Note: This article was written during the pandemic. Learn about our current face mask and visitor guidelines.

“I’ve been working at Froedtert Menomonee Falls Hospital since 1997. Right now, I’m a nurse in the MCU, which stands for Modified Care Unit and is the main heart floor. It is a type of critical care. I work 12-hour night shifts. Patients tend to have more pain and more anxiety at night. They don’t have all the distractions from daytime, with all the people in and out of their rooms, all the therapies and doctors. At night it can get lonely, especially these days, with visitor limitations inside the hospital. Sometimes I sit with them, hold their hand and just listen to what they want to talk about. That is what I really enjoy about nursing, the little things. Being a shoulder to lean on, giving someone a warm blanket or making sure their blinds are closed so that when the sun does rise in the morning, they can still get some sleep. I love helping people.”

“I have a masters in nursing education, and I taught nursing for 15 years at Carroll College. Bettering nurses and making sure we have access to the latest research in our profession is something I am passionate about. I also think it’s important to touch on the fact that I am a male nurse, and nursing is a predominantly female profession. I want to do everything I can to raise awareness about men’s health concerns, a common one is prostate issues. These aren’t easy topics. I try to be a resource for my male patients and encourage them to talk with their physician if there are concerns.”

“These days, the hard part about my job is COVID. I use a lot of humor, and I like to make my patients smile, but it is hard because I’m always wearing a mask. If I’m treating a COVID patient, I’m wearing even more PPE — multiple masks, a gown, goggles and a face shield. I know patients can see the enthusiasm through my eyes, but the human element can get lost with all the PPE. We have less contact with our patients too, which is hard because human touch is such a big part of being a nurse. You want to comfort people, hold their hand and reassure them. We do our best. This will pass. Nursing is my calling, I wouldn’t do anything else.”

– Samuel Garland, RN, MCU, Froedtert Menomonee Falls Hospital

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