It goes without saying that being a patient in a hospital can be an unsettling experience. Patients are away from home, depending on others while at their most vulnerable. Nurses are there on the darkest days to help. Nursing can be stressful on its own, but the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed nurses to their limits. Whether they are on a COVID-19 unit or not, nurses are on the frontlines of this pandemic.
"We're here to serve, to genuinely love others, and to make an impact. Not just physically, but also mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. That's the mindset we bring to our daily practice and into the relationships we make with our patients and colleagues."
Ronald (RJ) Pritchard, RN, is an IU Health South Central Region Resource Nurse. “COVID has affected health care in more ways than you can imagine,” he says. “As a Resource Nurse, I’ve been able to experience these changes on most inpatient units and in the Emergency Department, so I’ve seen firsthand the effect on nursing as a whole.”
During March and April, RJ says, it was “running at full speed, trying to care for patients without a playbook.” Each day was a learning experience full of adrenaline and uncertainty, with the result that the many necessary – but rapid – changes during the past year have taken a toll physically, emotionally, and mentally on nurses and their patients.
Focusing on what calms you and lifts your spirits is essential for nurses. And that means drawing on one another for support, and also drawing support from within.
“Encouragement between team members, to build one another up, to work hard and work together,” says RJ. “These basic steps create a solid foundation for teams to build upon and grow alongside one another. It’s also important to remember to advocate for yourself and to sometimes take a moment to decompress, off the unit, when stress levels are high.”
Kelsey agrees. “I think that our big thing here has just been teamwork, lifting each other up, and encouraging one another.” Kelsey says her team encourages communication, so that it’s easy for team members to open up and listen to one another.
“I think it’s important that you have that kind of camaraderie between your team, so that you don’t get burned out,” she says.
Faith is also a large part of what keeps Kelsey grounded during hard times. “My faith and prayer have carried me through,” she says. “I know that God is always right there with me. He has a plan and a purpose for everything, and I have to trust in that.”
“Faith, family, friends, and fellowship,” says RJ. “These are the ways I cope with stress and the avenues I take to reenergize and keep myself lifted up.”
Our nurses on the frontlines could not have foreseen where they would be today when they first started on their journey as healers. But they are doing just that: Healing.
“If anything,” says RJ, “this pandemic has deepened my desire to care for patients as if they were family, communicate their care to their loved ones, and stress the importance of general health and safety to the community around me.”
“We’re here to serve, to genuinely love others, and to make an impact,” he continues. “Not just physically, but also mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. That’s the mindset we bring to our daily practice and into the relationships we make with our patients and colleagues.”
“Here in the ED, we sometimes see people on the worst day of their lives,” says Kelsey. “I want to be a light and comfort for someone. I’m very thankful that I’m in this position and that, hopefully, I can offer encouragement to those that I take care of.”
IU School of Nursing
Bloomington
