15
April
2020
|
13:56 PM
America/Chicago

UST Dorm Gives Peace of Mind to Covid-19 Frontline Nurse

Lauren Fernandez-Miller BSN ’19 From the frontlines of COVID-19, nurse Lauren Fernandez-Miller BSN ’19 jumped at UST’s offer to stay in campus housing. She had already moved in with friends to keep her immune-suppressed mother safe, but the thought of unwittingly taking COVID-19 to her new roommates was worrisome as well.

She cares for patients in a dedicated COVID-19 ICU at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center in the Texas Medical Center. The beds are almost full. Most of the patients are on ventilators or sedated.

“I’m not nervous for myself,” Fernandez-Miller said. “I just don’t want to give it to someone else if I don’t feel any symptoms and transmit. With the UST dorm room, I can just stay in the dorm and go to work.”

Before she heard that the University was making 90 dorm rooms available to three area hospitals, Fernandez-Miller heard about medical colleagues who were shielding their loved ones by staying in short-term lodging like Airbnbs or having their children move in with grandparents.

Ideal Location Near TMC

Already fulfilling a regular shift in the medical battle, this bedside soldier sees the UST housing as a way for her to do even more.

“From UST, it only takes 10 minutes to get to The Texas Medical Center. Being so close to the hospital means I can put myself on the schedule for extra shifts to help out.”

Fernandez-Miller is grateful for the education and clinical training she received through UST’s nursing program.

Still in her first year as a registered nurse, she points out that 2020 was named Year of the Nurse by the World Health Organization.

“And what an extraordinary year it is to be recognized,” she observed.

Doing What She Loves

The young medical professional chose nursing because of her love of science and strong desire to directly help people who are sick. Those she’s caring for now are fighting for their lives.

To find out more about UST’s dorm rooms for medical personnel, please contact RoomsforHeroes@stthom.edu.