Stepping up
Serving the greater Good
When surgery volumes slowed during the pandemic, the team deployed to other departments that needed help.
Though Director of Surgery Kayla Dingmann had never been in a bedside role, she stepped up to fill in as a nursing assistant in fall of 2021.
On an Operations and Intelligence (O&I) call, hospital leaders had urged anyone able to be trained to get onto the floor.
“It’s a very different world if you’ve come from a procedural background like I have, but it was an opportunity to do something outside my comfort zone” said Dingmann. “It was an amazing experience and I will say it’s humbling.”
When hospitals had to pivot for the COVID-19 pandemic, the surgery unit slowed down dramatically with elective surgeries – most of what the unit does at CentraCare – canceled, and few emergency surgeries happening. Instead of running 29 full booked rooms, they might only have 10 cases a day.
Charge nurse June Bohlig said while people were able to be paid to stay home, most nurses chose not to.
“These people jumped to everyone’s rescue. We worked at nursing homes, we worked at outreach clinics, we started giving vaccines when they came about. We did a lot of monitoring of doors and monitoring for COVID symptoms. Swabbing clinics, hospital outreach…they went to so many different places. Some of my nurses put 100 hours in a week. It was amazing how hard these people work,” she said.
For surgery techs and nurses, much about the transition to other roles was a challenge.
Working as a floor nurse or nursing assistant has very different routines from surgery, Dingmann explained. It’s the difference between “fixing” a person in a sterile, highly technical, critical care space versus “fixing” and “caring” for a person with a wider range of needs. The daily routine might include assessments, doing personal care, or monitoring behavioral changes.
They also had to fight to remain competent in their regular fields. “We went from being registered nurses to asking people signs and symptoms and giving them a sticker with the date on it,” said Sarah Boucher, an operating room nurse in the orthopedics specialty. She said surgery has constant updates, with surgeon practices or new equipment cycling daily or weekly. She worried about losing technical skills being away from surgery.
Helping hands
Vanessa Trutwin, a circulating nurse in the OR, said they were concerned getting trained in a different nursing specialty would make it less likely she would be allowed to return to surgery.
“It was a fear that ‘oh my gosh, now that we’re learning something new, nobody else can just come in and replace us. So now we’re going to get stuck in this unit, when all we want to do is go back home,” she said.
Surgery is a tight knit group – sometimes working in sync with each other for twelve hours – so people missed each other. But Boucher and Trutwin found joy in adventuring to new departments together. They ultimately found the opportunity rewarding.
“It builds a little bit of confidence,” said Boucher. “It’s a confidence builder in the sense that you can do a wide range of things with surgery being so specific, but you’re capable of it.”
Working as door screeners also allowed the two to meet people from across the hospital system they wouldn’t have met otherwise. They continued picking up shifts even after going back to surgery because of that camaraderie.
“The staff is what made us keep going back… I saved a ton of emails that said, ‘seriously thank you.’ And there were cards, flowers and lunches. You could just tell that they were grateful,” said Trutwin.
Inspiration
Rachel Capistrant, an endovascular technologist in surgery, said serving in other units inspired her to continue her education and get a master’s in nursing.
“I’ve seen and experienced tough moments with patients especially when you’re in the COVID unit, but not nearly to the level that the nurses that are doing it day in and day out,” Capistrant said. “I commend them so much. Just the few times I was up there, it really pulls at your heartstrings just seeing patients without their family and you’re trying to just be their support person. Those are the times that made me really realize there’s something else I need to do.”
The slow down in COVID-related hospitalizations provided an opportunity for surgery techs and nurses to find some return to normalcy. They can enjoy the regular days off, and take long-needed vacations. But, many are still picking up extra shifts on top of surgery.
For Bohlig, who has worked in the field for 32 years, seeing her colleagues step up has made her proud to be a nurse. “We didn’t know at the time there was going to be a vaccine when this started. We saw a lot of young people dying. We’re out there, putting ourselves every day with COVID patients, and not one person in the two-year span complained or said I can’t do this.”
So proud to have had the chance to have worked with and gotten to know all of these nurses! Everyone from surgery was energetic, ready to learn and help, and just get stuff done. None of my areas could have done what we did without them:)
You are all an amazing group of nurses! Thanks for stepping up and out of your comfort zone in a time of need.
Transferring into the Surgery department (as the staffing assistant) in the middle of COVID was an experience all in it’s own. But part of what made me so excited about the transition was seeing the staff in Surgery, and their unwavering dedication to their purpose. You can tell they truly care about their coworkers, their patients, and the community as a whole. I am beyond proud to be able to work with such a fantastic group of people!! More like a family!!
You all are AWESOME! What a great example you are to each of us!
Kayla was amazing and set the tone for helping out and had a real “we can do this” mentality – her leadership was exemplary. Sarah and Vanessa stepped up with great attitudes – they were amazing and fun and really displayed the best of what nursing has to offer. Way to go – so nice to see their smiling faces in My CentraCare!
The surgery team was awesome to step up and step in! Great bunch to work with and always reliable. Definitely helped CentraCare get through this far!
Working with the surgery team at South Point vaccinating was an awesome experience. So many great people! Too bad most patients only get to work with them while they are under anesthesia.
So Proud of our Surgery Family. Thank you to each and everyone of you. You make a difference each and everyday and to see you all step up and fill other department needs is selfless, courageous and commendable. Thank you !!