Immigrant from Russia spoke about working as a nurse at the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York

When Oksana Galibova is away from Jamaica Hospital (Queens), where she cares for sick patients and runs her nursing team, she devotes time to her family, who have supported her throughout her nursing career, even though it has been challenging at times. She told the publication QNS about his work on the front lines during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Galibova, who immigrated from Russia to the United States in 1995 and lives in Rego Park, was born into a family with extensive healthcare experience that inspired her to become a nurse.

“When I was a little girl, I remember sitting at the dinner table and listening to them talk about the patients they saw and the impact they had on them, helped them recover,” said Galibova, a clinical nurse -Manager in the surgical department of Jamaica Hospital.

Galibova began her career as a nurse in Russia, and when she moved to the United States, she entered Hunter Bellevue School of Nursing at Hunter College, where she received a master's degree in nursing. She joined Jamaica Hospital in 2000, in the telemetry department as a full-time nurse, and then was promoted to assistant nurse nurse where her passion for mentoring and training new nurses intensified. In 2010, Galibova was appointed clinical nurse, head of the medical and surgical department.

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“It was an amazing experience being a role model for the newly hired nursing staff at the patient's bedside,” she said. “I love helping them, comforting them and making sure they receive the highest quality medical care. When I see that my nurses are doing their job the best and come up to me with the words: "I learned this from you" or "Working with you, Oksana, is my best experience", it makes me very happy. "

According to her, she has always loved helping people and taking care of them, especially when they are sick. During her 21-year career as a nurse, she is committed to doing her best in her profession, caring for patients the way she would like her family members to be cared for.

“When patients go home, look you in the eyes and say 'thank you', when they feel better, and when their families turn to you and send postcards, I feel that my job is done,” Galibova said.

Galibova leads the nursing team. She says she admires their victims every day, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has changed the face of her career.

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Galibova recalls that when the condition of one of her patients worsened due to the coronavirus, she spoke to his mother on the phone, providing new information about his condition. Unfortunately, he did not survive.

“One of the hardest moments was talking to his mom after he died,” the nurse said.

Reflecting on the past year, filled with problems, heartache and lost lives, Galibova still hopes that this pandemic will end one day.

“Every day I come to work and see that the number of patients is decreasing - we have 39 beds and 11 patients in the ward,” Galibova said. "I feel so good when we discharge them, teach them good hygiene and make sure they come home with oxygen if needed."