HOUSTON — Being a nurse isn’t easy. It certainly isn’t glamorous.
The coronavirus has meant long hours away from family.
For Kelly Rodrigue, the pandemic took away her chance to walk at graduation. The ER nurse manager recently got her master’s degree from Grand Canyon University in Arizona.
“You know, you take a lot of pride in that. To not be able to bring your family to where you’re going to school to walk and do those things, it’s been taken from you. Just like the high school seniors in the community,” said Rodrigue, Memorial Hermann Woodlands Medical Center.
That’s why staff at Memorial Hermann organized a surprise graduation ceremony for all the nurses in the same situation.
Nurse after nurse has told KHOU 11 News every little gesture of appreciation matters.
“It can be a very invisible job sometimes, but to have people out there that realize and have faith in us that we’re doing our best goes such a long way,” said Samee Vakil, registered nurse at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center.
Nurses really do deserve the title of front line hero.
So many of them care and celebrate when patients get better.
Tyler Parrish works in the COVID-19 ICU at Houston Methodist.
“It’s been a huge blessing to be here and take care of these people,” said Parrish.
That mindset is why so many nurses show up to work early and leave late, even under the toughest circumstances.
“To be a nurse and do the job well, it has to be more than a job. It has to be a passion. It has to be something where you want to help other people,” said Sandy Peppers, Nurse Manager at a UT Physicians clinic in Missouri City.
Thank you to all the nurses who tirelessly work to take care of their patients!
Great news if you watch TV with an antenna
KHOU has just upgraded its technology. If you were unable to receive KHOU with your antenna in the past, try again on channel 11.11. You may have to rescan your channels for it to work – if that’s the case, we’ve got some instructions at KHOU.com/antenna. If you already see KHOU on 11.1, you may now ALSO see it on 11.11 – it’s the exact same programming. We’re really excited to be able to bring our KHOU 11 News, CBS shows and sports, Wheel of Fortune, Ellen and Great Day Houston to more homes around the area. If you’re still having trouble, please contact us here and we’ll try to get you set up.