MEET THE MEDICS
A registered nurse from Phoenix , and the lead faculty for an RN to BSN program at Grand Canyon University , Alicia Shields first deployed to the Navajo Nation on May 1 . She was still there when Team Rubicon demobilized on July 10 . During her more than two month stint , Shields supplemented staffing in the ER on the night shift , then spent the last three weeks of her deployment as a charge nurse . ( Read her recent reflection The 91-Day Greyshirt .)
Why did you decide to deploy with Team Rubicon to the Navajo Nation ?
The Navajo Nation has a very special place in my heart . I spent seven years living and working on the Navajo Nation ; my daughter even went to first grade at Tsehootsooi Primary School in Fort Defiance . I have some close friends who are from the Navajo reservation and it was heartbreaking to see how COVID-19 has devastated families and communities . I wanted to give back to the place that had given me so much and so many memories .
What was the most important thing you learned during your time serving at the Navajo Nation ?
Being familiar with the culture I pretty much knew what to expect . What being here did do was to reinforce to me the concept of K ' e . K ' e is a Navajo concept that is based on respect , responsibility , and relationships . Seeing the staff here care for one another and for the community showed that K ' e is a
It has really been revealing to see how much harder it is to get good medical care when living in such rural areas ”.
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