NEW YORK - “I don’t think I’ll ever forget it, we had to break the news to them on Friday, March 13th at three in the afternoon,” said Emily Wallace, RN, assistant nurse manager at Lenox Hill Hospital.

About two months after being promoted, Wallace faced her toughest assignment yet - preparing her nursing unit for a surge of gravely ill coronavirus patients. Their 18 oncology and epilepsy patients had to be moved out, so 21 people with  COVID-19 could move in.

“Definitely a crazy experience becoming new into management during a health emergency, a global health crisis,” Wallace reflected in a video diary she started keeping in early April.

“Just getting ready for work, heading into another day of COVID,” Wallace said while standing inside her apartment. “I got my extra clothes so I can change after I leave.”

Later, inside the hospital, Wallace stands in front of the patient food cart. “Lunch came out and you can see all the lunch trays came on disposables but you know the nurses have to take them into each room,” she pointed out. “The food hosts are not allowed to go into the COVID rooms.”

The day is busy. Wallace reports five emergency pages within three hours, which she says are calls for intubations.

“Just another bad day on fight on COVID19,” she said.

Wallace worked an 11-hour shift that day, which was a busy day for hospitals across the city. The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene reports that 1,633 people were admitted to local hospitals who later tested positive for the coronavirus.

“Just the sheer amount of patients that we are seeing coming through the doors has been unbelievable in New York City,” Wallace commented.

But as her video diary shows, Wallace was relentless in her return to help more patients.

Pulling Wallace through the tough moments are her fellow nurses, the doctors, and the evening cheers from locals on the Upper East Side.

“Probably the best part of my day,” Wallace said while standing among her fellow healthcare workers as cheering is heard around them.

Four weeks after her floor was converted into a COVID unit, Wallace says sees a change. Healthcare workers are gaining confidence and more patients are improving. She reports 45 patients were discharged in one day.

“We know there is a light at the end of the tunnel, we know it will get better, we just have to keep working until we get there,” Wallace explained.