Nursing During Crisis with Diane Vich RN, MSN
The experience of this Covid-19 crisis brings great stress, anxiety and overwhelm to everyone in the community at this time. But the frontline workers caring for the sick and ill are faced with additional hardships, fears and worries during this pandemic. I have been a Registered Nurse for 15 years and never thought a pandemic was in the realm of possibility. But now in 2020 we are all aware that this is a real issue facing health care workers around the world. Our frontline workers are faced with added risk of exposure for themselves and their families. Especially due to the lack of resources and protective equipment during this Covid-19 crisis. This is impacting everyone in the frontline- nurses, doctors, nursing assistants, ancillary hospital staff, paramedics, fire fighters and police officers. I am grateful and thankful every day to have a job and career that supports the community. And during this crisis I am extra thankful that I am essential but not at the line of exposure. I am ready and willing to put on my gear in the event that the hospital needs me. But I am grateful that I am able to stay home with my family and support families from a distance.
The first few weeks of this Covid-19 crisis were pretty surreal and stressful working in the hospital. The hospital was a ghost town to protect the patients and employees from exposure to Covid-19. But the exposure risk is still exponentially higher for healthcare workers even as they walk through the hallways of the hospital. Another significantly stressful experience for me is wearing Hazmat gear or full protective equipment. I am ready and willing to wear that protective equipment because I have learned strategies to help calm my nervous system and boost my immune system. But claustrophobia is still a memory from my past that is evident when I place a mask on my face. I know that I am not the only healthcare worker that faces these experiences as they protect themselves from Covid-19 and other airborne illness. I am thankful that I refresh my skills and wear this gear every year in preparation for events like this. I laugh now when I think back at my last Hazmat class. The class with long and I was in the gear for almost 30 minutes. It doesn’t seem like a long time but when you are wearing full hazmat gear that is malfunctioning it feels like an eternity. The head gear was not securely holding at the top of my head and it continued to slide down my face. One of my colleagues kept calling someone to assist me, because in that gear you are not able to adjust yourself with the bulky gloves and equipment. Over those 30 minutes, I felt hot and uncomfortable but kept my cool. I was laughing despite the fact that the mask slipping down my face was annoying and uncomfortable. I am thankful that I experienced this moment because I know that I am strong enough to face much more difficult situations now.
Those first few weeks were hard for me as an empath working in healthcare because I feel the stress of everyone around me. And when I take on their stress I exhibit physical symptoms in my body. I also had the added stress of protecting my husband, elderly parents and children from Covid-19 and other communicable diseases. Though I am not at the bedside simply walking through the hallways and visiting the department exposes me. I made sure to stay in my office as much as possible to reduce exposure. I also made sure to leave my shoes in the garage, undress in the laundry and shower quickly when I arrived home. I am thankful that I am working form home now because it minimizes exposure for myself and my family. As you probably already know I am in the at risk category for Covid-19. I have a long history of medical conditions: chronic respiratory issues, chronic pain, fatigue, autoimmune disease and many other conditions. But I am also very grateful and thankful for my journey to alternative healing because it has truly transformed my health and prepared me for this crisis. I know that even though I am at risk my immune system has changed so greatly since my health crisis that I am at an optimal state of health for this moment. The biggest fear I face now is the health of my parents because like many older adults they face chronic health and respiratory issues that place them at high risk of severe illness. We did experience a scary and real exposure early on in the crisis as one of the parents at our son’s school was severely ill with Covid-19. And my parents were at an event less than 2 weeks before she contracted the illness. I am thankful that she improved and is better. And also that no one else contracted the illness from that exposure.
The most stressful experience I have to face now deals with supporting patients from the Pediatric Emergency room during this crisis. I am the nurse that calls families with both good and bad news. I am the nurse that teaches them to protect themselves and their families from exposure. I advise them on a variety of results including Covid-19. And the most difficult calls to prepare for are those positive cases. Because parents are already highly stressed and overwhelmed during this crisis. But add the fact that they are confined to their homes with limited possibilities for health care and waiting results that take extended periods of time. Many families were stressed and frustrated because early on in the process results took more than 14 days. Many families were waiting for results to be able to return to work. And my hands were tied. The most I could do is reassure them that their child was feeling better and we will notify them with the result as soon as possible. The hardest calls to prepare for are positive Covid-19 results. Thankfully I have been supporting families with results for more than 7 years. But before those calls I use my own unique stress release process to boost my mood and release stress. I am thankful that the families that I have supported have taken the news well, even the bad news. I am glad that I can advise them of ways to protect themselves and others from spreading the disease. And for those cases that are facing significant symptoms I am grateful that I can support families and advise them to seek additional medical treatment.
This Covid-19 pandemic has created unique stressors for all of us. And the most important thing we can do as we remain in our homes is to bless those at the frontline. Because those special individuals are placing themselves and their families at risk. So I invite you to think of them when you pray, meditate or quiet your minds. I know that they are all in my mind every day when I practice my self-loving routines and even when I create meditations to share on my podcast.
Learn more about Diane and her show Goddess Unleashed heard every Thursday 7am & 7pmET Listen Live: http://bit.ly/Dreamvisions7Radio_Network Listen online, mobile, in cars and through Amazon’s Echo by asking “Alexa play Dreamvisions 7 Radio Network” Get our Apps”
