BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Nurses across the country are the heartbeat of hospitals, especially during the pandemic when hospitals were flooded with COVID patients and their families in what was a trying time for so many people.
As part of Nurses Appreciation Week, 23ABC wanted to make sure we took a moment to thank and recognize nurses right here in our community for their hard work, compassion, and dedication to their job.
23ABC is continuing to highlight nurses during Nurses Appreciation Week and spoke with a few nurses at Kern Medical to see what makes them passionate about their jobs.
We want to start off with one nurse who was honored with the title of 2020 Nurse of the Year for Emerging Nurse Leader.
Christopher Ogden Harkins a nurse at Kern Medical says working in the emergency room means you never know what to expect but it's important to always have compassion because you never know what the day will bring.
"It was a great feeling to be rewarded and acknowledged for what I love to do."
Jacqueline Law, is another nurse at Kern Medical, she says those looking for a job in the nursing field should not do things for recognition, and instead get fulfillment out of the help they’re providing
"No money can give you the satisfaction that someone who really needs your help because you just feel it in your heart. It's a big aura that comes over you that they're truly grateful for everything that you do."
Gabino Perez also at Kern Medical says he's always had a love of science and humanity which led him to nursing and that it's been a rewarding profession especially working with the team at Kern Medical.
"All you have is your coworkers - really your brothers and sisters that are on the frontlines and without them, my days would probably be horrible considering all the things we have to go through. But having a great staff, great management team makes everything worthwhile."
