‘Despite challenges, we smile inside the PPE kit’
: For nurses, Covid duty means high risk and intense work pressure. On International Nurses Day, two nurses of Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) recounted what it was like to be on Covid duty.
Shachi Mishra, 32 , said, “I am learning new lessons in nursing daily after the second Covid wave. In PGI, the duty of nurses is rotated every 15 days, but they have to work for more than 10 hours in PPE kits daily. It does get tiring, as taking care of another person is not an easy job and it gets tougher when someone’s health takes a turn for the worse. We have seen people coming in the worst condition and managing them in that condition leaves a mental scar. As a nurse I have to manage everything from keeping their vitals stable to getting them medicine. Taking care of a patient while staying away from our family for days together takes a toll on your mental health.”
The second wave of Covid-19 had impacted the health care sector most, she said and added , “My four-year-old daughter misses me the most. I only watch her on WhatsApp call while performing Covid duty. Now you can understand that those in the health care service are also suffering the brutal impact of Covid. “
Shachi said, “Despite the challenges like never before, amid stress and exhaustion, we keep on smiling inside the PPE kit because if we talk to the patient with a little giggle, his illness improves. Rest is taken care of by medication and nursing care .”
Seema Shukla, 42, president of PGI Nursing Association said, “Despite being the president of the nursing association I was among the first people to ask for duty in Covid ward and I performed it with full dedication so that patients under me recover.”
Seema said, “Me and my husband both have suffered from the virus. That’s why I know what this virus is all about, how it can impact the body and mind of an individual. I returned to duty as soon as I recovered from corona.
I am learning new lessons in nursing daily after the second Covid wave. SHACHI MISHRA
During the second wave, the death rate is high,and this has affected the working of nurses SEEMA SHUKLA
However, during the second wave, the death rate is high,and this has affected the working of nurses. They are stressed, they need constant counselling from seniors like me. I keep on motivating them to work in the Covid ward . I keep on telling them that they must not work on an empty stomach and should take care of themselves when they are off duty. They should enjoy music and talk to family members on WhatsApp.”
She said, “The only thing which I complain about is that everyone thanks doctors after recovery. No one talks about the nurse who take care of them, give them medicines, food and talk to them when they require emotional support.”