Celebrated NHS nurse thanks NZ
THE Kiwi nurse credited by United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson for saving his life has shared what it was like at his bedside — and thanked New Zealanders and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for their messages.
Invercargillborn Jenny McGee was singled out by Mr Johnson as one of the nurses integral to his recovery from Covid19 after he spent three nights in intensive care.
He is now recovering.
Ms McGee (35) — nicknamed Nurse Jenny since her international recognition — was visiting family in New Zealand in February, but told TVNZ that she felt such a sense of duty that she returned to London as the Covid19 pandemic escalated overseas.
‘‘It was totally out of the blue,’’ she said of Mr Johnson’s public message of praise.
Ms McGee kept vigil at Johnson’s bedside for two days as he lay in intensive care.
‘‘We were constantly observing, we’re constantly monitoring.’’
When asked if she was nervous to be tending to the prime minister, Ms McGee said she had been working in intensive care for 10 years and ‘‘was not fazed’’.
Mr Johnson received no special treatment compared with other NHS patients, she said.
The British prime minister was interested to know about her home town, Invercargill, and they spoke about New Zealand.
The toughest part of that time was the speculation about Mr Johnson’s health, she said.
‘‘There was a lot of media interest in him being in hospital, and, to be honest, that’s probably the toughest thing of the lot.’’
Ms Ardern, who messaged the nurse following Mr Johnson’s praise, was ‘‘a hero’’ of McGee, she said.
‘‘She said how proud she was of me and the country was so proud. It’s so heartwarming and something I’ll never forget.’’ — The New Zealand Herald