‘My hair’s been falling out’: Nurses hit with protest stress after 2 years of COVID – CBC

Added exhaustion and stress affects care for patients, some nurses say

Feb 10, 2022

COVID-19 might have a lessened impact on many residents compared to last month, or earlier in the pandemic, but nurses are still in the thick of the pandemic and some say the ongoing protest in Ottawa has left them tired and defeated.

Hospital staff have cared for patients throughout the pandemic, but the situation reached a crisis point in this past wave with severe staff shortages, outbreaks, and new COVID-19 hospitalization records. Ottawa set a new pandemic high with 142 patients hospitalized with active COVID on Jan. 16.

Less than two weeks after that record was set, the convoy arrived and the ongoing protest began focused on ending COVID-19 rules across Canada.

The protest has now reached its 14th day forcing the closure of downtown streets, businesses and services, while leaving locals scared and frustrated — including nurses.

“I’m stressed going home. I’m stressed coming back from work. It’s been awful. My hair’s been falling out,” said Andrea Waddell, a nurse at The Ottawa Hospital who uses public transit to commute.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-convoy-protest-nurse-impact-1.6345051