University Of Iowa Hospital & Clinics recently issued the following announcement.
Not long after she started work at UI Health Care–Iowa River Landing, Michaela Stanerson, CNA, was reassigned to the drive-thru COVID-19 testing operation on Holiday Road.
The move made the nursing assistant nervous, but she knew a positive attitude could make all the difference.
“I never thought that I would enjoy working in a drive-thru swabbing area, but now that I’m here, I never want to leave,” Stanerson says. “I feel like through this journey, I’ve found where I belong.”
Pride in the process
Stanerson realizes the importance of working in testing operations during the pandemic, and she was somewhat surprised by the complexity of the operation.
“I’ve found a lot more pride in my work here than I have at other places I’ve worked,” she says. “There’s a process for everything; there’s a certain way to clean everything. There’s a certain way to bag the specimens.”
Stanerson has worked within testing operations since she was reassigned in August 2021. She says there was a learning curve at first, but she now trains others, enjoying the teamwork required to keep the testing line moving.
While Stanerson says she’s proud of the work she does, she’s also proud of how she rose to the challenge of being reassigned.
What really matters
Stanerson says reassignment became easier when she found purpose in testing.
“Keeping things patient-focused is a huge thing for me,” Stanerson says.
Her passion to care for others first arose when Stanerson worked at a nursing home. While patient interactions may be shorter in the drive-thru compared to the nursing home, Stanerson aims to ease their fears.
“They’re scared because they think they’re positive for COVID-19 or an at-home test says they’re positive. It’s really rewarding to give them some clarity,” Stanerson says.
She says it’s a mentality shared by those she works with, and that’s what really matters.
“With every single sample, we take it very seriously,” Stanerson says. “We’re always there for the patients.”
Original source can be found here.
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