“Come and then we’ll see how to organize” “

Published on : 19/05/2020 – 05:43Modified : 21/05/2020 – 15:50

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Nurses are on the front line in the face of the coronavirus. From Europe to America via Africa and the Middle East, RFI gives them the floor. For the last part of our series, we are with Mariam *. She decided to become a nurse after a humanitarian trip to Jordan. Graduated almost two years ago, she is today one of these young health professionals who are making their mark, on the front line, at the heart of the global epicenter of the Covid-19 pandemic in New York.

From our correspondent in New York,

« There are days when I come home from a thirteen hour shift and start to cry for no reason. There are days when I have more energy than ever “. On the phone, Mariam describes her life since the arrival of the coronavirus in New York: an emotional whirlwind punctuated by the long hours spent treating patients.

At 31, Mariam is what is known as an advanced practice nurse. Her field of action is wider than that of a traditional nurse. After studying at Columbia University, in 2018, she joined a Manhattan clinic where she is responsible for the follow-up of patients who have suffered a stroke or suffer from chronic diseases. ” I was never drawn to working in the hospital », She explains. ” I prefer to have the time to see each patient and to follow them over the long term. “But at the end of March, when New York became the city most affected by Covid-19,” hospitals are appealing to all healthcare professionals, regardless of their specialty or experience », Recalls Mariam. ” We were told: “Come and then we’ll see how to organize” », She specifies. For two days, she follows a training course to learn the different protocols in place at the hospital to which she is assigned. ” It’s a whole different world », She explains. And to add: ” Auscultating a patient, I know how to do, but everything there is around, contacting the other teams, coordinating the treatments… It was necessary to assimilate everything in a short time ».

« This is madness »

Given her experience with stroke victims, Mariam was sent to the neurology department, but very quickly found herself dealing with patients with Covid-19. ” In fact, there were so many cases of coronavirus that little by little there was nothing more than that in the hospital. », She says. Normally, the neurology service manages around fifteen stroke patients every day, but with the new coronavirus, around fifty patients must now be treated. Above all, doctors realize that, contrary to what has been established, the virus also attacks the nervous system. ” It’s madness, even the most experienced neurologists face complications they’ve never seen before », Confides the young nurse. She who confesses ” struggling to endure the suffering of patients “Is faced with” cases more critical than each other ». « Every day, I see people arriving unconscious, disoriented. Some don’t know who they are, where they are », Describes Mariam.

She remembers her first patient with Covid-19. ” I walked into the room and stood still for several seconds, she said with a voice still moved. I had my mask, my visor, my outfit. He was lying there, hooked up to a life support device. I thought about how such a tiny virus could destroy us all so easily. »

« I don’t think I’ve had a real night’s sleep in weeks »

In New York, more than 170,000 people have been infected with the coronavirus. Faced with the gravity of the situation, the governor signed a decree expanding the responsibilities of advanced practice nurses. To relieve the doctors, they too can now sign death certificates. Nothing in Mariam’s training had prepared her for such a situation, although she describes herself as a person who adapts quickly and knows how to cope. Specializing in general medicine, she had never imagined caring for critically ill or dying patients. ” This whole situation created a lot of anxiety in me. Every day, going to work, I don’t know what I’m going to be faced with, which of my patients will succumb “. On the phone, you can feel the fatigue in his voice. ” I don’t think I’ve had a real night’s sleep in weeks », Says Mariam before adding that she is not the only one. Many of his colleagues tell him that he has nightmares and suffers from insomnia. Being away from his family also weighs on him. Originally from the Midwest, Mariam was to see her parents at the end of May, she “ preferred to cancel the trip as a precaution ».

Added to all this stress is fear. ” We hear about these hospitals that lack protections for staff. She specifies that this was not the case in the hospital where she works. Today, the number of contaminations is starting to drop in New York. A trend that “ is felt in the hospital where it is less racing “. When asked if things are easier, Mariam hesitates, then replies: ” Yes and no “. The difficulty, for her, remains the suffering of patients, many of whom die far from their families. Despite the stress and fatigue, Mariam sees this crisis as a learning opportunity in exceptional conditions. ” I work with competent doctors who face a new complication of the virus every day. “By their side, she” reads and studies cases and comparisons with China, Italy “And sees these doctors” find solutions and new ways to treat and relieve the sick ».

Great pride

Mariam also says she is proud to participate in this fight against the virus. ” In 20 years, when people ask me where I was during the Covid-19 crisis, I could say I was in the hospital in New York to save people. But this young nurse refuses the word “hero” used by many. ” We just do our job : doing our best to save lives. »

In the midst of this crisis, for a moment he ” especially good »: Every evening when New Yorkers make noise in homage to health professionals. ” The first time I heard them I didn’t really care, she confides. Today it reminds me that we have survived one more day and that we are getting closer to the end of this epidemic. »

* New York hospitals have called on their staff not to speak to the press, we have changed some details to avoid possible sanctions for Mariam.

► To read also:

• Yasmine, nurse in the Paris region: “the hardest part is powerlessness in the face of families”
• Raheleh, nurse in Iran: “We tell ourselves that death is near us”
• Marie-Antoinette, nurse in Senegal: “After Ebola, I was ready”
• Isabelle, nurse in Belgium: “I won’t change jobs for the world”
• Igor, nurse in Russia: “I hope the coronavirus will serve as a trigger”
• Nora, nurse in the Paris region: “I fell ill and infected my family”
• Ingread, nurse in Haiti: “ Many Haitians are in denial »
• Juan Sebastian, nurse in Bogota: “I thought about resigning, but the situation is critical”

► To listen also: