Sep 27, 2021 | Grit
I began my journey at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare June 1, 2020, in the midst of a worldwide pandemic. I had such a mix of emotions. I was so excited to be working at the hospital but at the same time, I felt somewhat nervous…not the typical kind of nervousness that you feel when starting a new job. I was fearful of COVID-19 and all of the unknowns but I was also beyond excited to be working in the profession doing exactly what I love. I think back and still remember my very first day of work, walking around the units meeting all of my fellow co-workers. I introduced myself, without a handshake, but rather exchanging a few words alongside a smile that was hidden behind my mask. It is strange to think that I have been working here for over a year now and only have seen my co-workers with a mask hiding half of their face. Even though their smiles were hiding behind a mask I could still tell by their eyes that they were smiling, which was a very welcoming feeling.Over the first five months I began to feel more comfortable and at ease with the virus, wearing my mask and shield. But then... the outbreak at HDGH happened on the floor I had been working on at the time. My role of floating around the hospital changed and suddenly so did my usual routine. My face was squished behind an N95 mask, not required, but because it helped me feel more at ease and safer. One of the hardest things to hear is the news that your co-workers got COVID-19 and were fighting this awful unknown sickness alone. At the start of the outbreak, I still remember coming into work with so much worry. Stress was an understatement and the fear grew more than ever. It was then that I started to eat my lunch in the car. I was scared of going to the cafeteria to eat around others. The winter months were too cold to eat outside so my car felt like the safest place. I was scared to take my mask off- so I would not even take a sip of water throughout the day. It was heartbreaking seeing these sick patients with no family surrounding them, with no visitors coming in to see them. Our role has always been surrounded by patient care and always about going above and beyond our job title, but during those times, more than ever, we had to be these patients’ families. They were in isolation, stuck in their rooms alone and we were the ones seeing them every day. Our hair was underneath scrub caps, faces behind masks and shields and our bodies wore a yellow gown. As many patients said, “you all look the same.” Now fast forward a few months later and we are seeing post COVID-19 patients come through our hospital doors for rehabilitation. We are now helping these patients through their recovery. I think back on this past year and all of the mixed emotions, and although there were many days coming in where I was stressed, it was the comfort of each other that inspired me everyday. I am so fortunate to have such a strong supportive group of co-workers who are all so hard working and determined. I consider myself lucky to be part of such a team. When things got tough and stressful it was comforting knowing that through it all… we all stood strong together.