MASON CITY, Iowa - A MercyOne North Iowa nurse is back in Mason City after being on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic.
Jenni O'Donnell and nearly a dozen other nurses and doctors spent five weeks at the MercyOne hospital in Sioux City during the height of the surge. Much of her time was spent in the COVID unit, working with patients who were gravely ill.
She says may of those patients were on ventilators and required one-on-one nursing care.
O'Donnell does have an underlying health condition, but says her work in helping out those in need was more important than her safety.
"Nurses are the front line and we support our doctors and without good nursing care patient ratio and patient survival rate is not as good," said O'Donnell.
She also said if she was asked to head to another coronavirus hot spot to help out, she would do it again.
