A young nurse’s lament: Where are the people who clapped for us during COVID?

The identity of the nurse is known to MaltaToday but they asked to remain anonymous, fearing retribution. Nurses and midwives are currently following industrial action after collective agreement talks with the government stalled.

I am a young nurse. I studied to become a nurse because I wanted to give care. I did it because I wanted to give something to society, to my people.

But just a few years down the line, I'm beginning to see that what we call ‘care’, others just see as a job we are ‘paid’ to do. And the disrespect towards us just keeps growing day by day to the point that we are completely at a loss. 

Many are opting to leave. And the situation just keeps becoming more and more precarious.

This is leaving us feeling extremely frustrated.

We are overworked and underpaid. And because we are putting our foot down to get the pay and conditions we deserve, we are being vilified.

We are nurses because we want to be there for others during the worst times of their lives... This however does not entitle others to treat us like slaves... Right now, we are expected to provide the same level of care, whether we are two nurses or 10. This is not only impossible, but unsafe for our patients

To add insult to injury, no one seems to be standing up for us.

A stark contrast to other countries, where civilians went out onto the streets to ensure their nurses are fairly paid.

Where are the people who clapped for us during COVID? Is a clap all our work is worth? 

It is true, we have a vocation, but a vocation does not pay bills, buy houses or enable us to continue studying in our fields. At the end of the day, everyone goes to work to be able to live and buy basic needs, what is different for us nurses? Do people expect us to work for peanuts and be happy about it? 

It is not enough that we work 12 hour shifts and 46-hour weeks, which we are not paid overtime for. It is not enough that we work public holidays and Sundays whilst others enjoy family meals or celebrations. It is not enough that we need to go to work whether there is a pandemic or not, even though everyone else, including hospital personnel, was working from home.

During the pandemic, only nurses were at hospital 24/7, whilst other professions worked either on 50% basis or none at all. Some health care professionals are still refusing to have contact with COVID patients. This was never an option for nurses. Most of us had to leave our own homes to protect our family members and this was all done without any remuneration.

Being a nurse is not easy. It takes a toll both physically and emotionally. 

We are nurses because we want to be there for others during the worst times of their lives. We want to help those in need and try to make their hospital stay just a tiny bit better.

This however does not entitle others to treat us like slaves, working for scraps whilst doing the ‘dirtiest work’. Right now, we are expected to provide the same level of care, whether we are two nurses or 10. This is not only impossible, but unsafe for our patients.

We are just seen as a number but are expected to deliver impeccable care. This is all exacerbated when something goes awry and the nurse becomes the scapegoat.

For example, the elective orthopaedic operations have had a huge backlog for years. Whilst orthopaedic trauma operations are done after days if not weeks. The current excuse to justify the backlog is the nurses strike.

As though that wasn't enough, instead of looking out for its staff and fighting for their rights, the management of Mater Dei Hospital is further fomenting public ‘hate’ towards us by allowing the patient to come in for their operation, while well aware that these ops won't take place due to the longstanding backlog, and then intentionally informing the patient just minutes before that the operation has been cancelled, making us nurses seem like monsters.

And should one of us so much as make a formal complaint or speak to the media, we can be sure of retribution. This is the way we are being treated.

There is already a critical shortage of staff. If we are forced to work under these conditions, in a very short while there will hardly be a Maltese nurse left working at Mater Dei. We only want a fair collective agreement which is in line with other professions.

Nurses are the backbone of all hospitals worldwide.

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