International Nurses’ Day 2020 – Celebrating our nurses

12 May 2020 - Dhanjay Simadree

“I am a nurse and I am proud of what I do. I have got the knowledge to save a life and I take what I do very seriously. Ordinarily, I am a recovery and anaesthetic nurse at Orpington hospital. Previously, I worked at King’s College Hospital in the cardiac intensive care unit and high dependency unit.

“I have been redeployed to do fit testing, initially at PRUH and now at Orpington Hospital. My role is to make sure that all frontline NHS staff know how, when and where to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). I demonstrate how it should be worn and test it on colleagues to ensure it fits correctly. As we know, COVID-19 is transmitted through droplets and surfaces so the use of gowns and masks for high risk procedures and areas is key.

“Nursing is a tough profession but I love it. It has changed my life for the better and made me a better person. I am glad that I have been able to experience these moments that have tethered me to what matters in life: my family, as in my time as a nurse I have seen some heart-wrenching things.”