A Day of Sacrifice and Solace: Health Staff on Christmas Duty
While many families gather for festive celebrations, thousands of healthcare professionals across the country's hospitals are working tirelessly on Christmas Day. This is a day when many families are incomplete, as doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, chefs, laboratory attendants, chaplains, and support staff dedicate their time to caring for those in need. They make the sacrifice of spending time with their own families, so they can be there for the families of loved ones who require hospital treatment, whether it's for a sudden illness, regular treatment like dialysis, or the arrival of a new life in maternity hospitals.
Dr. Frank Ward, a nephrology and general medicine consultant at Tallaght University Hospital in Dublin, is one of the many who will be working on Christmas Day. He highlights the camaraderie and sense of 'second family' among healthcare workers, even though they are unable to be with their own families. Dr. Ward notes the various activities and gestures of kindness that make the day more bearable for both staff and patients, such as boxes of chocolates and a Christmas tree competition between wards.
However, the required care levels remain the same, and some patients may be quite well but unable to return home, while others are very sick and receiving end-of-life care. Clare Smyth, a clinical midwife at The Coombe Hospital in Dublin, works on Christmas Day every second year and acknowledges the difficulty of being away from her own family. Yet, she finds solace in her work, especially when she sees the positive impact it has on the babies and their families.
The day can be emotionally challenging for healthcare staff, especially chaplains like Father John Kelly, who reflects on the patients and families they have journeyed with over the years. He highlights the heartwarming acts of generosity and kindness shown by staff towards patients who may have no family or support network, bringing gifts and even washing for those in need. Christmas Day, he says, is a significant day that touches everyone involved, and the staff's dedication to their patients is truly remarkable.
