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N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 0 • O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y . N E T • 2 7 T he pandemic hit full force just as Maria Tomasetti, DNP, CRNA, was finishing her doc- torate in nurse anesthesiolo- gy. A hot spot in New York City's Mount Sinai Hospital was one of the facilities where Dr. Tomasetti visited for clinical rotations. When she heard the hos- pital didn't have enough staff to care for COVID-19 patients in the ICU, Dr. Tomasetti didn't hesitate to help out. "I couldn't just stand by and watch every- thing that was happening," she says. Dr. Tomasetti had the skills, experi- ence and fortitude needed to respond to such a crisis. "Frontline workers went above and beyond the call of duty during the peak of the pandemic," she says. "They worked 12- to 15-hour shifts. Individuals who have never cared for an ICU patient jumped right in and did what- ever they could do to help." The possibility of helping just one patient recover fueled Dr. Tomasetti when work became overwhelming, a common occurrence in the ICU at the time. "People often asked me if I was scared to go work," she says. "Yes, of course I was scared, but I couldn't stand on the sidelines and watch this virus take more lives while my col- leagues and other healthcare professionals did everything they could. We don't accomplish things in life by wishing for it, but by working for it." Family was her top motivator. "I knew if my loved ones ever became infected with COVID-19, I would want the best care for them." Her mother, a registered nurse herself, inspired Dr. Tomasetti to pursue nursing as an undergraduate student at the University of Pittsburgh. She went on to work in the PICU/PCICU at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, an experience that prepared her for the vigorous work in COVID ICUs. Dr. Tomasetti pursued her doctorate in nursing anesthesiology at Rutgers University. This work led her to take two mission trips to Haiti, the second of which she returned from just before the pandemic hit. She's passionate about the experience and plans to return once the pandemic passes. "The technolog- ical advancements we have in the United States are just not there," she says. "You work with rudimenta- ry resources. It forces you to learn how to adapt. While challenging, it was also truly rewarding." Adaptability, courage and warmth are common qualities of nurses, who risk their own well-being to help others. Dr. Tomasetti is a passionate, hard- working CNRA, now at the Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia. She still speaks with excitement and pride about her work and future plans in the medical field, this challenging time only motivating her more. — Maria Marabito Responding to the Outbreak in NYC ALL IN Maria Tomasetti (left), DNP, CRNA, didn't hesitate to help care for patients in the ICU of an over- whelmed New York City hospital.