Heroes Work Here: Bridget Gladman

We are checking in with some of our colleagues who submitted photos for our Heroes Work Here campaign in the spring. We wanted to share their perspectives on how COVID-19 is shaping life at CoxHealth. Be watching for more of their stories here on coxhealth.com.

'Donning and doffing bunny suits was new, but we all jumped right in.'

Bridget Gladman, Education Center

Just a few months before COVID-19 began, Bridget Gladman translated her more than 14 years of nursing experience into a new role as an enterprise educator at CoxHealth’s Education Center. After years in post-partum nursing, her new role would focus on planning large conferences.

That’s what would have happened in any other year. In 2020, education has taken on new roles.

“Our whole education department had to take a step back,” Gladman says. They focused on COVID-19 training for frontline caregivers.

Gladman and her colleagues studied PPE donning and doffing procedures and became PPE credentialers for the staff working with COVID-19 patients.

“It was nerve-racking. All I had ever done was gown up for isolation purposes. Donning and doffing bunny suits was new, but we all jumped right in.”

For the first couple of months, Gladman and the education team worked long shifts, training and supporting staff.

“It really opened my eyes to how hard those nurses are working on 5W, CCU and the ED,” Gladman says. “They spend a lot of time in gowns, double gloves, shields and face masks. Even when we were in the PPE for 30 minutes or an hour, you’d come out sweating.

“I felt like this was a hard time, but everyone was really working well together.”

Gladman and her colleagues stepped forward to help any way they could, including taking on shifts as entrance screeners when the need was highest.

“There is such great teamwork in my department. I really appreciate my manager being flexible. When we all switched jobs and did different things, our team really showed a lot of camaraderie.”

Like so many staffers, the last few months have changed the way she feels about working at CoxHealth. She has always been proud, but this is different.

“Seeing how hard people work on these units with their patients is impressive. They are the real heroes.”

Watching CoxHealth’s community response has been inspiring as well.

"I didn’t know Steve Edwards and Dr. Trotman as well before this. I am super impressed with them. The whole thing reminds of the We Want to Know Survey question: are you proud to work at CoxHealth? Well, darn it, yes I am! We have Steve and Dr. Trotman in our corner. I am very proud."