….the weight of it all….

Written by Cassandra Upchurch, RN

Welcome to First Aid & CPR Academy,

We are starting in a time when the world is in panic, but Healthcare Providers are now recognized as heroes. First Responders and Frontline Providers have made their mark on the world long ago. Now it’s during a time when we are realizing how little we have and need, we are able to see more than ever, how much we need our Healthcare Providers.

We have seen the effects this pandemic has on the community, our patients…. but we are also seeing the effect on Frontline Providers. Nurses are in tears pleading for PPE to meet the needs of the world safely. While they are caring for the most vulnerable and fragile among our population, they have not been adequately protected from the very thing that has taken the lives of many of their patients. If Healthcare Providers are not protected and perish due to this outbreak, we have no one to save the lives of these critical patients. They are relying on self-preservation to get through this, just to preserve the lives of others. This should not be a standard or expectation.

In stories “heroes” have superhuman abilities, skills, and a desire to put the needs of others far ahead of their own. Yet, they are often impervious to damage in some way. Therefore, Frontline Providers are indeed heroes, but they are human, with families, and are also fragile and deserve the same support they provide.

We are thankful to those in the community donating supplies providers need, such as N95 masks, gloves, gowns, and sanitizer. We are thankful to those that are compliant with the stay at home order. This will not get better until we stay home and stop infecting each other. We are thankful to those seeking out an answer to treat this virus. We are thankful to those looking over the families of Healthcare Providers that cannot go home to their families due to fear of exposure. Also, if we are Providers no longer on the frontlines, consider what we can do within our circumstances to help, especially with the nursing shortage. There are so many issues this pandemic has highlighted, especially with regard to our healthcare system. For now, let’s focus on what we can do, and if we are trained to help in some way, let’s do that.

Thank you, providers, for answering the call to help the world while it is sick. These Providers include but are not limited to our Nurses, Nursing Support Staff, Physicians, Respiratory Therapists, First Responders, Perfusionists and OR support. This system would collapse without you holding it up.

Thank you for everything!!!