Editor's note: This content is being provided for free as a public service to our readers during the coronavirus outbreak. Please support local journalism by subscribing to the Reno Gazette Journal.

The Washoe County woman who died Tuesday of coronavirus was a registered nurse who worked on the frontlines of the pandemic at several local hospitals.

Vianna Thompson, 52, died in the intensive care unit at the VA hospital where she had spent the last seven years caring for her own patients.

Her family was able to say a prayer for her over FaceTime because they couldn’t physically be present in her isolation room, according to the hospital’s chaplain.

“I believe that there could have been no greater love in the room with her during those last moments,” said the hospital’s director Lisa Howard in an email to staff.

Thompson worked as a floating pool nurse at the VA and Northern Nevada Medical Center, meaning she worked in various departments that needed the staffing. Most recently, she was assigned to the night shift in the emergency department at the VA Northern Sierra Health Care System.

“She has always been a huge patient and nurse advocate; she always brings up ways to make both care and nursing workflow better,” said Ken Kavanaugh, who worked with her at the VA. “She was also persistent, sometimes too persistent, but that was a good thing, as she did not let me slip on any process or care improvements that needed to be done.”

Northern Nevada Medical Center spokeswoman Jamii Uboldi said staff at the hospital “is just devastated.”

“We are all praying for her family,” she said.

Thompson is the second health care worker with coronavirus to die in Washoe County. A woman in her 30s who worked as a peer mentor at Willow Springs youth hospital died earlier this month. Willow Springs and Northern Nevada Medical Center are owned by the same Pennsylvania-based company.

Thompson's friends and coworkers described her as an advocate for her patients, a proud mother to her sons and a motorcycle aficionado with a dry wit.

"She was brave with a real, raw, down to earth funny sense of humor," said Riva Kaufer Rios, who worked with Thompson at Post Acute Medical hospital, which was formerly Tahoe-Pacific hospital.

"Everyone lost when we lost Vianna," Rios said. "Everyone."

Rios, who has 10 years experience as a critical care nurse, said Thompson was the first person she would turn to for advice.

“She was amazing,” Rios said. “We lost so much when we lost her.”

Thompson's friend Aubrey, who asked that her last name not be used, described her friend as a fierce advocate for her patients, who never slowed down while caring for them.

"She never, ever complained," Aubrey said. "I'm not saying nurses are big complainers, but there's lots to be complained about because they want to help patients so badly. She was all the way around a stand up nurse."

Rios, who cares for COVID-19 patients at a hospital in Sacramento, said Thompson's death brought into stark relief the conditions nurses are working in during the pandemic.

“This is terrifying,” she said. “Why won’t people understand how real this is?”

Anjeanette Damon is the government watchdog reporter for the RGJ. You can reach her at adamon@rgj.com or follow her on Twitter @AnjeanetteDamon. If you care about shining a bright light on decisions made by your elected officials, please consider subscribing to the Reno Gazette Journal.