I’m not a writer, I’m an Emergency Room nurse.
I go to work and I get excited to help people, talk to them and heal them.
This world has given doctors, nurses and ancillary staff a whole new perspective on disaster. Anxiety has really taken a toll on my mind and my body. How do we do this everyday? I can’t speak for every healthcare professional but I can say it takes someone special to see life flourish and watch life end before our eyes.
Today, we are being faced with so much more. On the daily we are pumping someone’s chest and breathing for them or we are helping someone who has horrible abdominal pain. Now, we are hoping we don’t die or take what is killing so many home to the ones we love.
Today, we had 1 gown and mask per nurse. Even though I had 3 patients that had covid-19 I had to do with what I had. So I made it work; I bleached my plastic gown after leaving each room. After that i found sleeveless paper gowns. I hung them outside each patient room and applied it over my plastic gown so I could be safe. But is this safe?
Towards the end of the 12 hour day, not counting my hour drive home, I didn’t have a gown anymore. I was wearing a Garbage Bag.
When Life Gives You Lemons 