Alex is a Lancaster native and graduated from Buford High School in 2011. After high school, Alex attended nursing school at The University of South Carolina. She also got her master’s in nursing and is now a hospitalist nurse practitioner at MUSC-Lancaster. Alex wanted to be a nurse because she is a hands-on person and she loves people. She has always been fascinated by the human body. Her favorite part of her job is being able to do what she loves in her hometown. Alex started her nursing career at MUSC-Lancaster and with her advanced degree broadening her career path, she has been able to remain at MUSC-Lancaster. Alex is married to Garrett Ingram and they recently welcomed their first child, Ivaly Ingram.
The changes made for nurses and hospital staff has become a new way of life. They wear masks at all times during the workday. Alex says the hospital atmosphere is completely different. Before the pandemic she was able to greet patients and families, but now with social distancing protocols, she must keep her distance from them. It has been tough on patients because being in the hospital is already such a vulnerable and stressful time for them and this increases those feelings. Not being able to have visitors or family members there with them makes them even more isolated.
At the beginning of the pandemic, Alex was worried about working in such a high-risk atmosphere. Alex’s biggest concern was for Ivaly. Being pregnant during a pandemic was the hardest part for Alex. She was not allowed to have her mother in the delivery room or have visitors to see her baby. Her baby showers were cancelled, and she had to attend doctors’ appointments alone. She said it was one of the worst times to be pregnant because she missed out on so many experiences with her first child.
Alex said as we learn more about the virus it its less scary to most people. There has been some misinformation that has made things worse than they should have been. She says we should always be this cautious during flu season and is interested to see how everyone cooperates as we enter regular flu season. As a nurse in the beginning of the pandemic, Alex said many people were doing things for front-line workers and that has slowed down now. Every day the men and women at the hospitals are working rigorously to keep others safe while risking their own health and the health of their families. She would like everyone to keep these front-line workers in their thoughts as this pandemic continues.
