Covid heroes: our nurses
The global Covid pandemic has shown the world how important nurses are to the healthcare ecosystem. There is no absolute definition that could define the magnitude of a nurse. As a friend, philosopher and guide- they are constant throughout your recuperation and become an integral part of your healing. Often under acknowledged and underpaid, these super heroes spend most of their lifetimes in the shadows, seldom taking credit.
Right from the start, nurses at Epoch have always been placed at the centre of our existence. We have believed that if empowered and given the right amount of confidence they can truly define the course of prognosis of an elder’s condition sometimes single handedly. Nurses have an incredible combination of being a caregiver and at the same being able to lead from the front. At Epoch, our nurses are the centre point for everyone- residents, support staff, families and management.
It is often said that if a doctor is a life-giver, then a nurse acts as a life-saviour. True that! For two subsequent years of the Covid outbreak, the first wave, and the second wave, our nurses at Epoch homes were the pillars we could completely rely on. With the news and the devastation spreading around, our nurses made the difficult mental switch to stay positive so that the situation outside can be camouflaged with our elders, especially the ones with dementia. Apart from the PPE kits, double-layered masks, they also had this filter on inside their minds.
With Covid-positive cases all around, the facility had to be locked down under strict Covid protocols. Without a moment's ado, our nurses took charge of the entire facility with residents onboard knowing that all other support is going to be remote. For that moment, it was just them and their beloved uncles & aunties and nanis & dadis, and whatever worked best for their care. They played all sorts of roles from managing maintenance issues, to kitchen operations, to caring for Covid positive staff in the isolation facilities, late night chats with team members to just managing all our anxious nerves!
By the end of time, they had covered it all. With them staying inside the facility 24x7, our residents, their family members, all the staff on the ground and us, we all had hope.
Eventually, difficult times have passed, and we could manage great loads because of these brilliant nurses. Throughout, we derived inspiration from them internally, and we are fortunate to have them around. Every word of appreciation will never be enough for whatever they have done for us.
Senior Facility Nurse, Vermeer House
Sharing some stories of celebrating our team through their journeys!
