Everyday Heroes: Nick
Nick Field, RN
Emergency Department Nurse, Bayhealth Medical Center
“Nursing is a team sport, and we all bring our unique strengths to the table”
What is your favorite part of your job?
Aside from the privilege of taking care of those in need (which I feel is a given), my favorite aspect of emergency nursing is the camaraderie among team members. Nursing is a team sport, and we all bring our unique strengths to the table. To be apart of a dynamic and cohesive crew while helping patients and families, who may be going through the worst time of their lives, is truly a humbling experience.
Why did you go into nursing, specifically the ED?
Nursing is actually my second career; I used to be a corporate auditor for a large accounting firm. While it was a good job, sitting at a desk for hours on end was not a good fit for me. I’ve always enjoyed working directly with people. I began volunteering around my community to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, and it was volunteering in a busy emergency department that sparked my passion for emergency nursing.
Any comments on workflow experiences / personal challenges during COVID-19?
This pandemic is certainly a novel and extraordinary event in our lives, and nobody is immune to the changes we’ve seen as a result. My weekly dinners with my parents have turned into virtual meetings, and my significant other is on a travel assignment in a disaster hospital in New Orleans – so it’s hard not to worry.
I find solace in these difficult times by remembering why I decided to become a nurse. We are all extremely grateful to our communities that have supported our hospital through donations and shows of support, as well as by practicing social distancing and responsible respiratory and hand hygiene.This pandemic is certainly a novel and extraordinary event in our lives, and nobody is immune to the changes we’ve seen as a result. My weekly dinners with my parents have turned into virtual meetings, and my significant other is on a travel assignment in a disaster hospital in New Orleans – so it’s hard not to worry. I find solace in these difficult times by remembering why I decided to become a nurse. We are all extremely grateful to our communities that have supported our hospital through donations and shows of support, as well as by practicing social distancing and responsible respiratory and hand hygiene.
Feel free to add anything else you want to say as the stage is all yours!
While 2020 may be remembered as the year of the coronavirus, it’s also the year of the nurse, in honor of the 200th birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale. Thank you to everyone who makes nursing such a rewarding and meaningful job. We wouldn’t be able to take such great care of patients and their families without the support of so many people – doctors, techs, respiratory therapists, ancillary staff, leadership, first responders, and the community at large. Really, thank you for making nursing the amazing career it is.