Nurses helping nurses: Marymount U. donates critical supplies to local healthcare workers

ARLINGTON, Va. (ABC7) — When an emergency strikes, healthcare workers come to the rescue.

"You can't put into words how brave these frontline workers are that are taking care of these patients," said Clinical Simulation Technician and Instructor at Marymount University Kevin Cummings.

The quickly spreading coronavirus is now changing the dynamic and making healthcare providers among the most vulnerable.

"She said that they were sharing two pairs of goggles for the entire ICU staff," said Dr. Catherine Hillberry, the Nursing Lab and Technology Coordinator at Marymount's Malek School of Health Professions.

An ICU nurse at Virginia Hospital Center who also works as an adjunct instructor at Marymount relayed the need to Hillberry.

"It's just mind-boggling to me to know that nurses and other healthcare providers are put in that position," she said.

Employees in Marymount's Department of Nursing did what any good nurse would do.

"Gather up all the surgical masks and some of the bunny suits and isolation gowns," Cummings said.

Five hundred-fifty masks, 110 gowns, 60 full-body suits and seven reusable goggles.

Supplies that are typically used for students in the simulation lab were redirected to protect nurses at the Arlington Hospital.

Melody Dickerson, MSN, RN, SVP, and Chief Nursing Officer at the hospital issued the following statement to ABC7 News:

Virginia Hospital Center is incredibly grateful to have community partners like Marymount University during this public health crisis. We are fortunate also to have many Marymount alumni working here at VHC. This donation is a fantastic example of how our greater community has come together to support the Hospital and our staff as they work tirelessly to deliver the best care possible to our patients. It is an honor to serve our community - always, and especially in times like these.

This story has been updated Thursday, April 2, 2020