The Capital News has chosen to run this letter from a Kelowna General Hospital nurse anonymously after verifying their identity. The writer requested anonymity due to fear of repercussions from their employer.
To the editor:
To the 1,000 or so protesting outside Kelowna General Hospital on Wednesday º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿Éç” we see you.
How could we not? The screaming, yelling, honking. Itº¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿Éç™s hard to miss.
You were seeking more attention, and you got it. Congratulations. You live in a free society, and you got noticed. We saw you.
To the people yelling, swearing, and fingering hospital staff on the skywalk º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿Éç” we see you.
To the people shouting at staff that we were º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿Éç˜part of the problemº¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿Éç™ º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿Éç” we see you.
To the four vehicles circling the block repeatedly honking your horns to make it seem like there were more supportive vehicles than there actually were º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿Éç” we see you.
To the people blocking the sidewalks and roads impeding patients/staff/visitors from getting to the hospital º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿Éç” we see you.
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I came out of my nursing shift in the ICU for five minutes and linked arms with my colleagues while turning our collective backs to you. But I saw other things too.
To the 361,000 other Okanagan residents who werenº¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿Éç™t there º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿Éç” we see you too.
To the mystery donor(s) who funded lunch for many of the hospital staff through the KGH auxiliary º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿Éç” we see you too.
To the unit who sent a card and gift to the ICU staff on Wednesday º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿Éç” we see you too.
To the anonymous donor of coffee to the ICU night shift º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿Éç” we see you too.
To the many kind words shared in person and online º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿Éç”we see you too.
To the local businesses struggling through COVID who are once again cutting their bottom line to extend offers to health care workers º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿Éç” we see you too.
In a career of ICU nursing, I have seen SARS, H1N1, Ebola, and many more. COVID has been a game-changer. Our ICU is completely full and overflowing with COVID patients. Many of them continue to die.
You have no idea what goes on within these walls. You donº¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿Éç™t see us.
Iº¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿Éç™m not debating the merits of why you were protesting. Choosing to protest at your hospital because of a government policy you donº¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿Éç™t like is a soldier bombing the Red Cross because theyº¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿Éç™re upset at their military leaders º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿Éç” completely misdirected, thoughtless, and attention-seeking behaviour.
But guess what. We all set our alarm clocks to get up the next morning and come into work and do it again. You didnº¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿Éç™t hurt us. You didnº¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿Éç™t break us. You didnº¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿Éç™t change us. You just demonstrated to the community who you are and what youº¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿Éç™re made of, as unflattering as that is. Thanks for making that crystal clear. Donº¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿Éç™t worry. We see you.
Anonymous ICU nurse
Kelowna, B.C.