MIDLAND, Texas — It's no secret that local hospitals are struggling with full beds and a lack of staff.
"Midland Memorial is definitely overloaded right now with COVID and even with regular patients, the ER it has been so full this week," Registered Nurse Chastin Ellison said.
At Midland College, there are new nurses that have been training for years to take care of the sick, and now they are ready to help.
"I used to daydream about taking care of people," Ellison said.
On Sunday, Ellison and Alondra Favela start as registered nurses at Midland Memorial Hospital, and they know they are starting at an interesting time.
"For us there isn't really a normal because we did start nursing school when COVID first hit, so this is our new normal," Favela said.
However, they know they have a job to do and they are ready to do it.
"There's a lot of fear associated with disease and COVID especially, but you kind of have to push through that because I mean there's fear in everything," Ellison said. "And if you let that consume you, you won't be able to do your job and that's what we're called to do as nurses."
Midland College has a state-of-the-art training facility that gets nurses ready and able to take care of their community.
"No matter who you are in life, a mom, dad, grandpa, teacher, at some point in your life, you've taken care of somebody, and as nurses we get to give back," Favela said.
And right now, nurses are needed in hospitals across the country.
"There's been a ton of nurses leave this field just in 2020 and 2021 alone because of the fear and because of they just physically and mentally can't do it anymore," Ellison said.
Both Ellison and Favela encourage everyone who is thinking about nursing to give it a shot and apply to nursing school.
"Thank y'all so much, and for the community, just pray for our community, pray for your healthcare workers, and just be kind to one another because you know what, we're all the same," Ellison said.
Midland College has a podcast called "PTK Perspectives" that spoke to both of these nurses. To listen to their full episodes, search that title on Spotify or your favorite podcasting platforms once the show premieres on Aug. 16.
To read more about the podcast, click here.