Kelley Perez found a passion for taking care of people in the same community she now serves as a nurse every day.
"I did an AHEC program in high school and I actually did it at Dauterieve Hospital in New Iberia and that's where I fell in love with nursing," says Perez, who works in the ICU at Iberia Medical Center.
These days, Kelley is fighting on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, and while she tends to the physical burden the virus puts on her patients, she hasn't forgotten their mental and emotional health.
"I can say its been challenging but we did come up with a communication system with the families with the iPads and the patients really enjoy that and the families appreciate that communication," she says, adding that the healing process is a group effort, and nurses on her floor are teaming up with their patients' loved ones to get everyone home happy and healthy.
"I've witnessed what the patient really needs. The family is able to help us understand the patient better, and that's what I want for my job is to make sure the patients first and that they're taken care of," she says.
No matter what struggles the day brings, when it's time for her patients to go home, Kelley says every tough moment becomes worth it.
"At the end of the day we come to serve our patients and the community and that's all that matters."
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