Over 100 YorkU Nursing students thank front line nurses for their dedication to world health in the fight against COVID-19.
In these times of uncertainty and despair, with our normal lifestyle shuttered, corona patient counts rising from hour to hour with daily spikes in death tolls, I go to sleep at night, albeit sorrowful, feeling safe, knowing that someone is holding the fort for us. It is you, the nurse fighting on the front lines, looking the pandemic in the eye; you might be a parent, a spouse, someone’s son or a daughter, a friend or a sibling, but most of all you are a leader.
You inspire other team members as well as the general public by modeling healthy behaviours; with a kind smile and the maintenance of high standards of care, you demonstrate compassion and dedication to your profession. By adhering to strict measures of hygiene and infection control you protect your colleagues as well as the general public from the spread of infection. By defending the common good of your colleagues, speaking up for your patient’s rights, and educating the public through print media, broadcast news, and the social media about appropriate measures of hygiene practices, you help everyone grow awareness towards the practice of effective social distancing, and how each and every one of us can contribute and improve the national healthcare situation and cut the chain of transmission.
Your commitment to continue fighting for the patients’ lives is admirable. Some of you may be required to cut your maternity leave short and join the forces. Some of you may need to transfer to a different home unit. Some of you are retirees who are willing to go back to work due to the staff shortages. Some of you may not return home for weeks, fearing you may inadvertently infect your loved ones with Covid-19, and some of you may fall ill due to the stress of overwork or would become infected by their colleagues or by their patients.
These days all eyes are on nurses. Keep up the excellent job that you do, even though worse times may still be ahead, your moral strength and spirit will serve as an inspiration for many cohorts of nursing students and also for the general public.
Take care and stay safe,
E.F., York University Nursing student