JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — National Nurses Week is all about recognizing nurses in your local community.
According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, it is the largest health care profession with more than 3.8 million registered nurses nationwide.
Alicia Bradford is a maternity nurse at UF Health Jacksonville and recently lost her uncle who tested positive for COVID-19.
“My mother was a nurse. I first developed that interest through seeing her passion for helping people,” Bradford said.
Bradford said while keeping patients safe is her passion, it’s a job that doesn’t end when she leaves the hospital.
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“The most rewarding thing is the cohesiveness of my co-workers during a time like this. We realize that we’re all we have, we have to come together, we all are in a time where there is hardship all around us,” Bradford said.
Last month, Bradford said her uncle Alfred Richo died after testing positive for COVID-19.
“He was older, did not have many preexisting health issues. He was healthy in the beginning of the month and he stayed at home. Unfortunately, just with interactions with other people who did not stay at home, that led him to contracting COVID as well and passing from it,” Bradford said.
Now, more than ever, nurses like Bradford are turning to prayer as they work to keep people safe and healthy.
“We’ve had prayer groups where we pray before work. I feel that has made us closer and night shifts and day shift a lot more feasible to work around,” Bradford said.
Bradford said even before the pandemic, nurses were doing what they’re doing now, to help patients recover.
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