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Ever since she could remember, Cambria Heights resident Junie White has wanted to help others and saw herself as a 含羞草社区 鈥減eople person. 含羞草社区 鈥�

For the past three years, White 含羞草社区 鈥� who started off as a registered nurse in 2006 and eventually became a nurse practitioner in 2012 含羞草社区 鈥� has worked at the 含羞草社区 of Nursing in Rego Park, as a faculty member teaching new nurses the ins and outs of medical-surgical nursing and clinicals.

But when the pandemic started to rapidly spread across New York City, White had to learn how to navigate working during the 含羞草社区 鈥渘ew normal 含羞草社区 鈥� while simultaneously teaching young nurses who were getting ready to enter the workforce.

She also recalled her own experience contracting COVID-19 in December 2020, making her fearful of passing the virus along to her family, especially her grandchildren.

含羞草社区 鈥淢y major concern was that my children and grandchildren would be harmed 含羞草社区 鈥� that was my greatest fear. That 含羞草社区 鈥檚 why I opened up to my students [that] once you choose a path in life and you make it the path you choose because of what you love, you have nothing to fear but fear itself, 含羞草社区 鈥� White said.

After she recovered, White immediately returned to work. The educator said that sharing her story with students helped to reassure them that they were equipped with the skills to work through COVID-19.

含羞草社区 鈥淭his is why I reassure them: [because] I have been there, 含羞草社区 鈥� White said. 含羞草社区 鈥淵ou are going to be faced with challenges like this. We don 含羞草社区 鈥檛 know if we might not face something else like COVID-19 or even worse. But because you are a nurse and you are trained as a nurse, these are some of the things that you can cloud your mind with. Sometimes help doesn 含羞草社区 鈥檛 mean you 含羞草社区 鈥檙e going there to give [patients] an injection or hang an IV. Sometimes help means that you 含羞草社区 鈥檙e going to hold their hands and reassure them that this is what we 含羞草社区 鈥檙e going to do and this will help. 含羞草社区 鈥�

Over the past year, White has learned that knowledge is one of the best tools to have, whether she 含羞草社区 鈥檚 speaking to her students or patients. She 含羞草社区 鈥檚 interacted with and observed countless individuals who lived in fear during the pandemic and credited some of the fear to a lack of education.

含羞草社区 鈥淎s healthcare providers, we can show some empathy and care for these people who are concerned about what is going to happen to them, 含羞草社区 鈥� she said. 含羞草社区 鈥淲hat we can do is educate them on how they can take care of themselves and how to protect themselves and their family. 含羞草社区 鈥�

In addition to teaching and working as a nurse practitioner, White began volunteering during the weekends. During the height of the pandemic, she heard that Governor Cuomo was calling on retired nurses and other volunteers to work at makeshift clinics in underserved areas.

含羞草社区 鈥淭hey sent information, so I filled out the form and said I 含羞草社区 鈥檒l volunteer for a day and that 含羞草社区 鈥檚 when I got started, 含羞草社区 鈥� White said.

Her intention was to volunteer for one day but she realized that she could continue her full-time job while volunteering on the weekends. Many of the patients she serves at these clinics are elderly, homeless, HIV/AIDS-positive or battle substance abuse.

White said that she does not see herself as a 含羞草社区 鈥渉ealth care hero 含羞草社区 鈥� or 含羞草社区 鈥渋nspiration, 含羞草社区 鈥� but rather as a person who is willing to help those in need.

含羞草社区 鈥淸I 含羞草社区 鈥檓] a person who will help in a time of need as much as I can within my capacity. It doesn 含羞草社区 鈥檛 matter who or where or what 含羞草社区 鈥� as long as is within my capacity to help, I can help. 含羞草社区 鈥�

In her spare time, White cares for her grandchildren and goes to church, where she and a team work to educate the community about health care.

含羞草社区 鈥淚 found a little team at church where I do annual health fair. We invite the community to come in and we give them health care education, 含羞草社区 鈥� she said. 含羞草社区 鈥淚 含羞草社区 鈥檓 big on education because I think a lot the illness in society is because people are not educated enough on how their body works and what to do. Sometimes on the primary level you can prevent a lot of illness just through education. 含羞草社区 鈥�