果冻传媒app

When Hurricanes Helene and Milton devastated North Carolina and Florida last month, young alumni in the nursing field jumped at the opportunity to help those in need.

Kayleigh George 鈥�23, Jacob Clemons 鈥�23, and Katie Herzberger 鈥�23 were all members of RMC鈥檚 first cohort of nursing graduates and all work at HCA Healthcare hospitals in the Richmond area. The Saturday after Helene hit, HCA put out a call for volunteers to provide relief in the Asheville area. The three YJs were all part of an overwhelming response that necessitated a drawing of names to determine who would go.

When George was selected, she immediately contacted Clemons, her boyfriend.

鈥淲hen I got the opportunity, I called him, and he was sleeping for a night shift. I was like, 鈥榊ou have to come with me. We have to do this,鈥欌�� George explained.

A week after the initial landfall of the hurricane, the couple flew from Richmond to South Carolina, then drove to Asheville to provide relief for the staff of nurses at Mission Hospital, a large, 900-bed facility. The scene they arrived upon was still dire, and the hospital was operating off power from generators and water from tanker trucks.

鈥淭he surrounding area was completely devastated, and I met a lot of people whose life was just completely turned upside down,鈥� Clemons said. 鈥淭he people there were still struggling, but it felt good to be able to go down there and let them know that people from outside the state still had their back.鈥�

George and Clemons worked a week of night shifts in intensive care units, taking care of patients and completing support tasks while Misson鈥檚 staff nurses got a much-needed break that allowed many to attend to significant challenges at home. 

Herzberger, who is originally from North Carolina and hoped to help her home state, was among those who threw their names in to volunteer, but wasn’t chosen. As George and Clemons wrapped up their time helping to stabilize the hospital in Asheville, Hurricane Milton was slamming Florida, and Herzberger got the call to go to Tampa. Within 12 hours, she was on a plane.

Herzberger arrived in Florida as the first wave of relief for the nurses who had worked through the hurricane. Her first assignment was to provide medical support as the fire department and EMS personnel evacuated patients out of the flooded Largo Hospital to Trinity Hospital, where there was power and water.

Because the area had a significant shortage of gasoline, Herzberger stayed in a patient room with two other nurses instead of a hotel between shifts as a medical-surgical nurse.

All three RMC classmates expressed how their time at the College prepared them for this moment.

鈥淢an, I鈥檓 so grateful for 果冻传媒app,鈥� Herzberger recalled thinking while in Florida. 鈥淚 think 果冻传媒app has taught me how to be resilient and how to work through unknown times.鈥�

鈥淲e were getting out there volunteering our time, which also instilled that desire to continue to help in other ways, rather than just going to work Monday through Friday,鈥� Clemons said of RMC鈥檚 nursing program.

Beyond emergency response, George pointed to the practical experiences within the program that prepared her competency as a nurse in the Medical Surgical Trauma Intensive Care Unit at Chippenham Hospital.

鈥淭hey put me on the unit that I’m working on currently as a student and had me do my capstone there,鈥� George said. 鈥淪o that really gave me a head start, and it was almost just like an extra month or two of orientation before I officially started on the unit.鈥�

While the impact of the hurricanes was massive, being on the front lines of the relief effort was a rewarding and inspiring experience for all three RMC nursing graduates.

鈥淚t makes me want to do more,鈥� Herzberger reflected. 鈥淚t makes me want to join emergency relief teams and be on call for these things.鈥�

Photo courtesy of iStock/FS