4
QUEENS WEEKLY, MAY 10, 2020
Astoria nurse takes pride in caring for
patients during COVID-19 pandemic
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 first,” 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 satisfied with sitting at a
desk shuffling 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 every
day.
Since graduating from
Adelphi University in 1999
with a bachelor 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.”
Since the beginning of
the coronavirus outbreak,
it’s been mentally and
physically challenging for
Laskina as the hospital became
overwhelmed with
patients, she said.
“It’s been devastating
seeing patients sick, intubated
and passing away. We
put on our protective equipment,
two masks, shield,
gown, gloves, and it’s a lot of
time and energy disposing
of PPP than taking care of
patients,” Laskina said. “A
lot of our staff gets sick
and between everything
— my recovery, kids being
out of school, and husband
working from home — it’s
been quite an adjustment,”
Laskina added.
During the spike of coronavirus
hospitalizations in
March and April, Laskina
has been working a few extra
hours in the evening to
help her colleagues on the
floor.
“It makes me happy that
I work with no leftovers for
the evening shift to do,”
Laskina said. “I try to complete
my work to the best of
my ability and help all of
my coworkers around me.”
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
delis, pretty much every
day 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
difficult but yet rewarding,
Laskina doesn’t have
any regrets of becoming a
nurse.
“Taking care of our
patients — whether it’s inpatient
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 fight 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 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.”
Reach reporter Carlotta
Mohamed by e-mail at cmohamed@
schnepsmedia.
com or by phone at (718)
260–4526.
Viktoriya Laskina, a registered nurse at Mount Sinai Queens, was presented with a DAISY
Award for Extraordinary Nurses, which was established to celebrate the extraordinary compassion
nurses provide their patients and families every day.
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