General News
For nurses appreciation week, I was asked to speak at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center on Thursday to thank the nurses for what they did for me during my stay at the hospital for COVID-19.
Many of you will recall I spent nine days at Cape Fear last August fighting COVID-19. My battle continues, but I am getting better thanks to the doctors and nurses who came up with a treatment plan for my recovery.
Working in healthcare can be a thankless job, one you can't appreciate until you need a nurse.
I didn't realize how bad my condition was until this week, when I went in for a check-up with my pulmonologist. He pulled up my CAT scan from when I was hospitalized and showed me just how close to death I was.
My body is now improving, and that's all because of the team at Cape Fear.
Chief Nursing Executive Debbie Marshburn told me on Thursday, "If you save one life, you're a hero. If you save hundreds of lives, you're a nurse."
To all the nurses who worked with me, I want to personally say thank you for helping me get well again.
Unfortunately, there is a nursing shortage across the country that experts say is only going to get worse. Many nurses are nearing the age of retirement, and there aren't enough people entering the profession.
I want to encourage all the nurses reading this to keep up the fight. Your work saves an innumerable amount of lives and you are appreciated.
Nurses Week runs from May 6 to May 12 marked by the birthday of Florence Nightingale. She set the vision for nursing as a profession and established principles for nursing education.
