You know, I feel the word hero sometimes gets thrown around a lot. The word should be used with care and discretion. But one group that truly deserves the title of hero are nurses. I personally can testify to their hero status, watching them taking care of my father after his stroke or when they somehow dealt with an anxious and stressed patient like myself when I was at Froedtert Hospital after my surgery to help with my Crohn's disease.
But I can only imagine what they have to go through during a pandemic on a scale like this. I think to myself, "Could I even do an hour in their shoes?" and the answer would be a no. I mean I could probably do an hour but I wouldn't be the same person after that 60 minutes. It takes a special person to do what they do day in and day out, even before you add a global pandemic to their daily routine.
So, I decided to ask these heroes what music motivates them to get up every day and do what they do. I mean, we are curious what are a favorite athlete or celebrity listens to, but why not the people who are on the frontline fighting this "silent war" as some have called it. Music has the ability to inspire and move us in ways that we don't even understand.
I reached out to a couple of my friends who work in the medical profession to ask nurses to send me one song that motivates them and explain why. Below are nine nurses and their songs that motivate them that work from a variety of local medical facilities. Hopefully, we will do another post with more nurses in the near future. You can check out the special Spotify playlist we have created here.
If you are a nurse and want to take part in the next volume, just fill out this form.
Rochelle Voss, Froedtert Hospital
Song: Prince - "Mountains"
"This song is a reminder that there is nothing so big or so tough that it can't be overcome with love (God) love conquers all! So whether your problems seem big or small when you truly look at them and put them into perspective, love is bigger and greater than anything! ...it's only mountains."
Santana Moore, Children's' Hospital of Wisconsin
Song: Sounds of Blackness - "Hold On"
"This song reminds me to hold on even though this is a very rough time for all of us God is in control and just hold on change is coming."
Susan Stoecker, My Choice Care at United Community Center
Song: Justin Timberlake - "Can't Stop The Feeling"
"It’s a happy song during unhappy times."
Keri Olson, Advocate Aurora Health Care
Song: Madonna - "Like A Prayer"
"Four years ago, I celebrated my 40th birthday, I had an amazing party and I danced like there was no tomorrow to this song with a couple of amazing nurses! All nurses are in my heart and prayers."
Heidi Luft, UWM College of Nursing
Song: Juan Luis Guerra - "I Love You More"
"It gets my whole family up and dancing, including my 18-month-old who is surprisingly good at dancing merengue! We love the line 'I love you more than rice and beans.' The lyrics, rhythm, and the dancing bring us together and make us all laugh and smile. Whether we return to work after or continue enjoying time as a family, the song leaves us with much more positive energy."
Ashley Kasten, Advocate Aurora
Song: MC Hammer - "U Can't Touch This"
"I picked this because even though this virus is nasty, it can't break us nor touch us."
Alysha Botsford, Advocate Aurora Healthcare
Song: Spice Girls - "Wannabe"
"My cousins and I would always sing this song as loud as we could. We still do and it always keeps me dancing and singing like a kid."
Maryln Paniagua, Aurora West Allis Medical Center
Song: Danny Gokey - "Hope In Front Of Me"
"I picked this song because even though we are going through some very, very difficult times all around us, I know that God is in control and that He will take care of me, of us. We will get through this by the grace of God. It's a great message of hope."
Alyson León, Advocate Aurora West Allis Medical Center
Song: Sade - "By Your Side"
"Through the long shifts, long days and long weeks I get to come home to my husband and son’s love and support and this song reminds me of that."
