“My role before the pandemic was as a Trainee Nursing Associate, as well as being a member of flexible staffing as a Healthcare Assistant on ward A4. I am now a qualified Nursing Associate working in the Emergency Department.
“When the pandemic started and we received our first patient it was scary, as everything you saw on the news, then started happening at my place of work. For me I think the most difficult thing is how there was little knowledge about Covid and how to treat patients with it.
“When A4 became a Covid receiving ward for patients, we all pulled together as a team and faced it together. If there were times when we were struggling we always had support from each other. It could be challenging at times with staff shortages and sometimes morale was low but we were in the same boat and got through it together. I was nervous when leaving to go home in case I would pass anything to my family but I followed the rules, regularly was washing my hands and doing everything I could to protect my family.
“I felt incredibly proud when people were clapping on a Thursday night. I remember coming home after working a bank shift in ITU and as I got home everybody down the street was clapping, it made me feel appreciated for working for the NHS.
“I feel less nervous about Covid. It isn’t going to go away but we are slowly moving forward with it and there is a lot more knowledge around it.
“I think during the pandemic it has been hard on everybody. I know I’ve felt burnt out at times, stressed and anxious, but I think everybody has felt like that so we’ve all worked together in supporting one another.”
