JOHNSON, Ark. — It's the last day of National Nurses Week, a time to honor those in our community saving lives.
5NEWS spoke with a Northwest Arkansas nurse with almost 30 years of experience working during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Juli McWhorter works at Willow Creek Women's Hospital in Johnson.
When Juli was a young girl, her father had to have open-heart surgery.
"When I walked into the room, I was intrigued because there was a lot of science and compassion shown by that nurse," she said.
Juli knew from then on what she wanted to do for the rest of her life.
"I know 100 percent without a doubt that I made the right career choice, and it was, I'm a very goal-oriented person, so I knew what path I needed to take," she said.
Throughout her career, Juli has held many positions. Now, she is the chief administrative officer at Willow Creek.
She told 5NEWS there had been no positive COVID-19 patients at the hospital.
"It has been a stressful time whether you've seen five positives or known because there are potentials we have to care for," she said.
In the face of this pandemic, it's a very happy place inside the hospital because babies continue to be born.
"If there's a silver lining to COVID, it was that, and their support person was alone, and they were able to bond with their baby."
Juli said she went into nursing to impact people's lives, and that's precisely what she is doing.