With less than a week until Christmas, we are waiting with bated breath to see what the next few weeks will bring.
I became an A&E nurse to care for my patients in their moment of need.
Pre-pandemic it was a very busy place to work, with huge variety in the patients we saw.
This time last year, virtually every single patient I was nursing was a Covid patient.
Today it’s like we’re looking up a mountain we already climbed – and being told to keep walking.
We have been on this climb for 21 months.
Last week we already had multiple hospitals diverting to our A&E because their beds were full.
This impacts the care we can give and leaves patients waiting in ambulances for too long. Hospitals can buy beds. But each bed needs nurses – and we are losing nurses.
Recently-qualified nurses who have worked so hard to join the profession have found it a thankless task.
I’ve seen many young and talented nurses leave their jobs. More experienced nurses are buoyed up by years of more balanced experiences. Today each day we’re under immense pressure, and each month we watch friends and colleagues leave our teams.
I’m proud of what I do. I’m proud of my profession, my community, my fellow nurses, the care we give.
We’re resilient but we’re not superheroes – and we deserve more support.
We need action now. Ministers need to step up, stop taking us for granted and take responsibility for safe staffing levels in the NHS. Take responsibility for where we find ourselves - again.
Last winter we didn’t know how bad things were going to get. This time we know how bad it could get, but the prospect is no less daunting.
We are here, holding our breath, waiting for the storm.
