“I volunteered to be redeployed to a long term care facility. I was utterly shocked by the conditions I experienced when working there. It made me humble in terms of how thankful I am to work at my hospital.
The change was huge; it was a completely different work environment. There were different supplies which they used for PPE, high resident to staff ratios, and ever-short on registered staff. It made it difficult at times to get an extra hand to help with a task if no one else was around.
I felt so lost and useless in the beginning. Being thrown in without any orientation or explanation of a routine.
Taking our own initiative on what to do seemed kind of bizarre as we didn’t know what exactly their needs were. But as time went on and by checking in with staff, we were able to establish a set of tasks to complete. It wasn’t much but it made a difference. We started being more useful to the staff.
I am fearful for the safety of my family, significant other, and most importantly myself. Knowing that we have surpassed many health hurdles including SARS has given me hope.”
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