About
Morton’s Chief Nursing Officer,
Morton Health Services
Cassie Clayton
Her Story
“I never dreamed in my 30 plus years as a nurse that I would see anything like this. People were getting mixed messages: One message from the governmental leadership (not local) and another from medical. During this, I think about others more than myself. I’m not afraid for myself. I sit outside and listen to nature and read to take my mind off the way things currently are. Initially there was uncertainty as not much was known, but what was very clear was that people were afraid for their families and themselves. Our staff put on a brave front and stepped into the unknown. We’ve adapted to a changing world of cautionary distance meetings and plans that change rapidly; of looking past a mask, into a person’s eyes and actually listening to what’s not being said along with what is. The reality is any of us could be infected, front line or otherwise. My family knows the risk. Precautions at home have become the norm. One family member thanked me for being on the front line, stating each morning when I left he had to set in his mind that I was knowingly going into a war, and that I could become a casualty, but that he knew I wouldn’t have it any other way. Looking on this experience, I’ve learned that the nation as a whole wasn’t ready. Thankfully Morton put a daily task force together and it’s been invaluable. Tulsa Area Emergency Management Agency (TAEMA) and the Tulsa Health Department have been phenomenal throughout this whole process.”