Ms. Tzippy Goodman has been a nurse in Shaare Zedek Medical Center for seven years. In this fascinating interview, Tzippy shared the experience of a nurse in an emergency room nurse treating patients who are in a stage of uncertainty-they do not know if they have the coronavirus or not.
There are now two adult emergency rooms in Shaare Zedek, one is the traditional emergency room and the other is called the “biological emergency room” which treats any patient that is suspected of having the coronavirus (this emergency room has a separate entrance from the rest of the hospital).
In this interview, Tzippy described how Shaare Zedek expanded their capacity to treat coronavirus patents, the efforts to update guidelines and procedures for the protection of the staff and patients, the protective gear needed to treat coronavirus patients (the complexity is putting on and taking off the gear) and the constant efforts made by Shaare Zedek to ensure that supplies were always on hand.
Tzippy shared, “At all times we felt protected…We always knew about biological — be it warfare or illnesses [from previous training sessions]— and we always had them as something on a low burner. So the information that was in the back of our minds, or was theoretical, became a reality…Each interaction with a patient is a separate [robing procedure] because I work in an emergency room biological setting. I don’t know if these patients are ill with the coronavirus. Maybe a person in bed 75 is, but the person in bed 74 isn’t. They’re separated, but I walk between these two patients and every single time I have any kind of interaction with the patient, I’m wearing new gear…Each case that came in was dramatic.”
Tzippy also describes the increased intensity in the emergency room, the increased fear and the emotional aspect of treating the elderly patients especially since patients could not have anyone accompany them.
We are thankful to Tzippy and to the entire staff for their inspirational efforts every day and especially during these challenging times. Please listen to the behind-the scenes look shared in this interview.
