Exhausted and heartbroken but I’m there so that no coronavirus patient dies alone
A NURSE WORKING ON THE REGION’S COVID-19 FRONTLINE OPENS UP ABOUT THE EMOTIONAL TOLL OF THE PANDEMIC
ASENIOR nurse in Hull has opened up on the emotional and psychological impact on battling Covid-19 on the frontline.
Over the past few weeks Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital have seen unprecedented numbers of Covid-positive patients needing treatment.
At its peak, there were 261 patients being treated who had the virus which is far higher than at any point during the first lockdown.
During January, 187 Covidpositive patients died which is an average of six every day during the month.
The huge workload, the daily heartbreak and having to wear PPE for hours every day has taken its toll. Despite that, the care and dedication levels among NHS staff has not wavered.
‘Like nothing we have faced in our lifetime’
Helen Ingleson is a site matron at Hull Royal Infirmary and is on the night shift and has only just recovered from Covid herself.
“It has been a challenging situation,” she said. “None of us thought we would have to face anything like this in our lifetime.
“Last year we had about 100 Covid-positive patients at the peak but this time we had 260 at one point.
“Numbers are decreasing slightly now but there are still a lot of sick people in our wards.
“In the Covid wards the patients are so poorly and the level of care they need can be very demanding but the staff have done so well. Wearing all the PPE can also be very tiring.
“The staff are very tired but they remain focussed and dedicated.”
Death on a daily basis
Helen and her staff are facing bereavement on a daily basis which, she admits, has not been easy for anyone.
“Every patient that has passed away has affected all of us,” she said. “You have to realise that is someone’s loved one.
“It is heart-breaking and it is not just elderly people. We have seen a number of young people die in our wards.
“Very poorly patients can have one visitor but this is not always possible.
“There are times during end of life when only the staff are present and will hold their hand until the end. We ensure that no patient dies alone.
“The magnitude of this
pandemic is beyond anything we could have thought of. “Staff have of course struggled with it but that shows the passion and the fact they care.
“It is only human to be upset when patients die but we are all in this together.
“We are all battling with our emotions but people display this in different ways. Sometimes it is more subtle and we have to watch out for those who bottle up those emotions.”
Help is at hand
The struggles faced by hospital staff has been widely reported nationally and Hull’s hospitals are no different.
But the Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has put in extra measures to support staff who maybe struggling emotionally or mentally.
A Staff Support multi-disciplinary team has been set up offering everything from apps and online counselling to pastoral support from the chaplaincy service.
There is also nurse-to-nurse support and clinical psychology sessions to help staff who might be finding working during the pandemic tough.
It’s all co-ordinated through the Occupational Health service and was set it up during the first wave. The services have seen an increase in uptake since November during the second wave.
Lucy Vere, head of Organisational Development at the trust, has been overseeing the support being made available.
“We normally have occupational health services and support,” she said. “We also provide pastoral and spiritual care for staff who want it.
“We are now providing more support to help staff with personal development and the psychological impact of the pandemic.
“The psychology team has also come on board and they have been brilliant and can identify increases in anxiety. A lot of this work has been carried out virtually.”
Normal response to abnormal situation
For Lucy it is important staff understand any new emotion or rise in stress or anxiety is to be expected.
“Some people are worried their mental health is being affected but that is not the case,” she said.
“What we are trying to get across is that they are having a normal response to a highly abnormal situation. It is the situation that’s changed, not them.
“Staff are feeling emotions they may not have felt before. In the first instance, we are just listening and trying to normalise what they are feeling.
“It is important to appreciate people do not want fixing. We want to help them solve their problems by listening.”
Another strain for some staff is having to change their roles dramatically to help deal with the pandemic.
“We have specialised doctors and nurses who are now having to do something different,” Lucy said. “They have had to retrain but they are doing a brilliant job.
“Being redeployed is a big challenge and it is often trivial things, such as not knowing where things are, which can add up and make it more difficult.”
Worries at home as well as work
As well as the obvious stresses at work, NHS staff are also having to deal with issues outside of the hospital.
“People should remember what our staff are feeling is the same as they are feeling,” Lucy said. “They have the same issues.
“They can come home after a very difficult shift and still have worries at home. We want NHS staff to be OK with the emotions they are experiencing.
One of the biggest issues facing hospital staff are the sheer numbers of deaths they are witnessing each day.
By working in a hospital, it is always going to be a tragic part of the job but staff are seeing patients die daily.
“There are staff who have been working in departments where very few, if any, patients pass away, to now working on wards where they are dying daily,” Lucy said.
“We are all in the same storm but sailing in different boats.
“But if we address the issues staff are facing now, we can protect against mental health issues in the future.”
Last year we had about 100 Covid-positive patients at the peak but this time we had 260 at one point Helen Ingleson
Lucy Vere, head of Organisational Development at the Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Amazing staff
Despite the workload and tragedy facing NHS staff each day, Helen is amazed by the resilience of the staff she works with on her night shift.
“On the night shift we have staff who have moved over from specialist areas but they have absolutely risen to the occasion,” she said. “Seeing everyone come together and muck in has been very inspiring to see.
“The dedication staff are showing is incredible. They are putting themselves and their families at risk but they are doing an amazing job.”
Helen admits access the support services is important and staff should not be ashamed of struggling emotionally or mentally from time to time.
A patient being cared for on a Covid-19 intensive care ward
“Our staff are human at the end of the day so it is OK not to be OK,” she said.
“I know the staff and when I recognise the stress levels have increased I can talk it through with them.
“There is added strain due to staff sickness and we are more susceptible to the virus.
“I have just come back from having Covid and it is not something I would wish on anyone.”
Most NHS staff vaccinated
One positive has been the vaccination programme which has not been rolled out to most NHS staff.
“Most of the staff have been vaccinated now,” Helen said. “Unfortunately, I was due to be vaccinated just after I fell ill with Covid so I have to wait another 28 days.
“It reduces symptoms and will help with staff sickness but it doesn’t mean everything is back to normal so we all still have to wear PPE and social distance where possible.”
Helen has urged people to be careful and not put further strain on the NHS but is also keen to stress the standard of care provided remains as high as ever.
“My message to people is that they have to take this seriously and understand the grave situation we are in,” she said
“But all our staff are coping remarkably well and we are still providing the best care to all our patients.”