Men in Nursing
Men in Nursing 2020 – Education Coordinator, Devon Denholm, Casa Colina Hospital and Centers for Healthcare, Pomona
Looking back on this year, what have been the biggest changes in your practice?
My career started only two years ago, so the most significant change has been the transition from being a student nurse to being a competent nurse, learning how to take initiative and proactively advocate for my patients.
Tell us about the most inspirational thing you’ve experienced as a nurse during this pandemic.
A local physician who was a frontline worker combating COVID-19 became severely ill with the virus earlier this year. He experienced multi-organ failure and cardiac arrest that resulted in brain injury. To make matters even worse, he had countless complicated infections requiring intensive antibiotic therapy. Against the odds, he was able to come off the ventilator and was transferred to Casa Colina for rehabilitation. When he first came in, he was struggling with speech and memory issues and had difficulty with self-care. By the time he was discharged, he was able to hold conversations and required only minimal assistance with routine activities. The emotion expressed by this patient, his family and those involved in his care as he was wheeled out of the hospital to go home will always be among the most memorable moments of my career.
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