Kevin Treadway

A Nurse’s Perspective during the Covid-19 Pandemic 

By Tom O’Grady

There are stressful aspects to being a healthcare worker regardless of the times we are living in. Nurses often face several difficulties in their line of work because they serve many roles – and these roles often differ depending on whether they’re interacting with patient or physician. In addition to the potential stressors and hazards of the jobs there are also certainly many rewards that come with the role. Even in the best of times managing your own health and stress takes effort. 

Being a nurse during a global health pandemic takes all of the difficult aspects of the occupation and amplifies them. With that in mind – it is a fair question to ask why anyone would want to volunteer for a more difficult position during such a crisis. And what does a person who is working in the field of nursing during a health crisis do to manage stress? The answer is likely someone who has a sense of duty, has the flexibility, and also the desire to learn more. Kevin Treadway is currently living in New York City where his primary role is working as a nurse at an allergy clinic in lower Manhattan.

Kevin’s duties until February were to provide allergy shots to individuals visiting one of the clinics three offices. When the Covid-19 pandemic began work as usual slowed at the allergy clinic. When Kevin was contacted to work with the CDC on screening patients for Covid-19 at international ports of entry, he saw this as an opportunity. It was a chance to pick-up lost income, expand his nursing and healthcare knowledge, provide support, and be at the cutting edge of public health and medical knowledge. 

After accepting a preliminary three-month contract, Kevin began to make trips to the airport where he was stationed. During his shifts he does a variety of tasks to assist the CDC with screening individuals including – taking temperatures, providing education, triaging to resources, and completing emergency management training. Understandably, due to the nature of the work that is going on, Kevin has asked to limit the specifics related to where he works and the extent of what he does on a daily basis.

The current climate in New York City is surreal. Places that are usually bustling with activity have little to no activity. There is certainly a different feel to the area that is hard to describe. Many people who live in the city for work or other reasons have left. So, one of the most populated and densely packed cities in the world, currently has an eerily empty feel to it. 

Kevin notes, “It’s been eye-opening to realize how far reaching and prominent the disease is. Travelers returning from many different countries are at risk of turning up Covid-19 positive.” I’m amazed at the way everyone who I’ve worked with is on-board and united in trying to stop the spread of the disease.” When walking the streets or taking transportation to reach work, Kevin notes virtually everyone (19 out of 20 people) are wearing face masks, gloves, and other personal protective equipment just while navigating the streets. Kevin was training for running races more intensely prior to the pandemic and notes that much of his communication with his running club has ended.

Kevin kept up running and working out after the pandemic began, but has shifted his goals. He had planned to race this year, but with every event in the foreseeable future cancelled, he sees no reason to continue with hard workouts. Instead, he’s lowered his mileage and is simply completing easy mileage and longer endurance runs to stay healthy and reduce his stress. The miles he puts in prior to work help provide him with focus and relaxation for the day ahead. Many of his shifts are in the mid-afternoon or evening. On his runs, he notices that many parks have been locked up and even if running tracks were accessible, he’d likely avoid them. 

When completing a run, he jokes that his running clothes at least get preferential treatment – they get to come in the house. Like many healthcare workers in New York City Kevin takes his work clothes off and bags them prior to coming inside his house after a shift. This helps to control the possibility of bringing any pathogens into his house from the outside. 

Besides the potential dangers involved in the work, Kevin finds it intellectually engaging and professionally satisfying. He intends to continue with the work for as long as the pandemic continues and plans to use running to help him stay healthy and manage stress in the process. When asked about stress he states, “I am comfortable with the illness assessment, although it’s never pleasant when someone needs to seek medical care. The stressful part is realizing that I’m working under conditions which could affect hundreds or thousands of people if not handled properly.” Kevin hopes that the change in his training regime will suit him well and that stepping back now and focusing on what matters will allow him to come back stronger when races start again. He’s keeping an optimistic outlook and hopes that the pandemic will end sooner than forecasted.

Kevin has a longtime connection to the Capital Region where he grew up, graduating from Colonie High School in 2006. He learned about his talent for running while in middle school when he joined the track team to prepare for soccer. He quickly realized that his talent in running exceeded his soccer abilities when he became one of the fastest eighth grade 1600-meter runners in state history. From there, it was running full-time, and he helped the Cross Country and Track & Field teams at Colonie improve their distance squad tremendously. By the time he was a senior he served as a captain all three seasons. Highlights from his high school running career include: sixth place at the 2005 Suburban Council meet in 15:23 at Saratoga Spa State Park (fourth fastest Colonie High School time ever on the course and a top 75 fastest time ever for high school), 3000-meter and 4x800-meter relay school records (since beaten), and several trips to state and national meets.

His good grades and running talent helped Kevin earn a spot at Dartmouth College where he continued to run and majored in biology. He wasn’t academically sure what he wanted to pursue after college but knew he was interested in the healthcare field. He continued his running campaign, ended his time at Dartmouth as a team captain, and lowered his personal bests to: 4:11 in the mile, 8:24 in 3000 meters, and 14:31 in 5000 meters. After graduating, he returned home to the Capital Region. Kevin first considered medical school and continued running. While considering career pursuits, he began training seriously again and started road racing post collegiately.

Kevin started to work at Albany Medical Center as a patient care technician and this heavily influenced his career choice. He saw the nurses there as dedicated and hardworking, and that made him look at the career. He kept working and running while matriculating into the Hudson Valley Community College/Albany Medical Center nursing program. The flexibility allowed Kevin to work as a patient care technician while completing his degree requirements. 

In order to manage stress and provide an outlet for his competitive drive Kevin continued to run. As you can imagine, someone with Kevin’s background quickly took to road racing, and posted some impressive performances while living locally. Some of Kevin’s highlights from 2010-2015 include: twice winning the 3.5-Mile CDPHP Workforce Team Challenge in 2012 (17:18) and 2014 (17:09), winning 2013 USATF Grand Prix at OK-5K in Kinderhook (15:15), winning 2012 USATF Grand Prix Troy Turkey Trot 10K (31:23), 48:51 at the HMRRC Stockade-athon 15K, and 1:09:10 at the Hartford Half Marathon.

After finishing his nursing degree requirements, Kevin decided to move to New York City in 2017 with his girlfriend. This is where he found a position at the allergy clinic where he is now. Kevin’s girlfriend began a legal career in the city after graduating from Albany Law School. Kevin’s day-to-day treatment activities include providing allergy shots, testing, assisting with serum preparation, and conducting asthma tests. He decided to continue his education and began working on a master’s degree in nursing through Excelsior College’s distance learning program.

Ever the runner, Kevin noted that the pandemic has disrupted the daily routine of so many people’s lives, “Something that runners in particularly probably miss.” The weekly track interval workout no longer exists or the ability to meet up for a group run. Those are the things that many people look forward to on a weekly basis and are a way for social connection that have vanished. He mentioned that his five to six weekly runs of four to eight miles provide him with a sense of control that he – and everyone – has lost in nearly every other aspect of life. Running continues to provide him with a time for pause and reflection, in a world where information is bombarding us with increasing speeds.

Staying healthy, through exercise and eating well are two things everyone can do, to keep mentally and physically fit during this time of stress.

Tom O’Grady, PhD, MPH (thomas.james.ogrady@gmail.com) of Slingerlands is an avid runner, hiker and lover of the outdoors. Learn more at ogradystrategies.com.