'After surviving this, they can survive anything' - Cork-based nurses celebrate graduations

General Nursing interns helped plug critical staffing gaps as healthcare workers fell ill taking care of Covid-19 patients, and then they had to work through the HSE cyber-attack

(Left to right) General Nursing interns Jennifer O'Connell, Sligo, Caroline Murphy, Millstreet and Sinead O'Sullivan, Glengarriff, who graduated at Cork University Hospital. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

We did it to put our patients first - that was the message from new nurses who've been praised by the Taoiseach for bolstering the frontline during the Covid-19 crisis.

Micheál Martin sent a special message of thanks to the class of general nursing interns who emerged as graduate staff nurses following a ‘blessing of the hands’ ceremony at Cork University Hospital (CUH) yesterday.

The class, who embarked on their nursing degree four years ago, had to complete their 36-week internships, or clinical work placement, just after Christmas as the third and biggest wave of Covid-19 hit.

They were deployed to CUH to work on the frontline and helped plug critical staffing gaps as healthcare workers fell ill. Some were involved in the care of Covid-19 patients, and then they had to work through the HSE cyber-attack. They were paid €10.70 an hour.

But they emerged yesterday as qualified graduate staff nurses, with many set to take up full-time nursing roles in CUH within two weeks. Orla O’Riordan, 23, from Grenagh, who nursed many Covid patients in their final hours, said her internship was very challenging but ultimately rewarding.

“It was so overwhelming at the start,” she said. “We had no idea of what we were facing until we got inside.

There was huge loss of life. It was overwhelming at the time and I often felt so helpless. 

"It was very tough on the families of those Covid patients, who I only knew through a screen. We all had doubts but I think the experience will stand to us all.” 

She’s due to start work in the cardiothoracic ward in CUH in October.

Hannah Hickey, 23, from Carrick-on-Suir, but who lives in Cork, said despite the fear and uncertainty of nursing in a pandemic, she and her classmates felt they had to put patients first.

“And as senior staff members fell ill with Covid, we certainly felt extra pressure of extra responsibilities. But everyone was in it together and we all got through it," she said.

She’s due to start work soon in a neuro medical ward in CUH.

Amadeusz Lelental, 22, from Tralee, who the only male graduate in the class, did his internship in CUH’s cardiology ward.

“They are some of the most vulnerable patients. I didn’t worry about myself so much. I was always worried about the patients or my family,” he said.

“But I always felt that this was the right thing to do. To help people. We had friends right there beside you, and getting a thank you from patients, that got you through it.” 

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He starts work in a mixed medical ward in CUH in about two weeks too.

Mr Martin paid tribute to the nurses' “dedication, resilience, hard work and compassion” throughout their internship.

Orla Goulding, the clinical placement coordinator at CUH, said the class deserves huge praise, recognition and gratitude.

“They were right at the coalface of the fight against Covid-19 and they had to grow up fast. We told them that you can’t stop the wave but that you can learn to surf.

“I believe that after surviving this, they can survive anything.”