Up until this point, Muskegon Community College alumna Amanda Jean Krum, RN, BSN admittedly hasn’t been “one of the many incredible nurses who face this virus head on.” That, however, will change this month when she answers the call for health professionals in the COVID-19 ravaged Metro New York region.
A 2015 graduate of MCC’s nursing program, Krum has worked the past four years as a Registered Nurse case manager at the Mercy Health Muskegon-Mercy Campus in Muskegon.
“Due to the decreased census, case management needs have also decreased,” explains Krum, who earned her BSN from Mount Carmel University in 2018. “At this time, our department is in the process of furloughing. Only specific case managers work the COVID floor/ ER.”
“For the others, our job has remained relatively the same, even slightly less stressful due to the lower caseloads,” added Krum, who manages patient cases and is responsible for discharge planning and multidisciplinary coordinating.
“I have, however, volunteered to be furloughed and am currently in the process of accepting the opportunity to go to New York City as a travel Critical Care Unit/Emergency Room nurse to help them with their current crisis,” said Krum, who on April 20 begins a four-week commitment at NYU Winthrop Hospital on Long Island.
Stepping up to assist others propelled Krum into the profession.
“I have always had a passion for helping people, especially those who are the most in need,” she admitted. “Being a nurse was always what I wanted to do. Being the light in someone else’s darkness is the most fulfilling achievement.”
MCC’s exceptional nursing program was the perfect fit for her.
“I don’t believe I could have gone to a better school,” said Krum, who has worked five years as a RN, one year as a LPN, and six years as a CNA. “I have noticed, throughout my young career so far, how much more prepared I was for the ‘real-world’ of nursing.”
With the national limelight focused on nurses, Krum offered a bit of advice to someone looking to become one.
“Nursing is a labor of love,” she concluded. “Do not do this because it has a decent paycheck and good benefits. Do this because it is your calling. Become a nurse so that you can be the lighthouse in someone’s storm. Do this because it ‘fills your cup,’ because you can’t imagine doing anything else.”