Coronavirus Philadelphia: Meet 'The Sunshine Girls,' 2 Einstein Nurses Helping Lift Spirits As Well As Saving Lives
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Today is National Nurses Day, kicking off a week of recognition that's especially important now with nurses being on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic. Two Einstein nurses are being called the "Sunshine Girls."
During these difficult days, who doesn't need some rays of hope? Two nurse heroes at Einstein Hospital aren't just helping to save lives, they're also lifting spirits.
Chalk drawings and signs are scattered around Einstein Medical Center on North Broad Street with simple messages like "heroes walk here."
"Little tidbits of something to make someone smile when they walk in or out," Erin Donohue said.
Donohue and Allie Toczylowski are ICU nurses at Einstein.
"We were all feeling a little anxious and unsure about what was going with the whole coronavirus situation and so we just wanted to spread positivity instead of anxiety," Toczylowski said.
COVID-19 has slammed hospitals everywhere. Medical staffs face the constant threat of potentially being infected with the virus and there's an intensely heavy workload.
"Everyone's super anxious at work, fearful to come in," Donohue said. "It's pretty common like going into work, you have a pit in your stomach."
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"As time has gone on, you get used to it a little bit more, but it's still stressful and still scary," Toczylowski said.
Instead of being guided by fear, these two nurses turned to empowerment.
"That's kind of our MO. Every day we come in, we try to have a positive attitude," Donohue said.
Armed with colorful chalk and encouraging messages for the staff and patients, they quickly got the nickname "The Sunshine Committee."
"Anytime someone passes they're like, 'oh my God, it's you guys doing all this, we love it,'" Donohue said. "We are the Sunshine Girls. We just try to make the best of the situation, everyone is super anxious right now and to make someone smile makes it all worth it for us."
On their Instagram page, @the_sunshinecommittee, they're also creating challenges to keep spirits up and a variety of companies have made donations for prizes.
