Roxy Resendiz Garcia - a patient's dream
Roxy Resendiz Garcia is a Dreamer who became a registered nurse during the COVID-19 pandemic. Below is her story.
equilibreyaum: Hi Roxy! Tell me a little about your background. Have you always lived in Pensacola, Florida?
Roxy Resendiz Garcia: I was born in Mexico City, raised between both Mexico and the US. For years my parents traveled to the US for work, spending years going back and forth between both countries. Sometimes we were able to travel all together, other times it was only my parents traveling and me and my brother had to stay in Mexico.
In 2003, my parents decided we all should move to the States and settle down for good, so we did! First to Texas then to Florida, and I've been here ever since. Moving to the States was not an easy decision, but the idea of all of us being together as a family, all of us living in the same place, in a place where we all would have a better life, with more and better opportunities than what we had in Mexico, was very exciting.
eqb: What made you want to become a nurse? Have you always dreamed of helping others?
RRG: I like people to know they can count on me if they ever need anything, little or big, I'm happy to help. A friend of mine who worked at my one of the local hospitals asked me if I would like to volunteer as a translator at the hospital, back then there were no iPads nor FaceTime to help translate and over the phone translators were hard to work with, so I did. Being face-to-face with the patients was so much better, the patients felt more comfortable to talk about their health, their fears about being in the hospital, and sometimes they were more compliant with their plan of care.
After years of volunteering as a translator my friend suggested I should started working as a care tech. At first I wasn't too fond of that idea, but seeing and listening to my brother (he was a care tech at that time, he is now a nurse) and my friend talked about their experience made me change my mind. First I became as CNA, certified nurse assistant, started working at the hospital and slowly started working my way through nursing school. Over the years, I've taken care of so many patients but there's a few I remember well because they made me realized how awesome this job is and how much I love being there for the patients while they were going through a hard time.
eqb: 2020 was hard for everyone but I’m sure it was especially hard for you since you worked in a hospital. What was your experience like?
RRG: I was in my last semester of nursing school when COVID started. I was working as a care tech in a cardiac unit, my job was to help the patients with basic care like baths and help the nurses with simple tasks. I was taking care of patients but not as a nurse. On a normal day, things can change very quickly, one minute your patient is fine talking to you and the next minute they are not responding and you are doing everything you know and can do to keep them alive. We know it's fast paced and we are prepared for that kind of situation, but with COVID it was different. These were sicker patients that decline faster and need a higher level of care - the nurses on the floor were not ready for them.
We, healthcare workers, were learning to take care of these patient as we went. I love that about nursing and those that chose this career. We are ready for new challenges, we don't give up easily, we will fight for you, we will give our best to each and every patient we care for. I am no longer working in that unit. I finished school, became a registered nurse, and started working in a new unit. Now, I am working with tiny babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Since I've been in this new unit I have not dealt with COVID patients. Part of me wishes I could help my coworkers at my old unit but I can't, it would not be safe nor responsible for me as a NICU nurse to get expose to COVID patients.
eqb: Did it frustrate you that people were refusing to follow COVID-19 guidelines?
RRG: Yes!! Especially those healthcare workers that care for COVID patients and still go on their daily life like nothing is happening, like COVID is not real.
eqb: There were so many stories in the news where doctors and nurses became overworked this year from the overfilled hospitals and lack of support. Did you ever feel like changing professions during 2020?
RRG: Honestly no, it did not even cross my mind. I love what I do. As a care tech I only provided basic care to the patients, so knowing that as a nurse I was going to be able to do more for them kept me motivated.
eqb: What would you say is the most rewarding/difficult part of being a nurse in a normal year and during the pandemic?
RRG: In a normal year it's hard to care for so many patients, each nurse can have 5-6 patients, care tech can have double or triple number of patients, but somehow we manage to spend those extra 10 mins with one patient or get an extra meal for someone that didn't like what they got for lunch. But with COVID, we wanted to minimize the exposure time with those patients, and wearing PPE is exhausting! Due to the shortage of N95 masks, the hospital provided respirators for us and trying to communicate with your patients while wearing them is very hard. Sometimes you are having to shout so the patients can hear you; the patients get frustrated cause they can't hear you and so are you, still you are trying to do your best to help them. Now imagine having to do that with 5 other patients for 12 hours; it's a lot, it takes a toll on everyone.
I saw frustration in physicians and nurses eyes, not knowing exactly how to treat the patients; seen some decline so fast no matter what treatment they received; seen the patients alone in their rooms getting depressed because they can't have visitors and the only human contact they have is with the caregiver who is wearing PPE and they can hardly see their face. It’s a horrible feeling wanting to help them but not having the resources and means to do so. It's even worse when you heard people talk how all this is fake and they are not following the guidelines.
“I love that about nursing and those that chose this career. We are ready for new challenges, we don’t give up easily, we will fight for you, we will give our best to each and every patient we care for.”
eqb: How did you cope during 2020? Was there anything that was especially difficult for you? Did you try anything different that you normally wouldn't have?
RRG: I learned to say NO to overwork and YES to taking care of myself more. I used to be always on the move, I would work extra days to help my coworkers, I even had a second job, and there's nothing wrong with doing that but I was tired all the time from overworking my body, I wasn't eating right, and overall I wasn't happy. I felt like if I wasn't moving or doing something I was being lazy. If I don't take care of myself, no one else will. Now I listen to my mind and body first. If I feel like just chilling with my dog on my day off, I just do it. I know I deserve it cause I've worked hard and now it's time to recharge, time to enjoy the fruits of my labor. I also enjoy listening to audio books, taking care of my plants, and hang with my fur baby Brownie.
eqb: The status of DACA was threatened in summer 2020. As a DACA recipient, how did you feel when the Supreme Court ruled that DACA should not end?
RRG: It was such a relief, I felt like I was able to breathe again. A lot of people don't know much about DACA, how it works and what it means to have it. With DACA I can have a job, I can attend college or even grad school!! I can contribute to this country that has seen me grown as an adult. I've been here most of my life, this is the only country I know, this is home for me.
eqb: What does it mean to you to be a DACA recipient?
RRG: It means A LOT. Before I had DACA, I was working as a housekeeper. I want to make something clear, there's nothing wrong with being a housekeeper, or any other "low level" job; don't look down on others just because you think you are better than them. We are all essential for each other, we can't succeed without each other. Housekeeping was an okay job but I had no future there. I wanted to be a better person, someone that could contribute more to the community. DACA gave me that, it opened the doors to so many great opportunities. With DACA I was able to go to college, travel around the country without the fear of being detained and deported; I was able to have a more normal life.
eqb: As a DACA recipient, what do you wish people knew about the program that isn't public knowledge?
RRG: DACA is just a temporary permit. DACA recipients, also known as Dreamers, don't have a solid, secure future. We have to renew it every two years, and they can deny your renewal. The program does not provide a pathway to citizenship, in some states like here in Florida. We are not even considered residents, meaning I have to pay out of state tuition even after paying taxes and declaring Florida as my state of residence. Oh and when I was enrolled in college, I couldn't apply for student aid, yep, I’ll let you do the math. Everytime I have to renew mine, part of me is afraid they'll deny my renewal, everything I've worked so hard for will be over. It is awful being in that situation every two years.
eqb: What are you looking forward to most in 2021 and beyond?
RRG: I'm so happy I got the job I wanted, working in the NICU was a dream of mine. This year I want to focus in my career, learn more about the babies I care for, improve my skills, and give my patients the best care I can provide for them. I'm eager to start traveling again, visit new places around the country, and hopefully see some of my friends.
“I wanted to be a better person, someone that could contribute more to the community. DACA gave me that, it opened the doors to so many great opportunities.”
eqb: How do you think your life/job will change after the vaccine is available to everyone?
RRG: Unfortunately, I don't see a big change in the near future. I understand some people are scared about the side effects of the vaccines and why they are choosing not to get the vaccine right now. Part of being a nurse is to educate our patients and their family about their health status, lifestyle choices, involvement in their care, and interventions that can improved their life. Through my workplace I've been helping administer the vaccine, first to healthcare workers and now members of the community over 65 years old. It makes me so happy to see the response of the community, I had some individuals cry of happiness because they were able to get the vaccine, some take pictures of them receiving the vaccine. There's so much misinformation about COVID and the vaccine. I'll do my part, get vaccinated, educate those that are on the fence about getting the vaccine, and hopefully together we can fight this virus.
eqb: Thank you for sharing your story with us, Roxy. Anything else you'd like to share?
RRG: Be kind and humble. With or without this pandemic, the world is kinda crazy and we are all in this together, so let's help each other. Don't be afraid or proud to ask for help, we all need help at one point or another. I know it's not easy and can be frightening but you will be surprised to see how many people are more than happy to give you a hand when you are in need.
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