Alex Apostol RN, BSN
Alex Apostol RN, BSN
Head Nurse
NYC Health + Hospitals/Sea View
12 years of service
“In my family, we value the importance of helping others in need; hearing all their great stories on some amazing things they did for others really inspired me to pursue my career in nursing.”
Alex Apostol, Head Nurse at NYC Health + Hospitals/Sea View, furthers a legacy at the Staten Island nursing home. Years before he arrived there, his grandmother worked at Sea View as a nurse, followed by his mother, who worked at the facility for 36 years.
He credits that connection with helping him develop a selfless attitude as a nurse.
“My approach to patient care is to treat everyone as if they are your family,” he says. “You have to empathize and take a step back and reflect. I hope my patients and their loved ones feel like they receive the best care possible. I hope that they are satisfied fully with the care that I provide.”
Apostol also met his fiancé at Sea View, and together they have a daughter who helped him cope with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Being a new father to my one-year-old daughter, the fear of the unknown really affected my mental health; my main concern was my family getting sick due to me bringing home the virus,” he remarks. “During this challenging time, I kept my faith and believed there would be light at the end of the tunnel. I knew this was a deadly virus but it was my duty as a nurse to care for my residents. Even during the height of the pandemic when I was required to adhere to strict quarantine regulations, being able to see the smile on my daughter’s face gave me the strength to push for another day.”
“My family was my support and backbone during this challenging time,” he adds. “They motivated me and kept me going. I felt it was very important for me to stay strong especially for my patients because they were not able to see their own loved ones. All the staff and residents fought through this pandemic as a family.”
Enhancing patient care provides ongoing motivation for Apostol. “One of the best moments of my nursing career was the first time I actually experienced saving someone’s life,” he comments. “I still remember this moment like it was yesterday; I performed multiple medical interventions along with successful CPR. I felt an amazing feeling being able to perform as a nurse to save my patient’s life.”