National Nurses United

S ince the pandemic began, National Nurses United has been tracking the deaths of registered nurses and other health care workers. Tragically, as of Oct. 15, at least 229 nurses have died of Covid-19, including 12 of our union brothers and sisters. We grieve for the nurses who did not sign up to sacrifice their lives—but who lost their lives regardless. Here are five of our union nurses who recently passed. Please honor the legacy they leave behind and continue to fight for protections for all front- line workers. Dione Malana, RN registered nurse dione malana died of Covid-19 on July 12. He worked in the medical-surgical unit at Community First Hospital in Chicago. Unfortunately, we were unable to reach any of Malana's coworkers or family for this article but will continue to try and pro- file him in a future issue. —Staff report Janine Paiste-Ponder, RN michael ponder says when he first met his future wife, Janine Paiste, he was immediately struck by her determination, her caring nature, and her no-nonsense way. "She had a big heart, I loved her heart," he reflected. "I thought she was heaven sent." Born on Sept. 22, 1960, in Stockton, Calif., Janine Paiste-Ponder was the youngest of four children of Jacinto Paiste and Juanita Car- bajol. She followed her mother's path into nursing, initially as a licensed vocational nurse. Michael was working as a pharmacist and consultant when the couple first met at a skilled nursing facility in 1990. Paiste-Ponder returned to school and became a registered nurse after completing her studies at Ohlone College. They married soon after and raised their two daughters, Dominique, now 29, and Jaszmyn, now 19. Paiste-Ponder stood just over 5 feet tall, but those who knew her said she had a commanding presence that defied her physical stat- ure. She was the preceptor for Sharana Mahabir, an RN at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, who recalled, "When Janine walked into the room you knew to pay attention. She earned the respect of everyone." "She was the real deal," said Mahabir, who worked with Paiste- Ponder for nearly two years. "She could relate to whoever was in the room at the time. She also coupled that with her academic knowl- edge. She knew how to break down a diagnosis in layman's terms." Mahabir said these abilities meant that, more often than not, Paiste-Ponder would get the most difficult cases. "Even with the most difficult patients who refused certain amounts of care, she made it work," recalled Mahabir. "She could see through some of the difficulties and patients could really relate to her." Mahabir said that even when you didn't see Paiste-Ponder, you might hear her. "Small as she was, she had the loudest laugh ever," said Mahabir. "I would look over at her and think how is all that sound coming out of you?" Paiste-Ponder loved nursing. "Nobody could do what she did every day, day in and day out and not love it," said Mahabir. "Despite all the hardships, she loved the patients and she loved the coworkers." Family, church, and service were the foundations of the Ponders' lives. "We were baptized together," said Michael, recalling when the couple officially committed to the church. "Because if you don't have a good foundation, the world is too capricious and whimsical." Dominique said that for her mother, prayer was not something delegated only to Sunday morning church or Bible study but was woven into her everyday routine. She prayed in the morning as she prepared herself and the family for the day. She would also seek out prayerful moments with the hospital chaplain and others. Dominique says that her mother lived by the Bible passage, Philippians 4: 6-7, which Ponder dearly loved: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, J U LY | A U G U S T | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 0 W W W . N A T I O N A L N U R S E S U N I T E D . O R G N A T I O N A L N U R S E 33 Janine Paiste-Ponder, RN

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