Dean McIlear completed a Nursing degree at GCU and graduated in 2018. He is an intensive care nurse at Kings College Hospital in London and was awarded Alumni of the Year 2020 for his active contribution as an intensive care nurse during the pandemic.
Below Dean tells us a bit more about his role:
“My role as an intensive care nurse has changed a lot this year. My role simplified is to look after the sickest people in the United Kingdom and provide organ support which includes: controlling ventilation, blood pressure medication and/or dialysis. My daily role means I continuously monitor vital signs and blood results in order to optimise the machinery and medications. It requires you to be very dynamic and responsive to your critically ill patient. ‘Normally’ the patients are so sick they require a ratio of 1 nurse to 1 patient.”
He follows with:
“I remember back in February 2020 feeling a sense of dread of what was coming. Then it came and it was some of the most testing months of my life thus far. I cared for COVID-19 positive patients requiring invasive ventilation (needing a ventilator). During the first wave our work load increased drastically as we had to care for more critically ill patients with less staff. Reflecting back, I don’t know where me and my colleagues found the energy to keep going but we did. I am proud to say during COVID-19 I was an intensive care nurse.”
Thank you Dean for the phenomenal work you are doing. You are a very worthy addition to our esteemed Alumni of the Year recipients.
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