Life as a young nurse on the COVID-19 frontline
Image Credit: Compassion International
Rejoice Mawire,
29th Jun 2020
Tags:
Life
Blog
Career
Culture
Hope
This period has been very interesting for many of us. I find it fun to read different inspirational stories of what people have been doing in the pandemic. They really motivate me and help me see life through another lens.
One of those stories is of Edilson Rodrigues de Araújo Júnior. He's 25, lives in Brazil, and works as a nurse at a hospital.
When he was seven, he started attending a programme with Compassion, an international child development charity. They provide education and resources to children in poverty through the help of local churches.
His time in the programme had such a great impact on him, it led him to work in a field that’s dedicated to helping others in need.
He shares his experience, “When I graduated from the program at 17, I knew that I would take the fundamental principles I learned there into my future life. I learned about God and the meaning of the word empathy; the need to put yourself in another's place.
We were very frightened by all we heard in the news.
“Today, I work as a nurse at a hospital where most of the time I support the operating room, but I also work in other sectors depending on the hospital's needs. When we started to receive the first suspected cases of COVID-19, we were very frightened by all we heard in the news about the fast spread of the virus in the world.
“Since then, our entire routine at the hospital has changed. We began to receive special Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and training to deal with the challenges of the pandemic. The hospital received several isolation beds for the patients.
“The work environment has been extremely tense and agitated, as the number of cases continues to grow. I've been working as a nurse for two years and I am increasingly proud of my profession. We have been working harder than ever on the front lines of this war, risking our lives every day.
“Our whole routine has changed inside and outside the hospital, which has been difficult. People need to be informed of the care they must take during this time so, in addition to working at the hospital, I also support the Compassion programme that I used to attend by providing COVID-19 information and training for volunteers.
We will never lack the faith to continue fighting this virus every day.
“In the tensest moments, I pray that God will give us discernment in the face of challenges and that we will never lack the faith to continue fighting this virus every day. I believe that only in God will we find the solution to our afflictions.”
It’s great to see how he stays strong in this time when there’s a lot of fear, panic, and uncertainty going on.
His story has encouraged me, and I hope it encourages you too!
