NATIONAL NURSES WEEK, MAY 6–12
Astoria nurse takes pride in
caring for her COVID-19 patients
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
Viktoriya Laskina of Astoria
takes pride in her career
working as a registered
nurse at Mount Sinai Queens
Hospital, where she has spent
20 years caring for patients.
“It’s always been my passion
and the patients come
fi rst,” Laskina said. “There
are certain days it is stressful
being a nurse, but at the end
of the day I go home knowing
I helped people. I don’t think
I would be satisfi ed with sitting
at a desk shuffl ing papers.”
In February, Laskina was
recognized by Mount Sinai
Queens with a DAISY Award
for Extraordinary Nurses,
which was established to
celebrate the extraordinary
compassion nurses provide
their patients and families
everyday.
Since graduating from
Adelphi University in 1999
with a bachelors of science degree
in nursing, Laskina said
she knew it was her calling to
help people — especially at a
time when healthcare professionals
are battling the coronavirus.
“We are in the medical
profession and it’s our job
to help patients get better,”
Laskina said. “The country
is in a crisis, and as a nurse
it’s my obligation to put my
heart and soul into my work
and do what I can to help
them.”
For 20 years, Laskina has
been working in the Medical/
Surgical 4 Department, where
surgeries have been canceled
as nurses and doctors treat
coronavirus patients in respiratory
distress.
While treating coronavirus
patients, Laskina also
became ill in early April and
was quarantined in her home
for two weeks. Following her
recovery, she returned to the
hospital to continue working
on the frontlines with her colleagues.
“I was nervous, but yet
happy to return because laying
in bed makes you feel
like you’re not productive
with your time, Laskina said.
“Thanks to my family and being
able to quarantine, taking
antibiotics, other treatments,
and having a good immune
system, I am one of the lucky
ones.”
In response to the overwhelming
support healthcare
professionals are receiving
for helping to save lives during
the pandemic, Laskina
described it as gratifying.
“I see the support from the
local restaurants and deli’s,
pretty much everyday they
have been giving free lunch
to the nursing staff,” Laskina
said. “That’s very nice because
a lot of restaurants are
closed and as busy as you are,
you don’t have time to go out
and see what is open and what
you would eat.”
Although the job is diffi
cult but yet rewarding,
Laskina doesn’t have any regrets
of becoming a nurse.
“Taking care of our patients
— whether it’s in-patient
or out-patient — it makes
me happy to help whether
they have pain or are recovering
from an orthopedic surgery,
or any kind of surgery,”
Laskina said.
And as the city continues
to fi ght the coronavirus,
Laskina is reminding everyone
to take the necessary
precautions to protect themselves.
“Don’t get comfortable too
fast because we can have a resurgence
Viktoriya laskina.
Mount Sinai Queens Hospital
of cases. It doesn’t
take much to go backwards,”
Laskina said. “Eat healthy,
exercise, take a deep breath
and everything will be okay.
We will get through this.”
Broadway Stages wants to thank
26 COURIER LIFE, MAY 8-14, 2020
all those on the frontline,
battling this pandemic, every day.
Thank you for your sacrifi ces,
your dedication, your compassion and your
resilience during this diffi cult time.
You are our heroes and we will forever be grateful.