A Note of Profound Appreciation
Featured in the Dayton Daily News
Several years ago, I was working as a nurse in an outpatient procedure center. We had a patient who came in for a routine procedure and proceeded to “code.” In other words, her heart stopped. The unexpected emergency thrust all of us into a dynamic we certainly weren’t anticipating; nor was it very common for us. All of a sudden, our endorphins kicked in and we rose to the epitome of what it means to be a team. Most of us were at the patient’s side, tagging with one another to perform CPR, provide appropriate medications, and support one another in the greater mission to save our patient. Others were making sure the other patients in the facility were well cared for and that their medical treatment proceeded without any awareness that crisis had hit just beyond the adjacent automatic doors.
Afterwards, when the situation calmed and the patient was on route to the hospital via ambulance, I was walking by one of our consultation rooms. There was my fellow nurse sitting with her head resting in her hands. She had been the patient’s primary nurse. Her tears reflected a release of heartbrokenness. We weren’t sure if the patient would make it, but the intense reality that we might have lost someone caught up with her. I didn’t linger with her too long. Our eyes connected, and then I gave her the space to regroup. There were no words; only mutual understanding. It didn’t take long before she was back on the clinical floor with the same engaging competency she had with every patient. I knew she would, because she was a good nurse. And so, we persisted. The professionalism of my coworkers was nothing short of stellar.
This time of Covid-19 must be so overwhelming for health care givers. We’ve all heard the beginnings of stories by now. Not only are bedside workers charged with serving the medical needs of their patients, but they have now become the conduits for hope, for family communication, and yes, sometimes the only one to hold the hand of someone loved by others. Compounded in their shift work is the fear they will bring home the virus to those they love. It must feel overwhelming.
The endurance of these caregivers is indescribable. But, what I know for sure is that they are in it together. The camaraderie of medical teams when thrown into calamity is unmatched. I think probably it’s comparable to those who serve in the military. Each individual is made stronger by the team. Together, the work of cooperative hands redefines extraordinary and, these days, rivals the fierce destruction of this virus.
My guess is our frontline nurses, doctors and medical support personnel may not have a chance these days to sit in a consult room and regroup. They don’t have the luxury of trying to save only one patient. There’s no time for reflection. But what I know for sure is that each hospital caregiver is part of something greater than themselves. Their team sustains. I know this to be true. In the time of this prolonged crises, I trust every health care worker has someone close by who, with that look of understanding, can propel the them onward.
I hope everyone on the front line knows that a grateful public surrounds their intense mission. As your immediate team sustains you, I hope you feel the power of your vast homebound community team. Please know our collective song of support is loudest during your weariest moments. We will get through this.
Anne Marie Romer is a Regular Community Contributor and author of the book, Just Give Me the Road. Her blog can be found at annemarieromer.com.