The Cross

 Just an incredible view in the sky this morning! Regardless of this pandemic, we can remember the cross made the difference for you and me! He lives!

Color in the Midst of Corona Chaos...

Texas Health Resources - Dallas Presbyterian 

Writes Article on Jenna

Leaning on Each Other at Texas Health Dallas

Into every evening, long after her day ends and her children are in bed, Jenna Hermann, B.S.N., R.N., stays in touch with her ICU nurses at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, who are caring for patients awaiting COVID-19 test results.

“They're here caring for complete strangers — because that’s what their passion is — but they also know they’re going home to their families and they wonder, ‘Am I putting my family at risk?’” Jenna who is medical intensive care unit manager and surgical intensive care unit interim manager, oversees about 80 employees, 70 of them nurses.

“There’s also the unknown factor. This virus is new to the U.S., and that’s a stressor — trying to navigate those waters,” she said.

Jenna, who has been at Texas Health Dallas in the ICU since she started as an intern in 2007, hits the ground running every morning at about 6:15 a.m., checking on her staff, rounding on the unit — and listening.

“I’m really proud of my teams and care they provide to our patients and families.”

They count on her for answers to everything from emotional needs to supplies.

A Voice and an Advocate

Her days, sometimes 15 hours long, are filled with staffing decisions, clinical decisions about what’s best for patients and the safety of nurses, looking at processes and protocols used at the bedside.

“If they have concerns, I escalate them to the appropriate department and I’m really just there for them, to help and support them. I don’t spend time in my office anymore. My priority is my staff and making sure they have everything they need.

“They come to me with their fears, concerns, stresses. All I can do is listen and try to be their voice and advocate for their concerns and needs, using the hospital’s resources the best I can to support them.”

And fear, she said, is “definitely real and relevant. It’s the unknown. But we all became a nurse to care for people and help people. And we just show up each day doing what we’re trained to do.”

Finding Support

Support can come from many places: each other, the hospital leadership and Texas Health Resources as a system, Jenna said. She said she learned that lesson in 2014, when the Ebola event occurred at Texas Health Dallas.

“I really learned about how a unit and the organization and the system really come together and support each other and do what needs to be done,” she said. “During the long hours I just felt so much support from Texas Health Dallas, Texas Health Resources and even from the community.”

The support she said, came from top leadership down to the unit level. It was about leaders’ “presence, rounding, being able to call on them, getting food in, whatever the need was, they met it.”

Today, during the COVID-19 crisis, Jenna looks to the same sources for support, and also to her nursing colleagues at the hospital.

“My therapy is talking it out amongst my coworkers. We have a support system at work — we’re all people going through the same thing. That’s my own personal coping mechanism: leaning on each other.”

PANDEMIC 2020

This is the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic, declared March 11th, 2020. This was a post on Facebook for many.

SO I NEVER forget....

Gas price a mile from home was $1.44 and continued to drop
School cancelled - yes cancelled- home schooling started - zoom meetings. 
Self-distancing measures on the rise.
Tape on the floors at grocery stores and others to help distance shoppers (6ft) from each other.
Limited number of people inside stores, therefore, lineups outside the store doors.
Non-essential stores and businesses mandated closed.
Parks, trails, entire cities locked up.
Entire sports seasons cancelled.
Concerts, tours, festivals, entertainment events - cancelled.
Weddings, family celebrations, holiday gatherings - cancelled.
No masses, churches are closed.
No gatherings of 50 or more, then 20 or more, now 10 or more.
Don't socialize with anyone outside of your home.
Children's outdoor play parks are closed.
We are to distance from each other.
Shortage of masks, gowns, gloves for our front-line workers.
Shortage of ventilators for the critically ill.
Panic buying sets in and we have no toilet paper, no disinfecting supplies, no paper towel no laundry soap, no hand sanitizer.
Shelves are bare.
Manufacturers, distilleries and other businesses switch their lines to help make visors, masks, hand sanitizer and PPE.
Government closes the border to all non-essential travel.
Fines are established for breaking the rules.
Stadiums and recreation facilities open up for the overflow of Covid-19 patients.
Press conferences daily from the President. Daily updates on new cases, recoveries, and deaths.
Government incentives to stay home.
Barely anyone on the roads.
People wearing masks and gloves outside.
Essential service workers are terrified to go to work.
Medical field workers are afraid to go home to their families.

Why, you ask, did I copy this post?

This will be a reminder that life is precious and not to take the things we dearly love for granted.

We have so much!
Be thankful. Be grateful.
Be kind to each other - love one another - support everyone.

We are all one! ❤️

Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19)

So now it becomes real to all of us here in the USA. This infectious disease caused by a new virus has closed important things such as schools and churches as well as many non-essential businesses for an extended period of time. My journal entry here will not be to give all the medical and scientific information (that can be found online). My goal is to document that spring 2020 looks much different than we had ever anticipated. We are "staying home to stay safe."

I pray often for many people. I pray often for God to protect my entire family as well as my friends. I pray for Justin and Jenna as they both work on the front lines in the medical and service professions.

My ladies' bible study group was nearing the end of our most recent study "Psalm 23" by Jennifer Rothschild. What a providential thing to have been doing this study at this very time. We can all be encouraged to know that, although we are going through a dark valley, God is with us. We can rest assured "His goodness and mercy will follow us."

Camping and a Fun Day with the Kids

Rick and I just got back today from camping again up at Riverview. We stayed a week and had beautiful sunny weather. The kids were on spring break some of this time, so Justin brought them up one day so we could go to The District to let them play games and have lunch.

Air Fryer

I recently got this Instant Air Fryer Oven. I'm having loads of fun trying out the features on this little jewel. It will not only air fry but will also bake, reheat, broil, roast, and dehydrate.