Queensborough Community College nursing
students comfort local COVID-19 patients
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
Two Queensborough Community
College nursing students
are helping to care for
seniors at a Queens nursing
home and rehabilitation center
amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the past month, Kristen
Rodriguez and Adam Kern,
both in their 30s, have dedicated
their time to serve on the
front line of the pandemic at
the Parker Jewish Institute in
New Hyde Park, where there
have been reported cases of
COVID-19-related deaths.
Prior to her academic career
at Queensborough, Rodriguez,
a resident of Whitestone,
worked as a medical administrator
for eight years at the
Northwell Health Division for
Surigcal Onocology in New
Hyde Park. Every Saturday,
Rodriguez works an eighthour
shift at the center, where
her responsibilities include
conducting vital signs, feeding
and cleaning the patients, and
helping the nurses with other
tasks.
“I feel good leaving there
making a difference to some
people,” said Rodriguez, who
completed her clinical placement
at the nursing home last
semester. “I put in a lady’s earring
the other day and she was
so thankful. It sounds minimal
but to that lady it’s everything.
I feel like I did something good
for her whether it’s tiny.”
For the most part, Rodriguez
said, she tries to make the
residents laugh.
“It’s just a lot. It does make
you appreciate what you have,”
Rodriguez said. “It’s sad because
they can’t go anywhere,
or see anyone and they get
lonely. When depression kicks
in, that can deteriorate it.”
Although she was quite
nervous about stepping into
the role of a caretaker at the
nursing home, Rodriguez said
the experience has been “eyeopening.”
As for her family,
she said, they were quite reluctant
but decided to let her leave
home.
“There are a lot of emotions,
then and now. My 12-year-old
son, my boyfriend and my
parents did not want me to go
at first. They said, ‘absolutely
not,’ but we came to the realization
that nurses can’t pick and
choose who to help and who to
avoid. Everyone is equal and
they asked me, ‘If you’re not
Queensborough Community College nursing students Kristen Rodriguez and Adam Kern, who have been caring for seniors at The Parker
Jewish Institute in New Hyde Park during the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo courtesy of Queensborough Community College
going to help them, who will?”’
Rodriguez said.
Meanwhile, Kern, of Oakland
Gardens, an experienced
caregiver for people with disabilities
in Nassau County prior
to his enrollment at Queensborough,
works with staff at
Parker who cares for residents
with dementia.
Kern’s wife, who cares for
developmentally disabled people
on Long Island and studies
at the CUNY School of Law,
also had reservations.
“This last month, she has
personally known about 25 to
30 people who have died — not
all COVID though. Everyone’s
scared. But the education at
TIMESLEDGER | 10 QNS.COM | MAY 22-MAY 28, 2020
and preparation from Queensborough
is good,” Kern said.
“We have been trained very
well by staff and Parker, too,
has been wonderful.”
According to Kern, many
COVID-19 cases have swept
through his floor. Since family
members cannot always
be with their loved ones, Kern
said he tries to be family to the
resident.
“They’re scared and I am
able to let families know that
someone was with their loved
one, that they were not alone,
that they were comfortable and
that everything was done for
them,” said Kern, having held
the hand of patients, including
a 99-year-old woman, comforting
them as they passed on.
Although it’s been sad,
Kern said, it has been a remarkable
educational opportunity,
obtaining access that
no first-year nursing student
typically experiences to learn
and observe.
Michael Rosenblut, president
and CEO of Parker Jewish
Institute, said he is thankful
for the students’ participation.
“We appreciate the response
from Queensborough
students who are supporting
the care of our patients and
residents,” Rosenblut said.
According to Dr. Colleen
Ariola, senior vice president
of Patient Care Services at
Parker, the student nurses are
“capable, committed and undaunted.”
“They bring their enthusiasm
to learn, support and
collaborate with our frontline
health heroes — we are so
grateful for their positive energy,”
Ariola said.
Upon completion of their
Queensborough studies next
year, Kern and Rodriguez
will earn RN qualifications
and enroll at York College and
CUNY’s School of Professional
Studies, respectively, to complete
their Bachelor of Nursing
degrees under CUNY’s Dual
Joint Degree programs.
/QNS.COM
