BABY NURSE TELLING HER STORY

2020 - the year started with many resolutions. I started the year having many fine aspirations: some I have accomplished, others awaiting fulfilment. Personally, I did not make reservations for how I would live my life should a pandemic happen. A lot of things have occurred in the course of this pandemic, with it impacting my life both negatively and positively.

This novel virus brought with it fear and uncertainty. Initially, when it landed on the shores of Nigeria, I was still on my clinical posting and we were all scared. What if we became infected while on duty with a virus that had no vaccine? I mean, we are still baby student nurses that are not fully skilled in infection prevention and control protocols. What we all wanted was to go home. But now I am tired of home and I’m living in constant fear from the ever increasing number of cases of people infected with the corona virus.

Lagos, being the epicenter of the virus, is a mentally draining place to be. Initially, there was a sharp increase in crime rate during the lockdown and every one was terrified. We had to be very security conscious due to the rise in the incidence of theft in our neighborhood. Although the lockdown has been eased, it still doesn’t feel quite safe to go out. There is the fear of being infected by having someone breathe on you, or from touching surfaces that may carry the virus. Only God knows when all these will end!

Trying to look at the brighter side of life and staying positive, this period of compulsory hibernation has birthed for me a dawn of self rediscovery and I have been able to restrategize. Till the pandemic ends, I’ll keep making effective use of this period.

Anyaegbu Mary. U
Department of Nursing,
University of Ibadan.

#COVID19OurStories is a series curated by Asido Campus Network, we aim to highlight the experiences of young people during the COVID-19 pandemic.