By Chantalé Fletcher
Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Nurse Jossette Smith-Bethel of the Couva Hospital and Multi Training Facility says she and her co-workers need a break.
Speaking at the Ministry of Health virtual presser on Monday, she called on the unvaccinated to get vaccinated to help reduce the spread of Covid-19.
“We need a break,” Smith-Bethel reiterated.
She described a day in the ICU as physically and emotionally exhausting.
“We can spend between six to 12 hours in full personal protective equipment (PPE) just to ensure that we can attend to our patients. We sometimes unable to eat, drink or even use the bathroom.”
Smith-Bethel said the ICU was recently extended to house 19 additional patients which previously housed 22 patients, which were sometimes children, young, middle age, elderly and very critical.
They require oxygen via face masks or mechanical ventilators. “Unless you are in the ICU, you can only imagine what goes on in the ICU.”
She said, “These patients in the ICU need continuous monitoring with a cocktail of medication but we can only do so much, as their status can change without warning and sometimes relatives will be asked to make life changing decisions on behalf of their loved ones.”
However, as Nurses, Smith-Bethel explained, “It’s hard as we were the ones ensuring that we do what is required to them alive. Relatives, we empathize with you but please note we are doing our best.
“We do everything for our patients, we give them baths, and feed them and sometimes ensure that relatives ensure a phone call or video call because, the harsh reality is that it be very well be their last.”
She said as she recalled one of her 26-year-old patient, who lost his life to Covid-19.
“On my days, off I still think of my patients, wondering if they still will be there when I get back.”
Smith-Bethel said, “Nurses have families too, children who in online schooling and we can’t be there with them.”
She said, “Being a nurse in the pandemic has become extremely overwhelming and particularly for the those who started their careers during the pandemic.
“Some if not all us are already traumatised, we have already seen so much death and we know that there’s going to be more. It’s hard when we lose our own, family members, friends and so much people to Covid-19.”
Smith-Bethel added that some described nurses as “Superheroes in scrubs,” and therefore she was not giving up.
