NEW BRUNSWICK — For the first 23 years or so working as a registered nurse-first assistant in the operating room at Saint Peter’s University Hospital, Felix Rivera was used to a regular schedule. In addition to assisting during surgeries, he and members of his team gave words of encouragement and comfort to patients as they waited in a holding area.
But since 2020, the COVID-19 or coronavirus pandemic, Rivera and his co-workers have had the added stress of trying to avoid being infected by a virus that has sickened more than two million New Jersey residents and killed more than 33,000.
On May 2, Rivera served as lector at a Mass in the hospital’s conference room honoring those who serve as nurses. National Nurses Day is officially May 6 and National Nurses Week is May 6-12.
Bishop James F. Checchio presided at the Mass and gave the homily.
During the liturgy, registered nurse Linda Carroll, vice president of Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer at Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, led her colleagues in reciting “The Florence Nightingale Pledge,” which concludes, “With loyalty will I endeavor to aid all practitioners in their work and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care.”
Afterwards, Bishop Checchio gave a group blessing of the nurses’ hands.
In his homily, the bishop noted how busy Jesus was in his earthly ministry as described in the Gospel (John 6:22-29), especially in heavily-populated Galilee. The region in Israel is was where Jesus fed more than 5,000 people through the miracle of the loaves and fishes, taught “great crowds” and healed the sick. Whenever Jesus tried to be alone or alone with his apostles, people found him, the bishop said.
“The amazing thing is that He never gets angry or upset, nor asks to be left alone. Rather, He sees the people in need like sheep without a shepherd, and He responds in love,” Bishop Checchio said.
“As I was reflecting on this, I was thinking of you nurses. I am sure in your work you might often feel like Jesus and His disciples, especially during these past two challenging years when you had nowhere to hide, but were called to be on the front lines in assisting people during this scary pandemic, when there was so much unknown about it at the beginning.
“You no doubt at times just wanted to be alone. You didn’t have the luxury of stepping aside, or working from home, but put love into action with complete selflessness. The nurses of St. Peter’s have been regularly recognized as one of the things that makes St. Peter’s such an outstanding place, so thank you!”
Despite the demands on him, Jesus persevered because he was driven by his intimate relationship with his heavenly father, the bishop continued.
The theme of this year’s observance of Nurse’s Day and Week is “Rooted in Strength.” “Like our Lord, you have been able to do what you were called to do for our good people who were sick, scared, often lonely and isolated, because you were indeed rooted in strength. So what a great theme that was picked. You knew what was needed during this time and you stepped forward in faith with strength to meet that need. You stepped forward to continue the healing ministry of Jesus as you cared for the sick, calmed fears and helped to heal, even dealing not only with the sick, but their anxious and scared families…
“For me, you are a good reminder of this lesson by Jesus as you have been called in a very concrete way to put this mandate of Jesus into action by your loving service of our sick brothers and sisters.”
Rivera, whose family worship at Mass at Immaculate Conception Church, Somerville, said getting immunized and a booster shot, the protective garb he wears, and Mass and praying at holy hours helped him overcome any major stress or fear he might have, especially when caring for patients infected with the virus.
For two months in 2020, Gov. Phil Murphy ordered the cessation of elective surgery, so Rivera was assigned to the emergency room.
“It was kind of a challenge,” he said. “During the height of COVID, we were screening the patients who had COVID and those who did not.”
The Mass at Saint Peter’s was also special, Rivera said, because he was one of 14 nurses at Saint Peter’s — the only one from the operating room — who was honored with the facility’s 2021 Daisy Award for those “who make a difference.” Each recipient received a statue representing Mary holding the baby Jesus.
“The operating room is very cold to prevent infection, so just bringing a warm blanket to a patient makes a difference. Something that simple,” Rivera said about one of the ways he and his teammates try to make someone comfortable or relieve their anxiety before surgery.