James: The economy disproportionately affected those who are already struggling and I really want to be able to help those people.
Following his graduation with a nursing degree from the University of Wisconsin, James McCarthy worked at a hospital near his hometown of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He was a few months into orientation when the first COVID-19 patient arrived. For the next two years, he worked in the ICU wearing a “space suit” for protection.
“It was a hard couple of years. There was definitely a feeling of isolation. You’re trying to talk to these patients, to make them feel better in any way you can,” said McCarthy, who was nominated by his patients for the prestigious DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses, a national nursing award.
Almost right away McCarthy noticed that patients coming in from poorer rural areas, with less access to healthcare and fresh food, were showing up much sicker than those from more affluent communities.
“I found that this is a patient population that needs the most help, that I enjoyed working with them and that I want to have the biggest impact on them,” McCarthy said. “The economy disproportionately affected those who are already struggling and I really want to be able to help those people.”
That philosophy matched with BU’s mission of inclusiveness and was a big reason why he chose to come to the school, he said.