"You are a nurse; I get it"

"You are a nurse; I get it but..."

Throughout this entire pandemic, I have been writing. I am trying to keep myself sane. Writing has helped me process what the world is experiencing from a front-line perspective. I have been relatively successful in remaining optimistic and hopeful.

Until now.

Why am I a nurse, I often ask myself. The answer has always come swiftly and without hesitation. I am a nurse to help people. So easy.

Until now.

Now we are exhausted, depleted, unhinged, understaffed, apathetic, under-supported, under-appreciated. Flailing.

We have had an unprecedented (yes, that annoying word again) number of sick employees. We cannot get tests to save our lives-literally. We are fighting to help affirm our illnesses. We are fighting with non-compliant Covid positive visitors. We are fighting to share what we know to be happening before our very eyes. We are fighting for your help.

So how does all this look for a nurse walking into their shift? Terrible. Fielding sick calls, patient call lights alarming, bed alarms going off, telemetry beeping, IV pumps alarming, family members calling in frustration, responding physicians short staffed so not answering pages. Nurses defeated.

People are asking us to "do everything" for their dying family members when it is too late. We tried-we tried to "do everything". It is devastation, on a continuous loop. My heart breaks over and over and over.

So, I ask myself again. Why am I a nurse? I am a nurse to help people. But how? How can we do this with our current condition? We do our job, we continue fighting, but we need help.

We have no skin in the game; nothing to gain from telling our truths. Nurses are warriors, no doubt, but we are also human. We are just as "done" as you are. I promise.

The sun will rise again tomorrow to welcome another day. We just want you here to see it with us.

Because we are nurses, we cannot walk away.

~This article is written to reflect my opinion~