‘It’s a calling,’ say nurses on the frontline

Before COVID-19, the World Health Organization declared 2020 International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife to honour Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing and sanitation, who was born 200 years ago.

It’s a fitting tribute, considering nurses’ critical role as frontline workers at this historic time.

While Nightingale found herself on the frontline during the Crimean war, her legacy has had an impact on the lives of a handful of young Jewish nurses who are following in her footsteps at the coalface of a different enemy – the novel coronavirus.

Four such nurses told the SA Jewish Report nursing was a “calling” for them, and they want to make a difference. In response to the outbreak, they have put aside fear for themselves and their loved ones to answer a call to action.

“When people find out that I’m a trauma nurse in intensive-care, the common reaction is nose crinkling, followed by ‘Eeuw! You must see a lot of hectic stuff’. Yes, I do. But I also save lives and see a lot of miracles,” said Ricki-Lee Serebro.

Serebro, 26, is a registered nurse in the trauma intensive-care unit at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital. All her patients are critically ill, many on the brink of death from gunshot wounds, car accidents, stabbings, failed suicide attempts, and falls.

“People associate nursing with wiping old men’s bums and bed baths, but there’s a whole lot more to it. You are literally holding life in your hands,” she said.

She has 12-hour shifts from 19:00, and it’s a stressful, demanding job. “I’m on my feet for 12 hours. There are moments of heartbreak, pain, and sadness. I do cry sometimes, it takes its toll, but when a patient on the brink of death makes it, there are no words to describe the joy at saving someone’s life.”

Many of her patients are heavily sedated or on ventilators, so pain control is crucial. “I rely on non-verbal cues for pain like a facial grimace or a high heart rate. The situation can change fairly quickly, so I need to be on my toes. As there are no family visits, my role is also to provide emotional care.”

COVID-19 has added a whole new dimension of stress.

“Many of my colleagues have tested positive, so it’s always at the back of my mind that I might be next, and wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) for 12 hours is tough. We now have a runner who fetches things like medicines because otherwise we would be doffing and donning our PPE several times a shift. This adds to staff shortages and overall stress,” she said.

Student nurse, Tali Nathan, 23, works the COVID-19 ward at Netcare Milpark Hospital.

“It was daunting in the early days of the pandemic. Everything was new and unchartered territory. I was initially freaked out about wearing PPE for 12 hours. Feeling for a vein wearing two pairs of gloves comes with its own set of challenges, but you adapt quickly,” she said.

Nathan loves the adrenalin, and there’s no hint of exhaustion after a long, busy shift. “I know it’s a cliché, but I genuinely love what I do. It’s an honour and a privilege to be needed during this dreadful time,” she said. However, it’s never easy.

“Recently, a sweet elderly patient asked me for a new bar of soap during a bed bath which I said I would buy her. When I went back on shift two days later, she had passed away. I still carry her soap in my bag.

“Even though we have learnt so much about treating COVID-19, and the recovery rate is high, some days are frustrating because there’s only so much you can do. There is no cure or pill or textbook for this.”

Both women strip down completely when they get home after a long shift, and head for the shower to decontaminate before doing anything else. Then they eat, relax, and sleep for a long time until their next shift. Family and friends are a vital support.

Mother of three, Lara Kaplan, 29, is a registered nurse and midwife who runs a private mobile baby clinic. She spent many years in public hospitals where, in spite of the high incidence of HIV, Tuberculosis and things like gunshot wounds, she chose nursing over becoming a medical doctor, never looking back.

“There is a part of me that knows this is what I’m meant to be doing,” she said.

Having had a baby at the start of the pandemic eight months ago, she empathises with her patients, many of them anxious and stressed.

“It’s a scary time for new moms bringing life into this pandemic. I walk into a room suited up with mask, visor, and gloves, and it’s hard to engage, it’s alienating, there are no cuddles, there are no toys, even my smile is hidden. Things have changed. It’s an intense time.”

Third-year nursing student Natanya Joseph, 22, is practising midwifery, and moves between the Hillbrow Clinic and Charlotte Maxeke.

People are shocked when she tells them she is studying to become a nurse.

“They say, ‘That’s not a degree for a nice Jewish girl in South Africa’, but I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world,” Joseph said.

Working in the public sector has exposed her to the harsh reality of public-healthcare in the country. “It has opened my eyes, and taught me so much,” she said.

She recalls a mom giving birth to a stillborn baby after being in labour for 16 hours.

“There was nothing I could do to take her pain away. I just had to be there, hold her hand, and listen. Doctors make patients better, nurses make patients matter, more so now when visitors aren’t allowed. Nurses become the patient’s family on their worst and best days. Nursing has taught me what it means to appreciate each breath you take, the importance of taking care of your body, the impact of visiting the sick, and how to love another as yourself – true Jewish values.”

As of 4 August 2020, 240 healthcare workers have died due to COVID-19 and 27 360 have been confirmed to have contracted the virus. Nurses made up the majority of cases, accounting for 52%.

Like the Lady of the Lamp before them, they are spreading light during this dark time, united by a desire to help where help is needed.