Nurses in the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal and the rest of the province have been heralded as being among the unsung heroes in the battle against Covid-19, with talks of a third wave once again threatening to destabilse the profession.
Commemorating Nurses Day on 12 May, Health MEC, Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu, said it was no child’s play having to leave your family every day and walking straight into a working environment that resembles a war zone, where you might get infected with the deadly Covid-19. “It’s no child’s play living with the anxiety that you might get back home and infect your own elderly parents and grandparents, or those whom we live with who have comorbidities, who are especially vulnerable to the virus, and might die from infection. It certainly can’t be easy knowing that, in spite of taking precautions, you yourself might still get infected with Covid-19, and knowing that you might not survive. And yet, our nurses have done it. They’ve made a huge difference during these extraordinary and devastating times.” Nurses Day is observed annually to mark the birth of Florence Nightingale, on 12 May, who is credited as the founder of modern-day nursing. However, the celebrations were bittersweet for South African nurses who face a looming third wave and wage disputes.
This after Simelane-Zulu also confirmed, on Nurses Day, that 397 have succumbed to Covid-19, in the province, with 17 076 nurses having been infected with the the deadly virus. “We know that these deaths have left many families without breadwinners. Due to Covid-19, many children have been left without mothers and fathers; and communities and workplaces are today without their beloved and trusted pillars of support. Therefore, to all those who have lost their loved ones, we send our deepest condolences. We know you’ve given it your all, and we are deeply humbled and inspired by your courage, dedication and hard work.” The South Coast Weekly Gazette caught up with nurses from Amanzimtoti Clinic who shared their thoughts on how life has changed and the challenges they still face. Speaking as a collective, the nurses said they had adapted to protocol life but each day still presented its own set of unique challenges.
“We are still adjusting, much like this virus we too must adapt to survive.” They added that more serious thought over new nurses and training should be given beforehand. “Although we are all trained, we often see new staff that lack necessary skills and need serious training workshops. As senior staff, we welcome the opportunity to grow in our careers however there is rarely opportunity for workshops and new skills training. We also need more internships in this field; given its hands-on nature which requires adapting to the job,” the nurses said. Despite this, the Amanzimtoti Clinic nurses say their job is all about saving lives, which ultimately depends on their skills as trained professionals. “All we really want as nurses, like all nurturing professions, is our patients and employers to say thank you. A simple ‘thank you’ acknowledges us and we can never hear it enough. Be kind to your nurses so they can be kind to you,” said the nurses.
