“I have worked as a safety officer, a sitter and a clinical technician on both COVID and non-COVID units, I have screened patients entering all pediatric ambulatory clinics, and I have swabbed patients in the COVID testing tent. I now have a greater appreciation for all areas of The Johns Hopkins Hospital, as I have been exposed to more than I could have ever imagined as a nursing student,” says Maddy Decelles, a clinical nurse extern in the pre-op/pediatric acute care unit. Since the start of the pandemic, she has been redeployed to various areas across the hospital.

“This journey has taught me a lot about not only myself, but about the profession that I am stepping into,” Decelles says. “I have learned the importance of teamwork and how significant its role is in patient care. There have been days full of uncertainty when I anxiously walk into work not knowing what unit I’ll be walking on, what role I will be performing or how long I will be there. There are days when I am scared, nervous and uncomfortable, and days when I am excited and eager to learn. I continue to remind myself how fortunate I am to be positively impacting patients’ lives each and every day.”