Erika Opgenorth and Sarah Pashchuk have changed their shifts at St. Joseph’s Health Hospital to help provide care to the most vulnerable.

“You can do work behind the scenes,” said Pashchuk. “But really, if people aren’t taking care of the patient, it really doesn’t matter. That’s where our priority needed to be.”

Pashchuck went from the clinical quality and patient safety department and collecting data, to the COVID-19 unit.

“We have been pretty much doing vital signs, checking blood sugars, administering medications, providing bedside care that sometimes for the lead-registered nurses (RNs), it’s a little more difficult to get to,” said Pashchuk. “That bedside care, these patients really just need human contact and touch.”

Opgenorth is at the patients’ bedsides, too, spending less time behind a desk as the hospital’s business analyst.

“I work on the COVID-19 unit carrying around a virtual doctor,” said Opgenorth. “So I go into patients’ rooms and kind of set up the virtual visit for the doctor, so he could see patients virtually.”

They say the transition was challenging at first.

“I was a little hesitant,” said Pashchuk. “I’ve been a nurse for a long time, about 15 years. I haven’t been at the bedside on an inpatient unit since 2007.”

“I’ve never even thought of doing anything with patient care, but I was kind of excited for the opportunity,” said Opgenorth. “It’s definitely been a learning curve, but I’m getting used to it.”

It's thanks to all of the nurses and staff for their support, and the patients’ strength to survive.

“Seeing happy endings and seeing patients get better, that makes it worth it,” said Opgenorth.

“You really do leave feeling very satisfied, very rewarded at the end of the day,” said Pashchuk. “These patients appreciate the care that they receive and the staff appreciates the help.”

They’re more than willing to continue their duties on the COVID-19 floor or even volunteer, so patients can eventually return home.