they arrived, the New Jersey hospital was treating more than 100 COVID-19 positive patients. Wings that normally are used for obstetrics, orthopedics, surgery, and other purposes had been converted into COVID units.
"I've been a nurse for about 20 years, but that was a whole different experience," Brandy Norman said.
“To see over 100 people with the same virus, it’s breathtaking,” Dudley said. “We saw people coming in their 30's and 40's with no health issues at all other than fighting this virus."
When the four nurses returned home they were welcomed home and greeted by hospital staff.
"Returning home, everybody has been so welcoming," McDonald said. "Everybody wants to know what our experience has been and we just continue to tell everybody to wear their PPE, wear their masks."
"We even get doctors asking us, what did they do down there," Dudley said. "How are they treating them there? What do we need to know that we're not doing here."
Now that they’re back home, the nurses have advice for those who may not be taking the virus seriously.
“Stay at home, this is real,” Dudley said.
“If you have to go out wear your mask,” McDonald added. “Social distancing is a must because not only are you putting yourself and your family’s lives in danger, you’re putting us as healthcare workers in danger. You’re putting our lives and the lives of our patients that we’re taking care of at risk.”