SaltWire E-Edition

‘There’s a sense of hope’

Through fatigue and frustration, Nova Scotia Nurses’ Union urges folks to follow the rules, ‘hang on a bit longer’

HEATHER LAURA CLARKE heather.clarke@saltwire.com

More than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, Nova Scotia Nurses’ Union (NSNU) President Janet Hazelton says the biggest challenge is the unrelenting fatigue.

“We never dreamed we’d be going into a second year of this, with even more cases than we had a year ago,” says Hazelton. “It’s been a long year. People are tired, they’re frustrated, they want to see their loved ones, but we can’t let up.”

The last year has been exceptionally difficult for nurses across Nova Scotia, and the issues they struggled with last spring are mostly different than the ones they’re facing now.

When the pandemic first hit, there was a critical shortage of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). Some nurses were being forced to work in unsafe conditions, reusing their N95 masks because they were so scarce.

Now, a full year later, there’s plenty of PPE for everyone — but everyone hoped they wouldn’t still be wearing it by this point.

“Nurses have been wearing full PPE for a long time now. It’s not a bad thing because it’s protecting us, of course, but it’s a lot more difficult to nurse that way,” explains Hazelton.

“Wearing a mask for an

hour while you’re grocery shopping is stifling, but imagine having it on all day, for a 12-hour shift. It’s also very hot, wearing protective gowns over your uniform.”

NURSES CAN’T WAIT TO SMILE AT PATIENTS AGAIN

While masks, face shields, gloves and gowns are still very much needed as safety precautions,

she says everyone is looking forward to a time when nurses are able to reassure patients with more than just a comforting voice.

“We haven’t been able to see other nurses or healthcare workers smiling, and our patients haven’t been able to see us smiling,” says Hazelton. “Our facial expressions, our smiles, our touch — those are all things that can’t be measured, but we know how important they are in nursing.”

There’s so much work to do, and not enough nurses to do it. With the increased need for nurses to help out at testing sites and vaccination clinics, the workload has increased for those left working in hospitals and long-term care clinics. Hazelton says it’s also challenging for nurses when visitation restrictions prevent patients from having their loved ones visit.

“Every time things shut down again, people have to go through surgery alone — being dropped off at the door and picked up days or weeks later— and that means nurses have to pivot to become all things,” she says. “We become that patient’s support person, caregiver, errandrunner, someone to just sit and chat — all while training to maintain everyone’s safety.”

Last spring, there was fear of this virus. This spring? The variants are causing even more fear — and since so many nurses (and retired nurses) are working in COVID-19 testing units across the province, Hazelton says they may come in direct contact with a Covid-positive person at any point.

“There’s always the worry of ‘Do I have enough PPE on?’ or ‘Am I going to bring COVID home to my family?’ You’re always on edge,” says Hazelton. “With these dangerous variants and with community spread, the pressure is on everybody — but especially our healthcare workers.”

‘HANG ON A BIT LONGER’

While the pandemic has reinforced the importance of issues that have been brewing for years — like critical staffing shortages, the overloaded healthcare system, adversity within the nursing community, and the personal safety of nurses — Hazelton says there’s still optimism as we move into May.

“For the most part, people are following the rules. Our hope is that this last lockdown will hopefully be the last lockdown,” says Hazelton. “If we just hang on a bit longer, we might get a summer out of this.”

The vaccine roll-out is also helping to raise everyone’s spirits. The plan is still to have at least one dose into every adult in Nova Scotia (who wants one) by the end of May. Hazelton volunteers at vaccination clinics in Truro and Antigonish, where she says folks all seem very pleased to be getting their jab.

“There’s a sense of hope when you give someone a vaccine — not just with the nurses, but with everyone coming in,” says Hazelton. “They’re so glad the vaccines are here and it’s their turn.”

The sudden spike in cases at the end of April made everyone nervous and stirred up public fury at the people who blatantly chose to ignore the province’s public health protocols. Hazelton says while many nurses do feel a sense of dismay “and a bit of anger” when people selfishly put others at risk for the sake of parties and gatherings, nurses refuse to play the blame game. They simply want people to do the right thing.

Last spring, Nova Scotians rallied behind nurses with a steady flow of meal deliveries, gift cards, discounts, ‘Thank you’ signs and honks to show support. A year later, we aren’t seeing much of that — but what our nurses really want from us is something that can’t be held in their gloved hands.

“The gifts and gestures were great, but we would prefer that people show their support by following the rules,” says Hazelton. “We all just want to get back to our normal lives — to the way we used to nurse.”

NATIONAL NURSING WEEK 2021

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2021-05-08T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-05-08T07:00:00.0000000Z

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