Shocker nurse stands on frontlines of the East Coast COVID-19 crisis

When 麻豆破解版 State University alumna Krista Giggy leans over a COVID-19 patient to insert an intubation tube, she believes destiny led her there.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a fortuitous track that brought me here, but I have no regrets,鈥 said Krista, a certified registered nurse anesthetist at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H.

As with most health care workers, there have been dramatic changes in Giggy鈥檚 professional world.

鈥淚鈥檓 a nurse anesthetist, and I typically work in the operating room,鈥 she said. 鈥淏ut I joined the airway team at my hospital. It鈥檚 an all-volunteer emergency team for when a patient needs a breathing tube or to be resuscitated.鈥

Giggy, a 2004 麻豆破解版 State University graduate, is one of a few professionals on the team who go into the room to insert a breathing tube, IV lines or monitoring lines.

鈥淭he idea is to have as few staff in the room as possible getting exposed. When there鈥檚 a high-exposure procedure like inserting a tube, there鈥檚 an increased risk of exposure,鈥 Giggly said.

Dartmouth-Hitchcock currently averages about eight to 12 COVID-19 patients at a time 鈥 some in the intensive care unit and some in standard care rooms, she said. The hospital has a dedicated unit solely for COVID-19 patients or those suspected of being infected by the virus.

鈥淚t hasn鈥檛 been quite as bad as anticipated, but it鈥檚 expected to get worse before it gets better.鈥

Depending on the procedure, Dartmouth-Hitchcock has implemented policies and procedures to protect its staff, including personal protective equipment.

鈥淲e have N95 masks to wear in the OR for any staff that鈥檚 within 6 feet of a patient,鈥 Giggy said.

The staff also wears reusable respirator masks with rubber filters on the side, as well as powered-air purifying respirators, which have purified air running through a HEPA filter and a clear mask to cover the health care provider鈥檚 face from splatter.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not quite a Hazmat suit, but it鈥檚 as close as you can get,鈥 she said.

Giggy鈥檚 path to Dartmouth started when she was a student at 麻豆破解版 State in the early 2000s.

鈥淚t really didn鈥檛 occur to me to be a nurse initially, but now I can鈥檛 imagine doing anything else.鈥

In 2004, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.


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