Life of a nurse during Covid-19

Covid-19 has impacted the entire world in countless ways that will surely be remembered throughout history. People, economies, governmental systems, and cultures have all undergone massive change, and in many cases devastation, due to covid. Since day one nurses along with other healthcare workers have stuck to their practice to relieve some of the healthcare stressors that have radically increased around the world. The job of a nurse is not only important during worldwide pandemics, but has always been one of the world’s most valuable careers. Katiejane Dexter was a nurse for over 5 years at the University of New Mexico Hospital when the Covid-19 pandemic hit the US, and now is a Nurse practitioner at the UNM Cancer Center. Working in both a hospital and clinic setting during this time has given her a unique and interesting perspective on what it is like to be a nurse during a worldwide pandemic.

Katijane moved from the intense environment of UNMH to a clinic setting in November 2020. She went from interacting with many people daily in a large teaching hospital to working with women who have or are suspected to have or have gynecologic cancers in a clinic setting. She works with her patients in the pre and post operative stages of their treatment and survivorship. As a nurse practitioner, she provides some physical care for her patients and teaches them to understand what they are experiencing and what might come later on. Katijane shared her stance on why her job is so important to the community, “ My job as an advanced practice nurse is important because I bring the perspective, experience, and training of a nurse to the role of a provider.”

As an active Nurse Practitioner living through a huge pandemic, such as Covid-19, has definitely shown some light on the healthcare system that the United States has as well as the government. It has affected how hospitals run and how nurses and doctors do their jobs. The pandemic has changed Katijane’s job in every way. She has seen the biggest changes in the