’Putting shots in arms’

MT. PLEASANT — Public health nurses are one of many unsung heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic. They have been working diligently behind the scenes to help the community cope with the dangerous disease and ensure that the disease is as contained as possible.

With 40 percent of eligible county residents vaccinated so far, the Henry County Public Health nurses are celebrating a win as residents continue to seek out their COVID-19 vaccine.

However, morale was not always this high in the county department, especially after a deadly surge of the virus hit Henry County last November.

Nurse Shelley Graber was hired in the midst of the pandemic to help Henry County Public Health cope with the added workload that came with COVID-19.

Graber is tasked with contact tracing, disease spread studies, obtaining supplies for vaccine clinics and much more. According to Graber, another nurse and herself were brought on so that the other public health nurses could continue their much-needed programs for the county while also being able to fulfill their contact tracing requirements.

Graber formerly worked at Iowa City Mercy Hospital in inpatient surgical care, assisting with procedures and aiding patients. However, in an effort to get closer to home Graber moved to the county health department this last October.

In November of last year, a surge of COVID-19 cases and deaths sent the Public Health department reeling, especially since the surge came in the middle of a software update for contact tracing investigation.

During this surge, nurses spent hours and hours contact tracing, they would even have to do it on the weekends as well, sometimes going into the late hours of the night.

This took an emotional and physical toll on the nurses, pushing them to the brink of exhaustion as they tried to find time to do their normal tasks as well.

“When we came on, the nurses that had been there with Public Health, it had hit them so hard because we were getting so many cases that it was hard for them to focus on any of their other stuff that went along with Public Health, and with that spike of numbers it really affected them,” Graber said.

Not only did the long hours take a toll on the nurses but also trying to help positive or quarantining patients find out how to take care of their needs, such as income, child care, and other things that people miss out on while in quarantine.

“We understand when you get that test done, and it comes back positive it really affects a person’s life, not only are you not feeling well. Now if you're working or have kids you have to take into account how that’s going to affect your household. ” Graber said. “That emotional aspect and trying to help people through that. It was draining on us trying to help them by talking through those scenarios because it is such a hard time for people.”

However, the long hours never discouraged Graber from her recent career shift. She knew, as did others, that Public Health wouldn’t be a cookie-cutter job where they work a regular shift. It was a different level of involvement. Helping the community and giving back to the place where she raised her children motivated Graber to join the Public Health team and stick with it.

“We are taking care of the community needs, and for me as difficult as some of the changes have been, it’s been nice to be able to give back to my community. Even if it’s being on the phone with someone into the evening, or calling someone on the weekend to check in on them, even though it’s not physically exhausting it is mentally,” Graber said.

With the vaccine rollout underway, Henry County Public Health Department has seen a big jump in morale as the sign of the end may finally be on the way.

Now instead of contact tracing constantly the nurses have shifted their focus to getting “shots in arms” or vaccinating the county so that the community can see a closer to normal summer.

With vaccine clinics running every other Thursday the county is looking forward to vaccinating more and more people as vaccines stay in high supply.

However, Graber also warns that everyone should continue cautionary measures such as washing their hands, wearing a mask and social distancing. The risk of infection will remain high until the majority of people are vaccinated.