Annie Lindsey is a Middle Tennessee native who has cared for the people OF Murfreesboro as an RN for more than 4 years. She is with Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford Lindsey and her colleagues are working tirelessly to protect our community.
Below, Annie Lindsey answers a few concerns:
Q: For you as a healthcare worker, what does this pandemic feel like?
A: It changes every day. We get new information most days, so there is a lot of unknown. The nature of emergency medicine is to embrace the unknown, so we are learning as much as we can each day and responding accordingly.
A: I'm worried about the vulnerable populations. It is important for everyone to realize that this is a serious situation. Stay home as much as you can and wash your hands.
Q: Do you feel protected at work?
A: As healthcare providers and human beings, the most important things we can do to protect ourselves are: rest, wash our hands, drink water, and exercise. At work, the PPE situation also changes every day. Which supplies are low? Which supplies can and cannot be reused? We receive ever evolving information from the CDC and health department, so we follow the guidelines that we are provided. It's difficult not to enter a room without protection for a quick, simple task like to answer a call light or turn off a beeping pump, but If we do not protect ourselves, we will not be here to care for the public when they need us most.
Q: Healthcare workers are being called "unsung heroes" by many; how does that make you feel?
A: Honestly, I hardly feel like an unsung hero. I feel as though health care providers are being recognized now more than ever. We are doing our jobs the same way we do every other day of the week and making adjustments along the way. But we certainly appreciate the thoughts, prayers, and donuts!
Q: What is the best part of your job?
A: The greatest contribution that I have felt is being able to ease someone's fears. I have never been so excited to race into a patient room and announce, "Oh, your strep test came back positive!" I'm honored to know the feeling of looking a patient in the eye to let them know that they are going to be ok, and we are going to take care of them.
