What a time to be alive right? I mean did you ever think that you would experience a crisis like this? Dealing with the Coronavirus pandemic has been a life changing, eye opening experience for the entire world. For those fortunate enough to stay home, watching the news feels like a never ending horror movie, and those who are on the front lines, are unfortunately the actors in the movie.
I come from a family of health care providers. My father, and my two siblings are all health care providers. Knowing that they are exposed to this deadly and highly contagious virus on a daily basis has been very stressful for me. My brother in particular is a Respiratory Therapist who deals with this respiratory illness up close every day. Today I would like to share with you this short interview about his experience working in his field during this pandemic.
Please allow me to introduce you to my big brother Hans, Manager of the Respiratory Therapy Department in a prominent hospital in Metro Atlanta.
Let me start off by saying how proud I am of all your accomplishments to date. Not only for the sacrifice that you make daily during this pandemic crisis but you have been an inspiration all throughout your professional career. Now more than ever I hope you realize the important role that you play in our society. You’re a real life hero wearing an invisible cape everyday that you show up to work. For this I thank you!
Second, Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to engage in this conversation with me. I really wanted my audience to hear your personal experience with this pandemic who has turned the world upside down, and continue to take over our daily lives.
I guess you can start by telling us a little background information in regards to your career.
I’ve been a respiratory therapist for about 9 years. Throughout my healthcare journey, I was fortunate to have gained valuable experiences in different major healthcare systems in the metro Atlanta area. I started as per diem (as needed) respiratory therapist; worked hard; relied on God’s favor, and now I am the manager for one of the Respiratory Therapy department of a major health system in Atlanta. The road hasn’t been easy. I’ve experienced failures, disappointments, but through it all, God had a plan for my career that surpassed my imagination. The hardship endured was God preparing me to be a leader in healthcare in time like this.
As a RT were you aware of the Coronavirus before the spread started? What was your initial reaction when you found out that this was now a worldwide pandemic?
Yes I was aware of “Coronavirus” but not this specific strand that we are currently dealing with. My initial reaction was that we would deal with it as rapidly as possible and return to life as usual. But I think we have a while to go before we back to the way things were before. The way this virus spreads is alarming and there’s no telling when and what our new normal will look like after all this. I had plan to go on a cruise in November. Well, that’s out of the question now!
How do you deal with the pressure of being an essential worker being that you are putting your health at risk by going to work every day?
Respiratory Therapists have always been essential. Other than God, we are expert in the realm of managing the respiratory system and all that it entails. Respiratory Therapists put their health at risk on a daily basis. This pandemic just amplifies our importance as an integral part of the healthcare team. Back to Respiratory Therapist vs Covid-19 (coronavirus), being in the forefront of this pandemic is nerve wracking. Every cough, every sneeze, a little body temp, is suspicious. Not knowing if we are infected and exposing our families. How do I personally deal with the pressure? First, I turn to my first resource, God! I pray and spend time doing ministry work. . Second, I focus on the positive. We all have plenty to be thankful for. Like having a job right now, waking up healthy every day. It is important to remain grateful for what my seem the little things, because they really impact the big picture. Third, I spend time with my family. My wife and my boys are my motivation and my joy. Lastly, Music, my passion. I try to disconnect and spend some time playing piano.
Tell us about your first encounter with a Positive patient?
Well, our first positive patient was already on life support for over a week in critical condition. To find out on day 7 that the patient tested positive. Again, as critical care respiratory therapist, the physical presentations of a “Positive” patient are not alarming, because we have seen worse. All the modalities / therapies use for this pandemic are not new to us. But, the game changer was when the numbers of positive patients kept increasing and as a healthcare professional, I started feeling helpless.
What is the age range of the patients that you have treated?
COVID-19 does not discriminate and it is important for people to know that. Especially the younger generation. We have lost patients as young as 23 years of age (with previous medical conditions) and as old as 92.
Do you feel comfortable with the equipment available at your job currently? Do you feel like your staff is properly protected?
I am happy to say that our department was prepared for it to some extent. The benefit of a visionary leadership team is that we learn from other hospitals that dealt with the pandemic and mimic and modify some of their practices to achieve results tailored to our team. This isn’t to say that there aren’t challenges. We’ve encountered challenges, but we remain open communication, transparency, and constant planning. As of now we are handling our cases to the best of our abilities.
What has been your biggest challenge in treating patients who are COVID-19 positive?
Being that COVID-19 is a new strand, there is not one way solution or method to treat these patients. With that said:
- A strong understanding of respiratory mechanics and mechanical ventilation is vital.
- Keeping an open mind to unconventional treatments.
- Keeping our emotions in check.
- A team approach to healthcare, which means that the Doctor, the Nurse, the pharmacist, the respiratory therapist, etc play an equally important role in treating COVID-19.
A health care worker recently told me that it is only a matter of time before everyone catches the virus. Do you support that statement?
The lack of information shared from the healthcare governmental agencies about this disease makes it hard for me to truly answer that question. As a healthcare provider in the front line of this pandemic, having such a statement in the forefront of my thinking won’t serve me any good. But I truly understand the growing concerns of the population
As a RT do you think natural remedies can help prevent catching this virus?
Do you think people should start wearing masks when they are running errands? How does that help?
I am Haitian born and raised! So I’ll say yes to the first part of the question. We strongly believe in natural remedies. Scientifically, I can’t say .ether or not they will help with prevention against COVID-19. Going back to the previous statement, the lack of information about this specific strand makes it hard to find the right natural remedies that may work. But the mind IS a great tool, if natural remedies has worked In the past for previous disease, it wouldn’t hurt to try it. So far, science is still working the cure as well.
Regarding wearing masks while running errands, It definitely won’t hurt. Until we find the proven method to deal with this pandemic, I wouldn’t discredit any practice that keep us safe.
Are there any health and safety tips that you would like to share with our audience?
- Practice good hand hygiene, social distancing, stay home if you can, keep or boost your immune system. Abide by the recommendation of the authorities.
- Yes, this is an alarming time. But the number of those who survive COVID-19 is greater than those who pass from it.
- Information overload is a moral killer. How many different messages you get from the different messenger platform on a daily basis?Before you pass along an information, check for its validity.
- If you have any underlying conditions (asthma, sickle cell, diabetes, cancer, etc), you need to take extra precaution.
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. I pray that God’s hand be upon you and his shield around you. Be safe! Love you kid!
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The pleasure was all mine. Thank you for having me. Hope this information will help your audience deal with this pandemic. You stay safe and keep up the good work!
To all my “essential workers” putting your health on the line, taking daily risks to keep us safe, informed, fed. We appreciate you. May you receive all the abundance the universe has to offer for your selflessness. Stay safe!
Laura
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