Nursing as a new grad in the Covid ICU

[sfy224]

For one of my classes in my RN-BSN program I was given an assignment to explain my life as a nurse so this is a poem I wrote about it. 

Nursing in a Covid World

 

I graduated in twenty-twenty, bright eyed and full of hope

Now as I bag another body, I think of the best way to cope. 

“You’re so strong!” I’m told, “What a hero!” they say

But I don’t feel strong, I just feel numb, even as I say I’m okay.

Being in the covid ICU I’ve seen more death than anyone should

And being a new grad ICU nurse may cause more burnout than I understood.

 

As coworkers quit, retire early, or leave

The rest of us pick up extra and continue to believe

That eventually this will slow down, eventually things will improve

And maybe I’ll start to enjoy nursing more as I find my groove. 

For now, I help families when they realize the worst is here

I hold hands, iPads with loved ones, and do my best to ease their fear. 

 

With a new variant on the rise the unit begins to fill

And us nurses dig our heels in, ready for another drill

We’re almost at the two-year mark; happy anniversary

To this endless hell in Covid nursery.

But cheer up, never fear, because a new job arrives

No longer in the ICU but in the operating room where your soul thrives. 

 

tell the world poem.docx

[SmilingBluEyes]

Well said. You have a talent.

 

Good to have the perspective of a new nurse. This is indeed, a terribly difficult time to be a nurse, but a new nurse, I would say, even more.

Don't lose hope. I do believe it WILL get a bit better for you. Hang in there because we need you so much.

[JBMmom, MSN, NP]

It sounds like you've already made the move to a new position. I wish you all the best and hope that it works out well for you.

All of us in the ICU (and COVID units everywhere at all levels of care), will surely celebrate more than most when we reach the end of this pandemic. My heart goes out to new grads in the past two years, surely these were the hardest times to start out in this career.