We have been singing the praises of our Healthcare Heroes since Coronavirus became a pandemic. They have definitely earned the right to be called heroes’. Often times we have no idea what they actually experience so we have no idea how to actually help.
Recently Leslie Jones, a Travel Nurse from Mobile Al, went viral describing what the front lines look like in New York.I had a chance to interview her last night inaInstagram Live session. Leslie better known by her Instagram handle @yafavnurse_rndescribed the heartbreak doctors and nurses are experiencing.
“When a patient gets tested they are alone, when they are positive they are isolated and sock alone. If they die they are alone. I try to be the daughter holding their hand that you don’t get to be”
Not only are they experiencing the trauma of losing patients left and right but they are doing this while completely worn out. Leslie talked about long work days and the shortage of nurses.
“In Mobile there are 4 patients to a nurse, in New York there are 15 patients to a nurse and some of them are coding”.
New York is among the states with the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and according to Leslie doctors don’t believe it’ll get better soon. They became even less hopeful when the CDC announced this illness may be airborne and not spread through droplets like previously suggested.
I asked if there was anything the community could do to support healthcare workers in this crisis, Leslie first suggested prayers. She went on to say more nurses are needed because they are nurses scared to be employed right not. They don’t want to join the fight and potentially expose themselves or their families.
“I’m away from home right now but before I go back home I have toself-quarantinefor two weeks to make sure I don’t show symptoms”