We care for each patient, as if they were the only one

adolfo vásquez Nurse Bupa Reñaca Hospital

I started working at the hospital last year, before the pandemic started. I was asked to cover the medical and surgery wards, where we care for patients who have been hospitalised and are Covid positive. They had no symptoms, no serious respiratory problems and and were stable. By our ratings, they were medium level of difficulty.

The patients were totally isolated. The only chance they had to see us was when they talked to someone from the clinical team, which was usually the nurse who went in to do exams or give medicine. Many patients felt like having conversation and talked to us about their lives; they had not seen their families for one or two weeks. You would grow close to them and those were special times on our shifts.

What was not so good was when you would arrive, for example, at room 405, where a patient that you had been caring for all week had been , and they were no longer there. You would ask: Oh, what happened to that patient? They had been transferred to intermediate because they had got worse. Then you would ask intermediate and they had gone to icu and next thing you knew they had passed away.

At those times, we would think of our patients who had passed away and had children. I am from Villa Alemana and

REÑACA — CHILE

I have two children. When I got home, I would act as if I had the virus, which was a good thing in terms of being careful, but at the same time I really just wanted to get home, rest and hug my children.

I think I chose a good profession and I think healthcare workers really have a generous spirit. Everyone who works in health - because you get cleaning people, service assistants, paramedics, nurses and doctors, all working with Covid patients. They are all really professional and caring, looking after each person as an individual. If the person is in pain, they are there, if they deteriorate, they quickly check up on them.

Even though there are lots of patients, each one is treated as if they were the only one. Each time one of them is discharged we are happy and it lifts our spirits - we know we have done well and saved a life. �