For nurses working with COVID-19 patients, life in the hospital is enough of a struggle. But for ones who take care of kids, the challenge takes on a whole new dimension, juggling the duties of caring for patients and way that affects their responsibilities of caring for children.
Martha Bieler, a 性视界传媒 School of Nursing graduate student and mother, works in the Children鈥檚 Special Services at , in the emergency room department. She lives with several of her grandchildren, helping educate them about the risks associated with COVID-19.
鈥淭he younger ones, I think they鈥檙e happy to be home. They鈥檙e still young to where they鈥檙e not independent enough, so they don鈥檛 feel as bad as teenagers,鈥 she said. Her 17-year-old granddaughter though, like many teens, is overwhelmed with the radical changes to socializing.
鈥淪he has to do homeschool her senior year,鈥 Bieler said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 devastating, and she understands and talks to us. She doesn鈥檛 like the fact she has to stay home. Her friends can鈥檛 come because we don鈥檛 know where they鈥檝e been.鈥
Bieler鈥檚 daughter also challenged her on wanting to go out more; her angst also came from not getting a proper celebration after graduating from the this year.
While Bieler had to stand firm on limiting outside exposure, part of her duty as a mother and a nurse is to keep everything in perspective for her family, including her daughter鈥檚 graduation.
鈥淪he got her GED, never really went through that high school experience,鈥 Bieler said. 鈥淎nd this was her big moment to graduate as a nurse. She succeeded and hardly got any acknowledgment. We let her know, 鈥楾his is something no one can ever take away from you. You worked hard to achieve what you want.鈥欌
Bieler believes the pandemic has strengthened the ideals of being a nurse, but also what it means to be a family.
鈥淚 think dinners are more family-oriented. Everybody鈥檚 not in so much of a hurry, because they have to come home,鈥 she said.
She feels we鈥檝e gone back to basics as a society, but in some ways, it鈥檚 a positive.
鈥淣ormally, your kids would be entertained by a TV or by something. But I think with everything going on, they're asking more questions. You're actually sitting down as a family. You're discussing things like you're supposed to. It鈥檚 getting back to the foundation.鈥
