Nurses at Advocate Christ Medical Center publish coffee table book about frontline healthcare work during COVID-19 pandemic

OAK LAWN, Ill. (WLS) -- Nurses at Advocate Christ Medical Center have published a coffee table book outlining their experiences working at the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The book, titled "Through Our Eyes," is a collection of contributed essays written by 40 nurses at the hospital. It was created to commemorate the work of medical staff during the height of COVID-19 hospitalizations.

Chief nursing officer Lynn Hennessy said that she's "never been prouder" to be a nurse or to work with nurses than she has over the past year.

"It's a once every 100 years (event), thank goodness. Hopefully it will be longer next time," Hennessy said. "So it's a time capsule that (nurses) can share with their children, grandchildren, and grandchildren's children."

Mallorie Rosales, a nurse in the surgical trauma ICU, was one of the Advocate medical staff who contributed to the book. Her essay was pulled from a Facebook post she made after a "particularly hard night" in the ICU.

"We still feel kind of burnt out from the effects of caring for these patients," said Rosales.

RN Maribeth O'Connell wrote about the younger nurses who impressed her with their dedication and commitment to patients, in an essay titled, "A League of Their Own."

Rusmea Salah, an assistant clinical manager in the labor and delivery unit, wrote about a negative-pressure operating room that she helped create to ensure safety for mothers giving birth.

"Through Our Eyes" is available for purchase online, and proceeds will go towards providing support for medical staff at Advocate Christ Medical Center.