An Update from the Nurse
My virtual Nurse's Office is in full swing, offering the St. Bernard’s community health services and information to help all its members cope and hopefully even thrive during this pandemic.
Twice a day, I offer our boys and their parents live chats and guided meditations through Zoom. These sessions provide tools to help the boys and parents reset, relax, and rejuvenate. They are a wonderful way to relieve the sense of loneliness that can result from isolation. Stop in. We’d love to see you.
The best way to stay strong, stay healthy, and boost the immune system is to interact with nature. Whenever possible, get out and walk for twenty minutes in nature, be it amongst the trees, the grass, or whatever. Feel the sun’s golden rays stimulate your skin to produce nourishing, essential Vitamin D. To relieve stress, take a short stretch break. With eyes closed and focused, take conscious breaths. As essential as electronic devices are, be sure to take a break from them each day. Play a card game, board game, or do a puzzle or craft—anything for a change.
We are already seeing a downward trend in new COVID cases. Our collective hand washing, social distancing, and mask wearing have caused this trend. For the benefit of you and your loved ones, please continue these important mitigation techniques.
In addition to supporting our school community, I am doing what I can to help support our frontline healthcare workers. Many intensive-care-unit nurses from New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center have been participating in my free online classes. Their feedback has been very positive.
Nurse Porter holds meditations on Zoom Monday through Thursday at 2:10 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Recorded audio meditations are available anytime on the Nurse’s resource board. If you have concerns or questions about health and wellbeing or simply want to chat, Nurse Porter is available by e-mail at mporter@stbernards.org.
