Irish nurse reveals hospital received 30 ward staff with box of chocolates for Christmas amid Covid pandemic

Staff in a Covid-19 ward in an Irish hospital have received a box of chocolates from hospital management for Christmas.

The workers in the room, made up of nurses, care staff, kitchen staff and cleaners, received a box of Quality Street chocolates to share among 30 people.

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This comes as staff have been working on the front lines since March in the fight against Covid-19.

Valerie, the sister of two frontline nurses, contacted RTE Radio 1’s Liveline to vent her frustrations over her understatement.

‘I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT’

Valerie said she “couldn’t believe” that that was all the staff were getting for Christmas after working “incredibly hard” this year.

Valerie told the show: “My sister sent me a picture this morning and Joe was stunned, I couldn’t believe it.

“Here I am on your behalf because I am so outraged.

“Everyone has been working incredibly hard this year, particularly in the second lockdown where they would not have as much support in terms of additional resources and so forth with the additional workload.

“So they got a box of Quality Streets Joe, just a box of Quality Street, a single box, among the whole board.

“Two members of management walked around the room yesterday with a big flourish and presented this, without a card, without a word of thanks.”

Valerie said that she contacted the program because she feels that nurses cannot speak for themselves.

‘IT’S SMELL’

He said it was “painful” to give the staff just a box of chocolates and a handwritten card would have been a decent touch.

She added: “I’m calling because the nurses don’t think they do it and I guess they can’t speak for themselves, they are generally so hard-working and such kind and caring people that it tends to be that way.

“But I guess what they would have appreciated even, a handwritten card, just to say ‘we really appreciate the extra work this year and everything you’ve done.’

“They really don’t want a lot, it’s just being made to feel so undervalued which is the main thing, it’s painful.”

Valerie’s sister and sister-in-law also sent a letter to Joe Duffy, with the permission of their fellow ward members, to share their dislike of the card.

Staff said they were “discouraged” and felt it was a “slap in the face” that such a small gift had been presented to them after the year they had had.

STAFF LETTER

The letter said: “Greetings, from the night shift Joe, on behalf of myself and my colleagues we want to vent a little and vent a little, so we thought we could contact you with our history of grief.

“We were so discouraged tonight when we got to work and were told that the hospital administration, the executive management team, had delivered their Christmas present to the ward.

“We are a team of 20 nurses, three health care assistants, a ward clerk, kitchen staff, and cleaning staff.

“Our big basket consisted of a single Quality Street box. It may seem petty Joe, but in light of the year that all the front-line staff has passed, it’s a slap in the face to say the least in what has been one. of the busiest nine months we’ve ever known in the hospital. “

They revealed that many staff members have contracted Covid-19 and have had to isolate themselves.

They said they hoped they would not appear “extremely petty” and that they did not want to take away the pain or loss faced by others due to the pandemic.

‘PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONALLY DRAINED’

They continued: “We have had many employees hired by Covid, many more have had to isolate themselves, some on more than one occasion.

“We have had additional beds many times without any additional support or staff.

“I hope this doesn’t sound like an extremely mean Joe, but it’s just the icing on this very burnt and overdone cake.

“Not that we expected big bonuses or anything, but I guess more than a box of chocolates out of nearly 30 people who are already tired, physically and emotionally drained after the year we’ve had and they might have lifted our spirits a bit.”

He added: “I’d say we’ve laughed a lot at each other about it and you wouldn’t believe there are so many Quality Street memes out there.

“We have not lost our sense of humor only that despite everything, we have not come to blows fighting for the sweet purple or the green triangle until now.

“We are not in this for the gifts and gifts and of course much worse things have happened.

“I don’t want to take away the loss and pain that many endured this year, I hope it doesn’t look like one, just a little more appreciation than other years after what we’ve been through would have been good.”