A nurse’s life…
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(L to R) Malaki Alvis, Lorena Alvis, Easton Alvis and Bo Alvis. (The Hesperian-Beacon/Teresa Bigham)
By Teresa Bigham / The Hesperian-Beacon—
LOCKNEY – The Coronavirus pandemic has upset the lives of American workers, especially those in “essential jobs,” who continue to go to work during the outbreaks, including nurses, pharmacy technicians and grocery store employees.
I spoke with a nurse that works at the Cogdell Hospital and Clinic, Lorena Alvis. She is the nurse for Jenna Everett, P.A.-C.
Alvis is a wife and mother, who holds her faith of the Lord close to her heart. She and her husband Brandon have three wonderful boys. The family lives a very active lifestyle.
Lorena was born and raised in Lockney. She married her high school sweetheart 13 years ago. Her parents are Jose and Eva Bernal. She is the oldest of three children. She has two younger brothers; Jeremiah lives in Lockney and Louis calls Hale Center home.
Lorena and Brandon both have essential jobs. The family isn’t letting that stop them from enjoying some of the most precious family time. The family is involved in stock shows, baseball, basketball and everything in between.
Working in the medical field is a stressful job, and she takes her job to heart, after all she’s been employed at Cogdell Clinic for 9-1/2 years. She attended Amarillo College where she received her LVN license.
“I really wasn’t trained for this virus while at school, but they always stressed to us that we needed to take everything very serious.
Lorena’s day starts out like any other person’s day. She gets up and has a few cups of coffee, gets ready for work and makes sure her kiddos day are all lined out. She said, “Having a 15-year old son who helps me out so much has been a real blessing.”
Lorena drives about seven miles to and from work. That drive is some welcome quite time. She uses that time to get geared up for work and the drive home to de-stress.
Once at work it’s all hands-on deck. There’s usually a patient waiting to be seen. They see patient after patient. Lorena likes to spend as much time as possible getting to know each one of them.
Lorena said, “They are the patients that we’re taking care of, and the ones that we have to worry about. With the COVID-19 being a threat and it’s a real threat, we need to be cautious. We are taking more precautions such as screening them, asking about their travel history, if they are experiencing any symptoms – like shortness of breath and wheezing. If we need to, we take the full measures. We wear scrubs, gloves, and sometimes we may need to use a face shield. No matter what comes our way, we are going to treat everyone with the upmost respect and the best care that we can.
Lorena is taking all precautions to keep her family safe and healthy. She also makes sure that they have a well-balanced life. They enjoy lots of outside time and play games. She said, “My biggest fear is bringing the virus home to the kids. I take every precaution I can think of to stay healthy. I wash my hands and change my clothes and shoes in the laundry room before I ever see my family.”
Lorena feels that it is so important that everyone stay home as much as possible. Wash your hands or use the hand sanitizer, stay out of large crowds and don’t believe everything the media is saying. Most important remember God is in control.
“I have the most amazing support system ever! Brandon is always there if I need to talk. He’s very reassuring. He’s the best husband ever,” said Lorena.
