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Dr. John Brennan, Executive Director; Major Debbie Skeete-Bernard, Quality Nurse Manager, Nursing Administration; Nancy Shendell-Falik, RN, MA, Vice President of Patient Care Services
Newark, NJ - Before Major Debbie Skeete-Bernard was deployed to Iraq last September 2008, her coworkers at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center (NBIMC) held a going away party in her honor. Major Skeete-Bernard remembers that her mother, who attended, was amazed by the large turnout of well wishers, saying that she didn’t know so many people would care enough to attend. During her deployment, which will end on February 25, Major Skeete-Bernard received many care packages and letters of encouragement from the Administration and staff members from The Beth.
“During my active duty I would call home to Newark Beth coworkers,” she recalls. “That was part of my lifeline when I was homesick. They would tell me, “Be strong,” and always provide encouragement.”
After arriving home, she visited John A. Brennan, MD, Executive Director of Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, and presented him with a certificate and a folded flag from a combat mission of a wounded warrior, in thanks for the support she received.
“We are proud of Major Skeete-Bernard,” says Dr. Brennan, who has another folded flag in his office from his own days in the Air Force. “Many, many employees are thankful to have her back safely with us.”
Major Debbie Skeete-Bernard, who works in Nursing Administration as a Quality Nurse Manager at NBIMC, served with the 332nd Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Flight as Senior Medical Crew Director. Each crew consisted of two flight nurses and two Aeromedical technicians. She flew 20 combat missions throughout Iraq and Germany.
The main job of her crew was to care for and shepherd injured soldiers from the field back to Balad Air Base for medical care or to Germany for more serious medical emergencies including burned patients, attempted suicides and severe injuries from improvised explosive devices (IED).
Part of her job was to educate the young, stoic army and marines soldiers about the need to take pain medication for their injuries. Many would tell her that they were fine without it, suffering needlessly.
“I would tell them, you are just like my husband. You never listen,” says Major Skeete-Bernard about the soldiers who refused pain management. “They would smile and say I was just like their wife who never listens either.”
Injured soldiers often acted as “battle buddies” to more seriously wounded colleagues, giving the medical team information about how the injury occurred and what the patient might need.
Similarly, there was a level of cohesiveness and concern between the medical team members, who lovingly referred to Major Skeete-Bernard as “grandma” since she was the senior member of the flight team. The group faced times they could not land the place because of base attacks. Once an engine failed during flight. Major Skeete-Bernard conversed with the pilot and he tried to alleviate the fears of the team by saying, “We could land with no engines,” if that was necessary. These experiences and more united the team.
“We became a true close-knit, functional group,” she relates. “Now I’m at home putting things away, trying to get settled and wishing they were here with me.”
Now home with her husband, who is also a flight nurse and a reservist, she feels occasional frustration about the slow acclimation to civilian life. Everything from the eight-hour time difference to having to cook and drive and do all the normal duties of modern life feels different. Fortunately, her husband has been able to identify and assist during the transaction due to his experiences and deployment in 2003.
“I’m Type A and he is laid back,” she laughs. “He told me I was taking too many things when I was sent to Iraq and he was right. I sent most of it back home within the first month. “
Although she misses her team, Major Skeete-Bernard is happy to be back home with her family. Fortunately, she also has her Newark Beth Israel Medical Center family to welcome her home with open arms.
Date: February 27, 2009
Contact: Beth Salamon
Public Relations
Phone: 973.322.4926
esalamon@sbhcs.com
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