We're All In This Together!

Hi All, 

Thanks so much for stopping in. Hope everyone is staying home and staying safe. As some of you may know, my full time job is a nurse. This week’s blog is dedicated to all the frontline workers who are working under circumstances none of us ever imagined we’d ever be faced with. I’ve been putting in a lot of extra hours, which is why I haven’t been blogging for the past month or so. It’s been both physically and mentally exhausting. It angers me to see people being so nonchalant about a disease that has no boundaries on age, race or geographical location. Since school has been out, I see kids in the neighborhood from different families all playing together. I don’t blame them for their ignorance because they’re kids. What I don’t understand is how the parents can be so irresponsible. This disease does affect children, teens, adults and the elderly. We’re in unchartered territory with this virus and no one is immune. 

The pain and suffering of the patients and families has become almost too much to handle for some of the nurses I work with. On one of my most recent shifts, at the very beginning of my shift there were 3 codes (cardiac arrests) going on at the exact same time on 2 different units. Unfortunately, one patient died, with the other 2 in very critical states. I’ve experienced some of the strongest nurses break down and cry because of all the deaths caused by this disease. Nurses are staying long past their scheduled shifts due to the critical nature and acuity of the patients they cared for.  They, along with the residents (doctors) we work with are struggling to maintain their composure, professionalism and mental well being. I feel honored to work within a profession where we work with people in some of their most vulnerable moments. Caring for another human being in their time of need as well as being a part of a family who’s lost a loved one and trying to ease their grief is a humbling experience. We truly are all in this together. Maybe something good that has come out of this is that we are realizing we all have more in common than we had thought. We can all be there for one another with just a phone call, text, face time or letter sent by snail mail. 

Next week is nurses week and I ask that everyone send a note of thank you to your local hospitals for the work all those nurses are doing as we continue to fight this unseen enemy. 

Til next time, please stay safe, stay home and be thankful for all you have. 

E.V.

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