BRADENTON BEACH – Bradenton resident and registered nurse Cindy Zembrzuski recently helped revive a fallen patron at Island Time Bar & Grill in Bradenton Beach. Now she’s caring for COVID-19 patients at a skilled nursing facility in Clearwater.
On Monday, June 15, Zembrzuski, her son Ethan Michael Brown, Brown’s girlfriend, Lauren Usher, Zembrzuski’s friend and dance partner, Walter Lortz, and others were seated at a table in front of the Island Time stage when the medical emergency unfolded.
“We were dining at Island Time when Cindy noticed Ethan’s eyes had a look of disbelief. As she turned to see what he was looking at, she saw a woman falling to the floor. Luckily, another patron saw the same thing and was able to get to the woman and cushion her fall,” Lortz said.
“The woman was not breathing and did not appear to have a heartbeat. Cindy began CPR as a call went out to EMS. While Cindy did CPR, the woman sputtered and started to breathe again. All indications are that Cindy saved the woman’s life,” Lortz said.
“I was facing the stage. Ethan was facing the opposite way and could see all the tables behind us. His eyes kept getting bigger and bigger and I said, “Ethan, what’s going on?’ ” Zembrzuski said.
“As I turned around, a big, burly guy helped lower this lady to the ground. She was out. There was no pulse and no respiration. He was trying to do mouth-to-mouth, which isn’t very safe these days. I asked him to step aside and I did 8 to 10 chest compressions before she got her respiration and pulse back and opened her eyes,” she explained.
“Everybody came together for a positive outcome. The staff, my son, the man who gave mouth-to-mouth and me sitting on top of her administering CPR. COVID or no COVID, we were going to help this lady. It was a really rewarding experience and everyone that helped should be recognized. None of us had masks on, but nobody cared. It was about saving somebody’s life and collectively we did. Kudos to the Island Time staff for being so prompt, and Ethan was instrumental in saying, ‘Mom, you’re a nurse, get over there,’ ” Zembrzuski said.
Island Time General Manager Michael Davis was also there that night.
“I was on the floor when it occurred. I called 911 and stayed on the phone until help arrived. In this case, it turned out fine. The EMTs were on scene for 10-15 minutes. I think she was treated on the scene and had friends and family who could take her home. Cindy and the other gentleman were in the right place at the right time. They gave proper and timely assistance and that was extremely helpful,” Davis said.
A new challenge
Zembrzuski has worked as a nurse in Georgia and in Florida. She previously spent two years working in the emergency room at Manatee Memorial Hospital in Bradenton.
She currently works for Genesis HealthCare. When the Island Time incident occurred, she was serving as a clinical consultant, assisting with discharge planning, post-acute care and securing skilled nursing facility services. On Monday, June 29, Zembrzuski began working as a nurse again in a COVID-19-positive environment.
The day before her new assignment began, Zembrzuski said, “My boss called and said I’ve been reassigned to work at a skilled nursing facility in Clearwater. I’ll be in a COVID unit taking care of COVID patients. I’m a very healthy person, so I’m not worried. If something happens and I get it, I get it. After the experience at Island Time, I really felt I contributed to helping that person and now I want to do what I can do to help these COVID patients. I became a nurse to do this kind of thing. It’s my calling,” she said.
After four days in her new position, Zembrzuski provided an update.
“It’s very taxing. We’re getting more and more cases. We are doing the best we can as nurses, clinicians and caregivers, but with the no-visitation rule, patients and family members remain anxious. We encourage patients and their families to visit through the patient room windows, through FaceTime and we help facilitate Zoom calls. We are all very dedicated and compassionate and trying to give the best clinical care we can while reducing anxiety. This continues to be a work in progress,” she said.
