174: Maggie Moyer

Nurse, Tower Health

Maggie is a Labor and Delivery Nurse, dealing with the entire birthing process: assisting people as best she can according to their wishes, as well as seeing to them medically that they are safe and well. 

Normally there are three visitors allowed in with the new mom to be. Covid changed that too; only one person allowed in with the mom. This was difficult on the patient as well as those there to support her. FaceTime and various technologies helped to connect them. “But nothing replaces actually being there.” said Maggie. “Nurses are always supportive. But now even more so. Being both medical minded as well as trying to be in a role that replaces the missing mother or friend. Always trying to say the right thing.”

None of the babies she cared for had COVID. But what was unusual for her is during this time she had to deliver a baby all by herself. The docs were alerted. But no one got there in time. So, she stepped up and did it all herself.

The most challenging time for her was to see a strong, healthy, co-worker get terribly sick with COVID. That shook her a bit to see someone so healthy get so sick. This was the only time she felt scared. “I’m a germaphobe anyway. So, the (new sanitizing) actions I saw others doing, is what I had already been doing. It was odd to see the world changing. But in our lives (she and her husband) these were things we always did.”

In the future she wants to see, “People take better care of themselves and also thinking more of others.” She added, “Masks are not a political thing. (By wearing one) you’re trying to help your neighbor.” Also, “Understand peoples comfort level and respect it.”