Sometime in the next few weeks, 麻豆原创 Assistant Professor of Nursing Frank Guido-Sanz will have 12 hours to drop everything, grab his jump bag and travel to wherever he鈥檚 deployed as a member of the National Disaster Medical System. Guido-Sanz, a lead on the NDMS鈥� Trauma and Critical Care Team, serves the most vulnerable patients in times of crisis, including past deployments during the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and 2017鈥檚 Hurricane Harvey in Houston.
鈥淭his is an invisible enemy; you don鈥檛 know who has been exposed. But this is my commitment of service.鈥� 鈥� Frank Guido-Sanz, 麻豆原创 assistant professor of nursing
This time the emergency is the COVID-19 pandemic, and the circumstances he鈥檒l face are drastically different than the natural disasters he鈥檚 worked through before. Treating patients for a novel biohazard in what will potentially be one of the worst outbreaks in the country comes with a lot of uncertainty, but one thing that鈥檚 sure is he鈥檚 ready.
鈥淚 feel like I should be where I am most needed,鈥� says Guido-Sanz, a nurse practitioner in the intensive care unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. 鈥淲ith a natural disaster you can physically see the impact. This is an invisible enemy; you don鈥檛 know who has been exposed. But this is my commitment of service.鈥�
Local Practitioner
During the week, Guido-Sanz teaches in Orlando, but on Fridays he travels to Jackson Memorial, the third-largest hospital in the United States, to care for critically ill patients during the weekend. Working in one of the most sensitive areas in the hospital requires him to wear full-body personal protective equipment, including a head cap, an N95 respirator, surgical mask, face shield and a barrier coat, all of which take a toll on more than the physical body.
鈥淵ou feel very protected, but you also feel very isolated from each other. Emotionally it is a little bit distressing,鈥� Guido-Sanz says. 鈥淢any of my colleagues and I are Hispanic and culturally we鈥檙e used to hugging each other as a greeting at the start of our shifts. Now we can鈥檛 do that. It really does change the tone of your shift.鈥�
But he acknowledges patients across the nation 鈥� both those infected with and clear of COVID-19 鈥� are experiencing isolation on a deeper level. It鈥檚 something he, working in a profession centered around compassion and support, never imagined would happen to patients in his care and at their most difficult moments.
鈥淧eople don鈥檛 even have the chance to be at their loved ones鈥� bedside and say goodbye. It鈥檚 heartbreaking,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e seeing now what really matters: appreciating the time you have with the people in your life.鈥�
Supportive Mentor
Even when there isn鈥檛 a pandemic, Guido-Sanz is always checking on and providing guidance to former students in the field. Now he stays in touch with local alums to see if they have the supplies and support they need, or if they have questions about the care of patients affected by the virus.
鈥淗e鈥檚 so gifted at what he does, he鈥檚 truly a great teacher,鈥� says Elizabeth Santana 鈥�18MSN, a nurse practitioner at an Orlando hospital and an adjunct for one of Guido-Sanz鈥檚 lab. 鈥淚t takes a special person to make you feel at ease.鈥�
鈥淓ven for non-medical issues, I know he鈥檒l give me solid advice with nothing but heart and good intent.鈥�
鈥� Elizabeth Santana 鈥�18MSN
He鈥檚 even helped Santana when her husband鈥檚 grandmother was recently in a hospital overseas. After reviewing a picture of her in-law鈥檚 monitor, she ran through a series of possible diagnoses and treatments but felt she needed the input of the person she considers a level-headed brother and mentor.
鈥淲hen it鈥檚 something so personal to you sometimes you really can鈥檛 think,鈥� Santana says. 鈥淚 reached out to see if I was missing anything and he provided confirmation my thoughts were correct. He鈥檚 always available. Even for non-medical issues, I know he鈥檒l give me solid advice with nothing but heart and good intent.鈥�
Dedicated Teacher
As a dedicated teacher, Guido-Sanz maintains close relationships with his small classes of students. Even when 麻豆原创鈥檚 courses transitioned to online for the Spring 2020 semester due to the pandemic, he remained connected to his 16 Diagnostic Reasoning and Skills students, many of whom are nurse practitioners pursuing adult/gerontology acute care nurse practitioner certificates to advance their skills.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a veteran in this arena and a great resource for almost anything.鈥�
鈥� Fameisha Williams 鈥�06 鈥�11MSN 鈥�18DNP
鈥淗e鈥檚 been a mentor. Not only in class, but if I have any questions related to the field I can get help. I can text him any time,鈥� says Fameisha Williams 鈥�06 鈥�11MS狈&苍产蝉辫;鈥�18顿狈笔, a nurse practitioner in a cardiovascular surgery unit at a local hospital. 鈥淗e has so many years of acute care experience. He鈥檚 a veteran in this arena and a great resource for almost anything.鈥�
Williams graduated this spring with the acute care certificate from 麻豆原创 and served as an adjunct for Guido-Sanz鈥檚 Diagnostic Reasoning and Skills lab section of the course, which she completed during a prior semester.
鈥淚 know Dr. Guido-Sanz can be called to deployment for the NDMS at any time and it wouldn鈥檛 be a disruption to the course, especially since it鈥檚 [mainly] online,鈥� Williams says. Typical NDMS deployments last 14 to 21 days, but for COVID-19, service has been extended to 28 days, with 14 in the field and 14 in quarantine.
Although the coronavirus has impacted the essential in-person functions of the nursing courses, most students recognize the importance of having the opportunity to learn and practice these psychomotor skills in the future.
鈥淚 think about the big picture and I know it鈥檚 worth it to help where people are most in need.鈥� 鈥� Frank Guido-Sanz
鈥淢y students would let me know they miss our class,鈥� Guido-Sanz says. 鈥淲e were used to working together all day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but we tried to keep them engaged.鈥�
With his deployment looming in the coming weeks, it鈥檚 likely Guido-Sanz may have to serve for the NDMS during the summer semesters. In the meantime, he stays busy in the ICU and preparing his courses for the best online learning experience he can provide.
鈥淢y department chair Maureen Covelli and program director Christopher Blackwell 鈥�00 鈥�01MSN 鈥�05PhD appreciate my service and are always willing to step in with my classes when I鈥檓 deployed,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 have incredible colleagues who are always so supportive. I feel bad sometimes when I deploy, but I think about the big picture and know it鈥檚 worth it to help where people are most in need.鈥�
