On the front lines for kids
An interview with Jody Castrillon by Melanie Leggett
Friends School parent Jody Castrillon (mom of 2nd grader Phoenix), is a Registered Nurse at Children’s Hospital Colorado. We recently caught up with her to get the lowdown on what her experience has been on the frontlines of children’s healthcare locally right now. We thank Jody for blogging with us, and for her impactful work!
How has Covid-19 impacted your work?
To be honest, my job has changed a lot! But not in the way one would expect… it’s been very slow, since children haven’t been significantly affected by COVID-19. Our patient volumes at North Campus ED/Urgent Care are way down. Most people are staying home and avoiding the hospital unless absolutely necessary. I think parents are thinking twice before coming in, trying to take care of more things at home. Many nurses have been placed on alternate assignments within the hospital. But we still have our baseline ED staff. Kids are coming in with injuries… lots of opportunities for broken bones and lacerations these days! We just moved into our new, amazing ED the second week of March. It’s been nice to have time to settle in to our new facility, but I’ll be glad when things are up and running again so we can fully utilize the space to care for the kids of our community.
I know many healthcare workers are overworked and overwhelmed right now, but that isn’t the case for me.
How has this impacted family life for you?
We are getting to spend so much time together! I am still working my regular three shifts a week, but my time off feels plentiful. We are enjoying taking bike rides, making meals, playing games and movie nights as a family more than ever.
What is helping you stay grounded and healthy?
Getting outside and moving always makes me feel good. So does petting my golden retriever 😊. And I am grateful to get to go to work and interact with other people in a different setting a few times a week.
How can we as a Friends School Community support health care workers right now?
Make sure to follow recommended protocols, like using online telehealth visits when possible. It really helps to keep exposures down. The community at large has been very supportive with donations of food, homemade facemasks, etc.
Is there a silver lining to this time in history?
Yes! I think it’s forced us to slow down and reprioritize. I’ve realized how many of the things on my ‘to-do’ list that used to seem so essential, like the world would crumble if I didn’t get them done, aren’t really necessary. I hope this new perspective of keeping it simple stays with us.