Stuttgart Nurse takes COVID-19 in stride

Photo By Thomas Mort | Alicia Murphy, the Nurse Case Manager assigned to U.S. Special Operations Command Europe, takes a break from patient phone calls, May 5, 2020. Murphy's role during COVID-19 has been to help coordinate care for those with symptoms and to track individuals in quarantine or isolation for new symptoms for themselves and their family members. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Thomas Mort)  

GERMANY

05.12.2020

Story by Staff Sgt. Thomas Mort 

U.S. Special Operations Command Europe   

STUTTGART, Germany -- International Nurses Day, May 12, has been a recognized event since 1954, with the week typically coinciding with Florence Nightingale’s birthday on May 12, 1820. Here at U.S. Special Operations Command Europe, our medical staff has one nurse, Alicia Murphy, who has stayed busy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Murphy, who was born and raised in Texas, said she has always wanted to be a nurse.

“My mom, grandma, aunts, and cousins are all nurses - it runs in the family,” Murphy reveals.

Murphy attended the University of Miami and has been a nurse for almost 10 years. Prior to becoming a nurse, she was a stay at home mom and a U.S. Marine Corps spouse for over 20 years. Her family has lived in Okinawa, Hawaii, Florida, North Carolina, and now Germany.

“Alicia's contributions to the SOCEUR Community are above reproach,” adds the Command Physician Assistant assigned to the SOCEUR Preservation of the Force and Family (POTFF) program. “She has the ability to care for and guide almost anyone in need of care, and this has been quite apparent in our fight against COVID-19.”

Murphy is now the Nurse Case Manager assigned to the SOCEUR POTFF program. Murphy's experience within the Military Health System (MHS) all started here in Stuttgart as an ambulatory care nurse at the Patch Health Clinic. Working with the military community and family members has been great, proclaims Murphy.

“The last few months have been interesting,” Murphy said.

Before the COVID-19 outbreak, Murphy would see patients in person at the SOCEUR Surgeon’s office.

“Now everything is done through email or phone calls,” Murphy adds. “My role during COVID-19 has been to help coordinate care for those with symptoms and to track individuals in quarantine or isolation for new symptoms for themselves and family members.”

Murphy is always available to answer any questions and provide support for anyone who has the need.

“This is not much different than what I was doing before,” Murphy explains. “I am just interacting with patients differently.”

It’s commonly known amongst medical professionals that nurses are crucial to the success of any medical endeavor, especially in the military.

“Nurses tend to have more time to spend with patients, which allows more insight into a patient’s needs,” Murphy said. “Nurses in the military are important for continuity of care.”

Murphy states that nurses are great at adapting to whatever comes their way.

“I think being a nurse during this historic time is no different than any other time,” adds Murphy. “You still care for the individual in the same way and help as much as possible.”

Military and civilian nurses continue to serve leading roles to maintain military health and readiness and effect transformative changes occurring in military medicine now and in the future.

Nurses are contributing to the Department of Defense efforts as part of the national COVID-19 pandemic response. Protecting service members, their families and the MHS workforce is the DoD’s top priority that nurses are delivering on while caring for patients as a final line of defense against COVID-19.

• Date Taken: 05.12.2020
• Date Posted: 05.12.2020 11:10
• Story ID: 369781
• Location: DE