Sunshyne Rice, ADN, RN

White River Junction VAMC

NOVA Chapter 416

Ms. Sunshyne Rice, a nurse who works at the White River Junction VAMC, seized the opportunity to make a positive difference during the COVID-19 pandemic, She voluntarily assumed deployment for four weeks to the VA Boston Healthcare System in VISN 1 , which provided vital assistance to the hospital’s nursing staff and critically ill Veterans. Her drive and motivation to assist during the pandemic in a “hot spot” is related to her desire to help others combined with her expertise, complex skills and application of scholarly knowledge to practice.

Ms. Rice was assigned to 7-2-C, a full negative pressure unit with 20-30 COVID-19 positive patients. Working on that unit, she was required to wear full PPE for the full duration of her shifts. At that time, the situation was very grim with multiple Veterans succumbing to the Coronavirus daily. Ms. Rice recalls one shift when she and another nurse were looking for body bags and realized they weren’t misplaced; the unit’s supply had been depleted. They shared a somber look as reality of the virus' mortality presented itself to them.

Before going to work one night during her deployment, Ms. Rice recalls not being able to sleep. Her mind was racing with thoughts of the Veterans on the unit and concern for one in particular. She had a gut feeling that she was going to have this Veteran on her next shift. Ms. Rice was right; she ended up caring for this Veteran. She collaboratively planned for action with the physicians and other nurses for WHEN, NOT IF, the Veteran was going to decompensate. From her experience with Covid-19 patients, she learned that they decline very rapidly taking minutes before they require emergent attention and need ventilation. It is imperative to be proactive in this situation and recognize the subtle changes of clinical deterioration quickly and accurately.

After a few hours, the inevitable happened. Her education, training and research on the care of patients with COVID-19 all came true in a blink of an eye. Ms. Rice urgently called in the team of nurses and physicians to coordinate the care for this Veteran who contributed to her sleepless night and desperately wanted to live to a hundred. The swift thinking and recognition of signs and symptoms of a rapid response allowed this Veteran to be transferred to the ICU and ventilated, preserving his fragile life. In those challenging times, Ms. Rice celebrated this success story, The Veteran’s survival gave her hope that they were going to get through this together.

At the end of her voluntary tour, Ms. Rice was given an ICARE coin and recognized by Mr. Ng, Director of the VA Boston Healthcare System. Reflecting back on her deployment experience, she shared, “Words cannot describe how rewarding it was to have this opportunity during the COVID-19 pandemic to serve the Veterans who have served us.”