A trainee nursing associate has given an insight into life inside a Norfolk hospital during the coronavirus pandemic.
Bryony Smith, a trainee nurse associate at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) in King’s Lynn, is one of many students and trainees supporting hospitals across the UK in their fight against the virus.
The 23-year-old, who is in her final year of her University of East Anglia course, started working at the NHS at the age of 18 and has spent most of her time on her “home” ward, Windsor, which typically specialises in elderly and frail care.
The trainee is also involved in placements in other areas of the hospital and has quickly adapted to the needs around her.
She now finds herself working on a Covid-19 dedicated ward and is said to be “unfazed by the rapid changes” to her daily routine.
She said: “It’s an honour to work for the NHS and I wouldn’t change a bit of it.
“Since the Covid outbreak, colleagues have been moved around the hospital to suit the needs of our patients, so I’m working with a lot of people I hadn’t met before.
“It’s important that we all stick together and step up where necessary to support our colleagues and our patients.”
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The 23-year-old said she naturally progressed into her role as a nurse after caring for her own family.
“I couldn’t imagine myself in any other job,” she added.
“You can’t have an expected role for nursing you need to be prepared for all situations. Every day is a learning curve.
“On the wards everyone has been pulling together.
“Everyone comes in on a high spirit to tackle the shift ahead and all wards involved have been nonstop working, but we all get there.
“We always support one another and we are like a massive NHS family.”
The QEH has restricted visiting across all services and has banned people from visiting coronavirus positive patients.
The trainee has urged members of the public to follow government and NHS advice to help “protect each other against the virus.”
“Please stay at home and only travel if absolutely necessary,” she added.
“Coronavirus is more life-threatening, particularly for the elderly, than people think it is. We can limit the spread of this virus if the public stays at home.”
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