Home Care Nurses Face Sandy’s Aftermath

Home care nurses went to great lengths and made superhuman efforts to make sure their clients were secure in the New York region. Even though all have felt the effects of Superstorm Sandy, they somehow managed to put their own personal losses aside and come to the rescue of those in need. Despite power outages, they managed to see many patients, travelling by bicycle, public transportation and even by foot. There are many nurses who have opened their homes for those in need of shelter and food – as phone and power outages made it impossible for people to receive the help they needed so badly.

One nurse, Julia Cumbers, had to walk to check on her patients after her car broke down a few miles from her destination point. She brought blankets, oxygen and insulin to those who needed it and she couldn’t be more modest about it: “We’re only doing our job. We need to focus on those people who need help and put aside our personal losses and discomfort. It’s what makes us human.” Noble words from a wonderful professional.

Elaine Jones, a student who is training to become a registered nurse focused all her attention and care on a child who was at his parent’s home and was in a dire condition. He needed tube feeding and ventilation. She knew there was no way his parents could get him to a hospital, there were trees blocking the roads, there was no electricity, so she took it upon herself to help out as much as she could. She sat by his side and helped with feeding and personal care and now she’s happy to announce the little guy is getting better: “It was close to a miracle what happened to him. His parents and I did our best and we’re so happy we managed to help out and he didn’t need to be taken to the hospital. If he had needed to be taken to a hospital, he wouldn’t have made it – I’m terrified even to think about it!”

There are so many nurses whose stories are yet to be told, but one thing is certain: without them Sandy would have cause more losses. They were there to help those in need and they should be applauded. If you are inspired by these amazing people, these heroes, you could apply to become a RN to BSN online – all you need to do is be willing to help.

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.