tent. Krystal doesn’t look much better and we smile grimly at one another as we walk.
“I feel like a walking hay stack.” Krystal says as she walks. “My hair is a mess, my skin is dry and I ache like mad all over.”
“I don’t feel much better.” I tell her as I pull the ripped sides of my flannelette shirt around me against the cold. “I think we are going to have to look at clothing for everyone soon too. The weather is changing and summer will soon head into autumn and with winter coming on we have to make sure that we have enough warm clothes for everyone.” I continue, making a mental note to bring it up later tonight at the meeting.
Krystal and I stagger across the hill, weary legs not wanting to move too fast. It was going to be a long night after a very full day. Neither of us had slept for more than three hours, so we were going to have to keep each other awake.
Dr Helen meets us at the door, tired eyes gaze out of a very pale face. Helen looked just like I was feeling and her voice showed the strain of long hours and little rest as she briefed us on our patients. During the few hours we had been away three patients had been discharged into the care of relatives as they were well enough not to need nursing care. Two had become a lot sicker with infection and were now on the critical list. Two more had died of injuries sustained during the hospital collapse. The sad news was greeted by Krystal and me with solemn nods. We told Helen to go and lay down on an empty mattress for a while so that she could rest and our shift began.
This night shift was like no other I have ever done during all the years I was a nurse. Most of the patients were bedded down on mattresses on groundsheets. There were very few beds or trolleys from the hospital that were able to be used and these had been reserved for the sickest of the patients. The conditions were much worse for nursing than they had been in the old hospital, but were much safer than the old building for us and our patients. Moans and groans penetrated the quiet of the night due to the lack of pain killers. The only pain relief we had in abundant supply was paracetamol and for some of our patients this just did not help very much. What little of the stronger medications we had was reserved for the sickest of the patients.
One of my patient s, James, a frail eighty year old, was a joy to care for though. His faded blue eyes twinkled with humour although his body was letting him down. He always has a kind word for the nurses and can always find a joke to tell. Every time I went to check on him I would find him awake with a smile and a joke. Patients like this make the night go faster for us. I don’t think that I heard him complain at all during the night even though he was in immense pain from the cancer that was eating his body. Some people just cope and James was one of those wonderful people. He had been prescribed the stronger pain relief, but had rejected it so that the younger ones could have medication. James told me that his time was limited and that it should be used for those who will be able to make the future and not wasted on an old man who was dying anyway. The selflessness of this brought a lump to my throat. James was one of nature’s gentlemen and earned my love and respect that night. I hoped that he would not suffer too much over the time he had left on this earth.
The night passed quickly and soon it was daylight. Helen was awake and looking a little better than she had last night. Even two or three hours sleep can help extreme exhaustion; Helen had managed to sleep for 4 hours a wonder in itself.
Our shift ends at 10am and we talk to the team that are taking over and then head off back to the campsite to rest up before tackling the next tasks allotted for the day.
Chapter 17
The campsite has now become a much larger place and there are people and tents dotted all over the hill side. Campfires burn brightly and wonderful smells
“I feel like a walking hay stack.” Krystal says as she walks. “My hair is a mess, my skin is dry and I ache like mad all over.”
“I don’t feel much better.” I tell her as I pull the ripped sides of my flannelette shirt around me against the cold. “I think we are going to have to look at clothing for everyone soon too. The weather is changing and summer will soon head into autumn and with winter coming on we have to make sure that we have enough warm clothes for everyone.” I continue, making a mental note to bring it up later tonight at the meeting.
Krystal and I stagger across the hill, weary legs not wanting to move too fast. It was going to be a long night after a very full day. Neither of us had slept for more than three hours, so we were going to have to keep each other awake.
Dr Helen meets us at the door, tired eyes gaze out of a very pale face. Helen looked just like I was feeling and her voice showed the strain of long hours and little rest as she briefed us on our patients. During the few hours we had been away three patients had been discharged into the care of relatives as they were well enough not to need nursing care. Two had become a lot sicker with infection and were now on the critical list. Two more had died of injuries sustained during the hospital collapse. The sad news was greeted by Krystal and me with solemn nods. We told Helen to go and lay down on an empty mattress for a while so that she could rest and our shift began.
This night shift was like no other I have ever done during all the years I was a nurse. Most of the patients were bedded down on mattresses on groundsheets. There were very few beds or trolleys from the hospital that were able to be used and these had been reserved for the sickest of the patients. The conditions were much worse for nursing than they had been in the old hospital, but were much safer than the old building for us and our patients. Moans and groans penetrated the quiet of the night due to the lack of pain killers. The only pain relief we had in abundant supply was paracetamol and for some of our patients this just did not help very much. What little of the stronger medications we had was reserved for the sickest of the patients.
One of my patient s, James, a frail eighty year old, was a joy to care for though. His faded blue eyes twinkled with humour although his body was letting him down. He always has a kind word for the nurses and can always find a joke to tell. Every time I went to check on him I would find him awake with a smile and a joke. Patients like this make the night go faster for us. I don’t think that I heard him complain at all during the night even though he was in immense pain from the cancer that was eating his body. Some people just cope and James was one of those wonderful people. He had been prescribed the stronger pain relief, but had rejected it so that the younger ones could have medication. James told me that his time was limited and that it should be used for those who will be able to make the future and not wasted on an old man who was dying anyway. The selflessness of this brought a lump to my throat. James was one of nature’s gentlemen and earned my love and respect that night. I hoped that he would not suffer too much over the time he had left on this earth.
The night passed quickly and soon it was daylight. Helen was awake and looking a little better than she had last night. Even two or three hours sleep can help extreme exhaustion; Helen had managed to sleep for 4 hours a wonder in itself.
Our shift ends at 10am and we talk to the team that are taking over and then head off back to the campsite to rest up before tackling the next tasks allotted for the day.
Chapter 17
The campsite has now become a much larger place and there are people and tents dotted all over the hill side. Campfires burn brightly and wonderful smells
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