Hours later three nurses were injured in a collision outside Penn Presbyterian Medical Center On Saturday, Alisha Serpa visited the staff to drop off food, and a card to show her support.
Serpa said she works closely with the hospital’s team in her role at a company with rehabilitation facilities in Philadelphia.
“It’s devastating. It’s a tragedy,” she said. “It’s important that people know when you’re praying for them because it changes the mind.
The injured nurses were hit by the car while treating a gunshot victim just outside the emergency room.
Philadelphia police said it happened around 4 a.m. when a silver Jeep Cherokee dropped off the shooting victim.
The driver, described only as a man in his 20s, then punched the nurses and the man shot with the Jeep and took off.
CBS News Philadelphia.
CBS News Philadelphia.
CBS News Philadelphia.
“When I heard the news this morning, I was shocked and dismayed,” said Jennifer Potchen, president of the Philadelphia chapter of the Emergency Nurses Association.
Potchen said the collision is a reminder of the dangers ER nurses can sometimes face.
“These nurses go out selflessly. They don’t think about themselves. They go straight out to save a life,” Potchen said. “That’s what we think about when we go out to help these patients save a life. And we’re not always thinking about our own needs or fears.”
In a statement, a hospital spokesperson applauded the bravery of staff during the chaotic incident, saying in part:
“Our heroic staff continued to rescue the gunshot victim and care for all of our other patients, even while their own colleagues suffered and received treatment.”
The hospital also said it is providing support resources to staff and families of the injured nurses.
“Nurses have to deal with it every day and the sacrifices they make for the betterment of their patients. It’s a daily thing and it doesn’t go unnoticed,” Serpa said.
