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 THE CONSULTANT NURSE
At the end of each shift throughout the pandemic consultant nurse
Sheeba Philip knew she could take the virus home, where she was
caring for her mother.
But every day she donned her protective equipment and carried on,
driven by a sense of duty like so many other women on the front line
against COVID-19.
"I knew that I couldn't shield myself and every day the thought that
you could be taking home (coronavirus), it was very difficult," the
43-year-old said. "Going home every day, it was like my prayer in
the car outside, 'please Lord get rid of all the germs in me and
then I will step into the house'."
The first wave of the pandemic passed, but Philip's mother, who was
on dialysis, contracted COVID-19 along with the rest of the family
in November.
"I knew, as a nurse, what I should be doing; that end of time was
coming and she would not make it," Philip said. "But at the same
time, as a daughter, I did not want to let go of it, I just wanted
her to hold on to the last straw. I wanted to say and scream at the
top of my voice 'no don't, I don’t want her to go'."
THE PARAMEDIC
For paramedic Maxine Sharples, 36, a solid barrier between her home
life and her work with the North West Ambulance service was an
essential coping mechanism, following shift after shift transporting
patients who would never return to their families.
"As soon as I get home, I shut the door and I'm back to being a mum
and a wife, and I just have to play that role until I go back to
work again," she said.
"I think a lot of people in the NHS have that ability to just switch
off. I don't think you're born with it. You just learn it and maybe
it makes you a little bit hard, as well, but you kind of have to."
THE CONSULTANT
Consultant and clinical director in emergency medicine Dr Georgina
Robertson said her year "leading the shop floor" at the East
Lancashire Hospitals Trust had been the most difficult of her
career.
"The numbers have been the highest, the patients have been the
sickest, and, alongside that, we’ve had to struggle with staff
shortages at levels that we've never seen before," the 46-year-old
said.
"So that’s been very difficult, and then obviously at home it's been
very difficult. I've got three children," she said, pausing to
compose herself. "I've got three children who've been off school for
a long time and have missed out on things."
Reflecting on the past 12 months, Robertson said she would not
usually allow herself to become emotional, particularly in front of
the staff she leads.
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 "But we're all human and it's
been a really difficult time, so sometimes to
see that human side helps your team as well so
they know it's not just them that's been
affected," she said.
"They're amazing, they just keep going every day
despite what's thrown at them."
THE CRITICAL CARE NURSE
Critical care nurse Jacqui Jocelyn, 53, has
worked in nursing for 30 years. Twenty of those
have been spent on the intensive care unit at
the East Lancashire hospital.
After spending the year being with patients at
the end of their lives, while their families
were not permitted to do so, Jocelyn's father
was admitted to the same ward.
"He was on the unit for three weeks, actually. He fought a good
fight. He was a great character," she said.
"All the staff were amazing with him. I don't think it was just
because it was my dad. But they went out their way to make him feel
special and try and get better, but, unfortunately, he fought a
losing battle and died."
THE DAUGHTER
Jocelyn's daughter, 19-year-old Ruby Jocelyn, was inspired by her
mother during the pandemic and decided to take up nursing instead of
a degree in business and economics. The care of her grandfather by
ICU staff inspired her to pursue critical care, following her
mother. "When I started in December it was so, so
busy," Ruby said. "The age was dropping and there were people my mum
and dad's age on there, and their kids are obviously the same age as
me, and I just couldn't believe it and that made me want to help
instead of running away."
Speaking about her mother, Ruby described Jacqui as a "tough nut",
but the pandemic had taken its toll.
 "I think the pandemic didn't necessarily break her, but it did take
a layer of braveness off her," she said.
"And I think experiencing it first hand, as well, as a daughter of a
patient, and not being able to see her dad or look after him as she
wanted, I think she did struggle then but it also gave her a bit of
like courage as well."
(Editing by Giles Elgood)
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