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HCC Grad On The Front Lines Of A National Crisis
As a provider, I must be present, focus on the patient and move quickly because time is of the essence.
June 15 2020
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David Kamuiru
"I graduated from HCC’s accelerated nursing program in 2008 and worked in a surgical intensive care unit (ICU) before earning a master’s in anesthesia in 2013. I have been working as a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) in Michigan since.
"Working in the surgical unit of a hospital with a group of CRNAs, we cover elective and emergency cases daily with only a minimal number of patients needing intubation for respiratory distress. During this pandemic however, inserting breathing tubes into patients’ airways has become our primary job.
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"On the morning when I performed my first intubation on a COVID patient, I bent over the patient to begin her intubation when my face shield accidentally popped off! I thought, “Great! Now I am exposed. This is NOT going well!” Thankfully, I had a backup N95 mask behind the shield. After setting everything back in place, the procedure went without another hitch.
"That scene replays in my mind often and has forced me to seriously contemplate what I do. Whenever I have the privilege to train CRNA students, the first thing I emphasize is the importance of managing one’s emotions. I tell them that patients are almost always scared, have no control, and need my clear judgement. As a provider, I must be present, focus on the patient and move quickly because time is of the essence. It is an intense, stressful, high-stakes responsibility, and I love it. I thoroughly enjoy what I do. I prepare and take every precaution, and then I put myself and everything else aside to help the patient.
"As a husband and father, I want to keep my family safe, and as a precaution, I now sleep in the basement and wear a mask at home. I have made peace with knowing that my job, especially in this pandemic, puts me in the line of danger. However, I will show up and keep working regardless. No matter what happens, I am where I need to be."
– David Kamuiru, HCC graduate in accelerated nursing (2009)
This press release was produced by Howard Community College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.
