On the front line of COVID-19: McKenna Meza ’19

Because she works as a medical scribe in an emergency department, McKenna Meza ’19 of Appleton, Wisconsin, has had to take extra precautions because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Her job duties are to start charts and document a patient’s emergency room stay for the doctor, physician assistant or nurse practitioner she is assigned to for the day. She then accompanies the provider into patient rooms to document histories, physical exams, reevaluations or procedures.

“Since COVID-19, the time medical scribes spend accompanying providers in patient rooms has decreased,” she says. “Since I work in a hospital, I have been very careful about social distancing with the understanding that I could be a carrier of the virus. As a result, I haven’t seen some of my family in several weeks which has been difficult, but I want to protect them.”

While she chooses to keep her workplace confidential, she says she loves the people she works with and enjoys seeing how the interprofessional team works quickly and efficiently to care for each patient.

During COVID-19, “it can be frightening to think about the unknown, but I keep reminding myself that I work in healthcare because I have a passion for helping others,” Meza says. “I’m in my last few semesters of nursing school, and working during the pandemic has only solidified that I want to care for people and be part of a healthcare team. During these uncertain times, it is important to remember that perspective can be everything.”

At Ripon College, Meza majored in biology and is studying nursing at Bellin College of Nursing.

Posted May 8, 2020 in Alumni, COVID-19, Uncategorized.