By Hannah Frazier

   Tempe Prep alumna Alexandra Ehmann, class of 2017, has been fighting COVID-19 head-on for the past year and a half. As a registered nurse in the  Trauma Progressive Care Unit, Alexandra has seen the effects of the pandemic up close.

   Alexandra says that as a nurse, every night varies drastically. But to retain some sense of routine, each evening begins with a team huddle intended to provide a glimpse of what the night will entail. She enjoys her daily tasks: handing out meds, checking vitals and assisting patients with whatever they may need. When COVID-19 first struck, Alexandra says she was not affected significantly by the pandemic until she finished training and worked directly with COVID-19 patients for about three months. 

   She was faced with what her training could not prepare her for. She says, “The hospital was at full capacity, we were short-staffed, had no management, and dying patients became a reality.” During nursing school, she learned how to care for all different types of patients, but caring for those diagnosed with COVID-19 was one thing she was never taught. Fortunately, she had support from other nurses through the crazy start of her nursing career.

   Alexandra speaks fondly about her motives for choosing this path. She says, “From being a part of clinical research to volunteering at [a] hospice, the love and care nurses have for their patients was something I knew I wanted to be a part of one day.” 

   She says that TPA challenged her and pushed her to be the best version of herself. “Late nights working on calculus and humane letters turned into late nights studying pathophysiology and health and illness concepts, ” Alexandra says. She thanks TPA for helping her develop her work ethic and teaching her to look for the truth, beauty and goodness in every aspect of her day-to-day life.