“It’s a privilege to help families through the most traumatic time of their lives”
As part of our escalation plans many staff have been redeployed to support our critical care units across our group of hospitals. In this blog ITU nurse from St Bartholomew’s Hospital, Emily Huntingford, reflects on the realities of caring for Covid-19 patients at The Royal London Hospital.
“Along with 40 of my ITU teammates, I have been redeployed to The Royal London intensive care to support our colleagues through the intensifying pandemic.
“My first shift was just after Christmas when there were 59 patients. Now there are nearly 140.
“Being allocated multiple ITU patients is not usual and my first shift evaporated away in a frenzy of relentless activity.
“I was completely overwhelmed by the volume, acuity and clamour of the environment. I went away exhausted and in awe of what the Royal London ITU nurses had been dealing with.
“The work remains tough: juggling the needs of multiple patients, managing volunteers and dealing with the emotional labour takes its toll.
“All the Royal London nursing staff have been very warm and welcoming which I think is exceptional under the circumstances. I've been thankful for the many familiar faces from St Bartholomew’s, including ward nurses, doctors, pharmacists, and physiotherapists.
“Understanding the prolific spread of the virus is devastating; when patients are able to speak, they receive video calls from home and you hear how the whole household has Covid-19.
“One of my patients blamed himself for his dad's admission, both in the same hospital but floors aparts. I speak to his mum who is at home in bed and sends her thanks to the ITU staff in between coughs and splutters.
“Some of these patients do get better. Watching another patient go from being on high flow oxygen in the morning to nasal specs and on the ward by the evening was a real delight.
“He had me in hysterics whilst I removed his arterial line that he had been catching all shift and told me he would never forget me as I left him on the ward.
“I came back upstairs to find his bed already been filled with another patient.
“My last patient on shift was very sick. I watched his oxygen levels sit dangerously low all day whilst receiving 100% oxygen. We tried to turn him on his back but he only got worse, so we replaced him on his front.
“I listened to my St Bartholomew’s consultant colleague making the call that no family wants to receive. I called the chaplain and, once the family had gathered, she blessed the patient. We sat together listening to the Qur'an whilst his family saw their husband and father for the last time.
“As much as I believe that this will be the most difficult and stressful time in our professional careers, it is a privilege to support patients and their families through the most traumatic time of their lives.
“However, maintaining this level of care to our patients is proving progressively difficult as we face busier and busier shifts, increased overtime and leave being cancelled.
“I am in complete admiration of my nursing colleagues who continue to show kindness to patients and each other whilst taking on unprecedented levels of work.
“Although the work seems relentless and we are emotionally drained from caring for very sick patients, we must continue to be compassionate and courageous as we hope an end will come into sight.”
Read more