National Nurses Week - Life Transitions During COVID-19
May 11, 2021
By Sydney Tracy
Mary had her first clinical as a dental assistant where she found immense satisfaction in providing care and comfort to those during more vulnerable times in life. This passion led her straight into nursing where she spent five years in the operating room before transitioning as one of The Resource Group’s newest Critical Products Managers. Since she began her role as a Critical Products Manager one week before the pandemic, Mary knows first hand the uncertainty and challenges of balancing clinical care with resource and supply management.
During the pandemic, Mary recalls feeling a certain amount of guilt being at home while so many were risking their lives on the frontlines within the hospital. She said “I’m extremely blessed to be in my role as a Critical Products Manager; however, I did feel a certain amount of guilt for not being at the patient bedside. I had to compartmentalize my feelings and find how I could best support frontline workers knowing that they can’t do their job without me doing mine.” Luckily, Mary was able to return to the bedside part-time by providing nursing coverage for overwhelmed patient floors and other areas of the hospital. For Mary, it was important to serve in this capacity as she understood the physical and emotional impacts of nursing shortages firsthand. Being able to alleviate these areas of stress, in whatever way she could, was key in finding balance during the pandemic.
As a new Critical Products Manager, Mary was even more impressed by the advocacy provided by The Resource Group. Her local team, especially leadership, would help in any way possible, whether that was answering phone calls, stocking shelves, or getting food and water to frontline workers. She said “I loved that The Resource Group was willing to do whatever it takes to make sure people are taken care of. Even after the peak of the pandemic, The Resource Group associates continues to go above and beyond to make sure that everyone is safe and taken care of.”
With a unique, virtual start to her role as Critical Products Manager, Mary is glad to feel a bit of normalcy and have the opportunity to be back in the hospital. She credits her team with getting her through the toughest months of the pandemic saying “I can’t say how blessed I feel to be a part of this team, I see it as God’s purpose to have me in this role throughout the pandemic so I could start this new role rooted in my passion.”