Q&A with ICU Nurse, Katie Frost

Katie has been a nurse in the ICU during the pandemic and her Q&A below gives us an insight into the challenges that NHS workers have faced. 

What inspired you to become a nurse, and is this still true now? 

I wanted to do something practical and meaningful with my career that incorporated helping others. My mum was a midwife so I have been interested in healthcare since a young age via that influence. I would say that my reasons for being a nurse are still the same, my desire to help people has only become stronger over the years, not weaker. Knowing that I have the skill, experience and compassion to make a difference is very powerful to me. 

How has the past year affected your personal wellbeing? 

I have contracted Covid twice and being hospitalised both times and suffering with long covid symptoms has meant that my physical health has obviously suffered, but also mentally it has been very difficult to pick myself up and get back on the saddle at work. In particular going back to an intense working environment full of Covid was very anxiety inducing, I really had my confidence knocked and truly felt like it was like going back to the scene of the crime of where I first got sick. I have used psychology services to try and rebuild some mental strength and resilience both in and outside of work. This has really helped my wellbeing and helped me realise what is important in my life. 

What are your working hours like and have you had to do much extra time during the coronavirus outbreak?

Normal working hours are 13 hour days, a few months ago I commenced a slightly different role in ICU where my days are 9 hour days. Due to being fatigued from contracting Covid I have had to work slightly less hours to manage myself. As I was very busy and active pre covid this has been really hard mentally as I have had to accept that I have needed to reduce my hours for my health. During the first surge when I worked longer days we regularly stayed late to take off PPE and shower. 

What have been the unique challenges that you have faced as a nurse working in the ICU?

This is quite a hard question to answer as there are many. I think the hardest thing is that work feels almost like a parallel universe to “real life”. Something that myself and my colleagues really struggle with is talking to people outside of work about our days. The things we see on a daily basis just are quite unbelievable to most people and that makes it hard to switch freely between the two “universes”. 

Has the importance of NHS staff’s wellbeing increased? What new steps have been put in place to support you and your colleagues and has the stigma of mental health changed? 

The Trust I work for has been really focussing on wellbeing and mental health. In the wake of the first surge there was a big drive to put mental health services in place for staff ahead of the second surge. I have spoken to a lot of friends and colleagues who feel that the pandemic has meant that mental health stigmas have been broken down and it’s become the norm amongst each other to be more open with how we are feeling, as the chances are the person you are sat next to in the break room is having the same thoughts. In that respect it has been nice to see staff get a bit closer to each other and speak more freely about the challenges that they are facing.  

What does your new role as a mental health advocate involve and how did it come about? 

I have tried to turn my negative experience of having Covid into a positive by giving back to my colleagues, helping people feel empowered to speak up about their mental health. Myself and a handful of other colleagues will be starting on a University course to become a ‘Professional Nurse Advocate’ for Critical Care. This role has been described as absolutely necessary in order for us to gain the skills to facilitate restorative supervision to our Critical Care work force. As part of the programme we will be listening to the voices of our colleagues and delivering quality improvement projects to reflect the mental health requirements in our work place.

Tell us more about Moral Injury and its impact. 

Moral Injury is a big thing that we have been thinking about during the pandemic. This term describes the distress experienced when circumstances clash with one's moral or ethical code. A pandemic is a huge trigger with lots of patients dying and not a lot could be done to save them. Events beyond ones control during the working day resulting in a poor outcome for patients is another example. Staff who have suffered from moral injuries have a tendency to go on to develop mental health issues if not addressed. 

What have you learned from this year and how do you think it will impact on how both you personally and the wider NHS move forward?  

This is hard to answer as I have learnt a huge amount about myself, my colleagues and my friends. When I think about answering this question I feel emotional but in a positive way to see how far I’ve come through physical illness and mental stresses like anxiety. I am very proud of all my friends who I work with that are just the most incredible selfless human beings. Despite the fact this year has been horrendous, I wouldn’t change it for the world as it has shaped the stronger person I am today. People like me have had the courage and support to speak out about our mental health, but the impact on the wider NHS will be colossal because not everyone has a voice, and that will cause damage to the workforce for years and years to come if these issues aren’t addressed.