Vicki is still helping patients and learning new skills after three decades in nursing at Northwell

During COVID-19 there were many changes at each hospital to accommodate the increasing needs for patients. Many healthcare workers also went above and beyond to treat patients by leveraging their skills in different ways.

Vicki Weyhreter, a Northwell nurse for 27 years, and her team members at Huntington Hospital began to see changes on their PACU floor. Typically, the PACU floor is where the patients go to recover temporarily from anesthesia after surgery. With the pandemic and temporary suspension of many surgeries, the PACU floor was transformed into a COVID critical care unit and Vicki and her team members were there to help in new ways.

Embracing new opportunities for patient care

As a seasoned healthcare professional, Vicki has impacted many lives during her career at Northwell and began her career as a Registered Nurse at Huntington Hospital in 1993. Throughout her career, she spent 13 years in the Intensive Care unit, eight years in the Recovery unit, and recently spent time in the Interventional Radiology unit. She has been fortunate to have many opportunities during her career to learn new skills and develop professionally. Vicki looked at her newest assignment during COVID as another opportunity to grow and help care for the patients in the community.

This assignment could not be accomplished alone—it required a team effort. Vicki and other PACU nurses were joined by anesthesia and trauma surgeons and physician assistants. Everyone worked collaboratively to optimize their skills, learn new tactics, and go above and beyond for their patients. Their strength came from the compassion they felt for their patients, which is what kept them going during this difficult time.

Vicki described seeing their patients giving a thumbs up or sitting in a chair as “the best feeling of our day.” When a patient is discharged from their unit, the team comes together to cheer and clap as they transition out of critical care.

Although the PACU unit will never be the same to most of the team members at Huntington Hospital, saving lives and embracing teamwork to provide the greatest care for the patient remains the same.

Vicki and her team members are truly Made for This, exemplifying the importance of their role in helping others  fight the virus, and giving hope to their patients.  Are you Made for a nursing career at Northwell? Learn more about nursing at Northwell Health.