When news of COVID-19 came to America, the land of the free and the home of the brave felt more like the land of the quarantined and the home of the terrified. Rightly so, life as we knew it was flipped upside down and coughing. “As a country whole in the healthcare field [before COVID-19], we were kind of immune, thinking we had everything figured out. Then, we were hit with something that took us a little bit to get control of. We are not used to that. Quickly, we realized that we do not know everything, and the reality is that we can be hit any minute with whatever,” said Kimberly McKinney, RN. McKinney is a registered nurse at Vanderbilt-Tullahoma Harton Hospital (VTHH). She is also the director of the critical care unit, the progressive care unit, and the COVID intensive care unit.
Nurses are incredibly strong, intelligent, and resilient individuals. They work long hours and constantly take care of people while managing many other responsibilities that the general public doesn’t often think about. Responsibilities are especially amplified if a nurse holds a leadership role, like McKinney. Planned tasks such as running payroll, attending or hosting meetings, and writing reports are always on the schedule. But minute by minute, second by second, schedules are bound to change within the walls of a hospital. While McKinney is a seasoned nurse, clocking 19 years at VTHH alone, coming face to face with a vile pandemic like COVID-19 is not something most people can imagine or ever dream of.
Still, as steady and humble as can be, and without hesitation, McKinney’s response is, “I do whatever is needed in a moment.” McKinney’s supervisor, Marilyn Smith (doctor of nursing practice, master of science in nursing, chief nursing officer) shared, “Responsibility for the COVID-ICU just fell right in McKinney’s lap, as she was already the director of the critical care and progressive care units. She had no choice. She didn’t get to say whether she wanted to do it or not.” And, in the same humble manner, McKinney selflessly stepped up to the plate with no complaints and no excuses. Her priority was keeping patients alive and keeping her staff focused and informed.
McKinney naturally became the go-to person for so many people, in the days that followed. Due to demand, she was taking on more and more shifts. It did not matter if it was Saturday or Sunday, morning or night; McKinney took an oath and was faithful to live up to her word. A lot was being asked of nurses and medical professionals during those first few months. However, one thing she always said to her team was, “I would never ask you to do something I wouldn’t do myself.” And her staff knew that, without her even having to utter the first word.
In fact, McKinney’s team has begun to follow their leader more and more by imitating her selflessness. One particular nurse on McKinney’s team was on the floor working a day shift. She heard McKinney was having difficulty finding a nurse for the night shift. McKinney was going to do it herself, as she was in the habit of doing, when the nurse said, “No. Take my patients now. I will go home for a few hours and will be back at seven tonight to cover the shift.”
Although the last few years have caused some anticipated burnout, McKinney remains undoubtedly passionate about her role and is thankful to be a nurse. She shared, “I like to think we are put where we are for a reason. Sometimes, when it may be really difficult, it’s reassuring to know we are the exact person a patient needs at the time. Sometimes we have to take on wide shoulders, but it’s all for a reason.” Through many victories and defeats, McKinney and her team have grown significantly as individuals and as a unit. The development of their skills, in addition to all the stories of triumph, is what keeps McKinney pulling back into the hospital parking lot day after day. Her humility would probably call it “just another day at the office,” when in reality, her selflessness has made a world of difference within the lives of so many in our very community. -GN
