I chose to write a poem for my creative piece, based on the experiences of a nurse during the first wave of COVID. Her stories had intrigued me, as I was amazed as to how so many medical staff could see so much horror in such a short period of time and yet still go back into work, day after day, to help those who were suffering. That resilience despite adversity, and in a lot of cases despite being unable to do much for a patient, was a critical point I wanted to convey. I was also interested in how as the pandemic spread, more and more people slowly realised how large a problem this would be. I thought it was important to include the fact that many healthcare professionals were unsure at first if this new virus was anything to worry about, considering how well SARS was contained back in 2003.Realisation from medical staff of the seriousness of the situation juxtaposed against the wider society around them still unaware of the danger that lay ahead also resonated with me when writing this poem. I remember myself back in early 2020 being completely oblivious for a while that this novel virus would ever be a problem. It proved to me how easy it is to dismiss something at first when it is on the other side of the world to you, despite the fact we live on a planet more interconnected than ever before.

I decided to write this in the form of a poem to enable me to show a somewhat chronological timeline. Additionally, this allowed me to show the point at which some were trying to spread awareness of how serious the pandemic would get, but still most people didn’t understand the reality of the situation until lockdown arrived. Touching on the topic of loss was also important to me, as I feel it helped with trying to understand what people suffering from COVID in hospital went through, as well as those who cared for them. For many, the experiences on wards with so many so critically ill, left many survivors and staff with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and a myriad of other health problems, and I’m not sure if the true extent of this has been recognised yet.The changing public attitude towards restrictions was another topic that affected the wellbeing of staff. Many were disheartened to see people being so naïve up until the lockdown, but were later reassured due to high compliance with restrictive measures, especially during the first wave.

Completing this creative piece helped me look back and reflect on the events of the past year and how it is easy to forget, as restrictions ease, the terrible trauma so many went through. As the year was so eventful, I felt it was easy to forget where we began. With hindsight, hopefully we can learn to be more prepared, act with better strategy, and provide more support to those ill and those who care for them when another pandemic arises.