‘We’ve cried together’: Nurse reveals Covid stress as trust throws its arms around staff in need
‘IT’S A REALLY CHALLENGING SITUATION’: Matron Helen Ingleson
Hospital staff dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic are “working their hearts out”, and have “cried together” when it gets too much, a senior nurse has said.
The comments, which offer a revealing insight into the pressures of working in the health service during the Covid crisis, come as Hull’s NHS trust detailed the unprecedented level of support it is providing for staff to help them cope.
And hospital chiefs are urging colleagues to seek help if they are struggling, and find out what support is available, as part of Time to Talk Day 2021, a national initiative aimed at ending the stigma around mental health.
“It’s about the small things and getting the basics right,” said Lucy Vere, head of Organisational Development at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital.
“Are you getting enough rest, staying hydrated, have you brought your dinner, are you getting enough exercise? All the routines need to be in place. People shouldn’t think they have to stop what they do normally.
“It’s not people necessarily having severe mental health problems, but a lot of what we’ve been doing is really supporting people with their coping strategies. What works for me won’t work for you.
“The other thing is to stock your own psychological tank. Just take a moment to understand what triggers you and what makes you worried, and that’s what we are spending a lot of the time doing.
“It’s normal to feel like this when you’re out of work, it’s about taking that time for self-care and giving yourself permission to do it. Whether it’s trashy TV or going for a walk; just make sure you’re not running on empty.”
‘MAKE SURE YOU’RE NOT RUNNING ON EMPTY’: Lucy Vere
So far, more than 850 members of staff have have accessed a quick guide for wellbeing on the trust’s intranet.
Mrs Vere said it was not just frontline nursing staff who are feeling the strain, with referrals for help coming from “across the board”, including colleagues from midwifery, laboratory staff, even administration and finance teams.
“Having to work from home, that’s challenging as well,” she said. “You’re used to corridor conversations or normally seeing someone, now it’s on Webex or Zoom. There’s a range of different changes that have happened and change can be hard.”
Mrs Vere said she had also had to take steps to look after herself. “I wasn’t sleeping very well because my mind was very busy. I did a bit of mindfulness on one of the apps. ‘This doesn’t work’ was my last thought before I fell asleep, so maybe it did work. I laughed about that.”
She added: “I run the hospital choir – it’s not the same on Zoom but I still get to see the people I love every other week.”
The trust has a multi-disciplinary staff support team, offering a range of services from apps and online counselling to pastoral support from its chaplaincy service. There are also nurse-to-nurse support and clinical psychology sessions for those in most distress.
This is all being coordinated through its occupational health service, and was set up during the first wave of the pandemic. The services have seen an increase in uptake since November, during the middle of the second wave. Now in the third wave, the services are being promoted to all staff.
The clinical psychology team would normally only see patients; now it is extending that support to staff as well. A new staff support psychologist will start work in six weeks.
Additionally, there’s also the good old fashioned method of colleagues simply looking out for one another.
One of those best placed to do this is Helen Ingleson, a site matron who works the night shift at Hull Royal, which allows her to be an immediate point of contact for those finding it difficult to access real-time support because of the hours they work.
The matrons have an overview of the trust and monitor staffing levels on wards, so they can see where pressure points are likely to be.
“We speak to staff individually and just check everyone’s OK,” Mrs Ingleson said. “I’ve worked here for 23 years so I know a lot of staff personally and I can pick up on things and sense when something’s wrong.
“It’s a really challenging situation for the staff. It’s been a year now and it’s something nobody thought would ever happen. People have been challenged but they are rising to the occasion – they are working their hearts out.
“What I’ve seen is just so moving and inspiring. People react to stress in different ways. Some might come at the end of their shift. We are all human at the end of the day. I’ll put my arm around someone. I’ve cried with someone. They’ve got to realise we are all only human.
“I’ve seen staff crying and I’ve cried with them. On a night shift, when you’ve got patients missing their loved ones, it’s very difficult. I’ve given my phone to people who’ve been on WhatsApp so they can be reassured to see their loved one is OK.
“We’ve had a wealth of support. The communications team are sending messages out daily and the managers are very approachable because we are all in the same position.”
The matron said the shared adversity of working through the pandemic had strengthened the bonds between staff.
“It’s brought everyone together as a team,” she said. “I’ve never seen the hospital working together like this. I don’t know where they are getting it from but it’s sheer dedication and that’s what makes it so remarkable.”
Asked what advice she would give staff who are struggling to cope, Mrs Vere said: “I think it’s just make contact and have a chat. On the intranet there’s a telephone number manned 24/7 by the chaplaincy team. They can email if they don’t want to speak to anybody.
“We have an amazing occupational health team and an amazing chaplaincy team. We can’t take away the pandemic so it’s really about supporting people to put coping strategies in place.”