ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. — March is the official month of optimism.

Over the past year, good and bad news has come out of local hospitals.

While the vaccine rollout has many people feeling hopeful, heath care workers continue to struggle.

Amber Thomas is a nurse at the Novant Health Rowan Medical Center. She has three years of expereince under her belt, but nothing could prepare her for a global pandemic.

She says that she very rarely has a good day. The around-the-clock care and uncontrollable environment that health care workers are faced with is something she describes as overwhelming.

Due to HIPPA laws, Thomas says nurses and physcians alike are resticted on what they can talk to others about, and that's hard.

“I keep telling management, I wish there was a bring your family to work day. I do. I think families need to see whats going on in here,” Thomas says.

Thomas is also a student working toward her BSN. She works at the hospital three days a week.

“I used to work three days in a row, but even that was too much.”