Interviews with key workers by Mercedes van Niekerk

Key workers have always been greatly appreciated by the general public, however even more now than ever. The strain that this global pandemic has put on services such as the NHS, police and fireman services and post offices has been astronomical, with shifts becoming longer and the stress of the job becoming even more of a problem. In this article I have interviewed two key workers, asking them topical questions to give everyone an insight into the enormous amount of pressure that services and their staff are under. 

First I interviewed Marty, a postman for the Royal Mail:

What does your job normally entail? 
We sort the mail in the morning that comes from the mail centre into a sorting frame. We separate the different parcels into their allocated walks and after loading the vans we deliver the mail. 

How has your job changed due to Covid- 19 and what safety precautions are being taken by you and your colleagues? 
Before Covid- 19 I was part of a van share where another postman and I worked as a team to deliver mail and parcels, however a change is that we can no longer be in a van together as a result of social distancing. We have been issued with hand sanitiser and gloves. We clean the vans throughly before and after use. We have also changed the way we deliver parcels by placing the parcel on the floor and knocking. We then step back at least two metres to allow the customer to receive the parcel safely. Customers are also no longer required to sign for the parcel and the postman will sign for it on their behalf if they are there. 

Would you say that Covid- 19 has caused challenges in your job? 
Yes. The general task of cleaning the equipment has been challenging. We have also seen a large increase in parcels as people cannot go out as often and most retailers are closed. 

How does it feel to know you are a key worker and have a vital role in this global pandemic? 
I feel honoured to be able to help to deliver essential items to the general public. I am happy to be playing my part and have the opportunity to make the process of receiving parcels easier for customers. 

I then interviewed Anne, a NHS worker who gives a real insight of the current situation:

What does your job normally entail? 
My usual role is as a specialist role in Tissue Viability. It is what is called an extended role so I have specialist training and knowledge on top of all my other qualifications in chronic and complex wounds. I work in the community so go and see people in their own homes, residential homes, nursing homes or community hospitals . I assess the patient and the wounds and then devise the plan of care and liaise with the other organisations. Part of the role involves teaching and training other staff, redefining polices and procedures. I also prescribe for the patients that I see.

How has your job changed due to Covid- 19 and what safety precautions are being taken by you and your colleagues?
I have been pulled away from the TVN role due to my background as a District Nurse and have been sent to help them. My job now is still community based but I am seeing the patients who need advanced skills such as syringe drivers for end of life, IV lines, drains and anything else they can think of to give me!  My job has gone from Monday to Thursday 9-5 to a whole load of variety. On Monday I run a specialist leg ulcer clinic for the nurses. Then I work Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with the DNs a full day. At the weekends I work anywhere from 3 to 8 hours for the DNs and have also done some twilight shifts which is 6:30 to 11:30 pm. 
The problem was we were not given any PPE at the beginning. I went to a house where the lady had died of Covid and all the family had it and they had to give me a mask . About a third of the staff group caught it and many are still sick . We also have many nurses self isolating because of their age, comorbidities or pregnancy. We have now got aprons and gloves. We have masks which are single use but of a very limited supply so we reuse them for a couple of days. 
The DNs no longer meet so makes continuity, communication and support difficult . The other problems are that GP are refusing to see patients and the hospitals are sending people home early. One day we had 109 patients that we could not see. 

What type of challenges have you faced in your job at the moment?
For me it is the mixed messages and fake news that are a problem. It also sickens me to see how many people just don’t care about social isolation. The level of stress is high, the PPE is horrible to wear and you can’t communicate properly with the patients. The nurses are getting extremely tired which puts them at more risk and they worry about bringing it home to their families. It also is very disheartening to see so many people completely alone. There is a lot of reliance on social media for people to maintain contact but for the majority of people I see they do not have the ability so we may be the only people they see in a week.  Due to the lack of staff and the fact that DN are probably one of the main carrier groups we have stopped going to residential and community homes. I suppose another challenge is when you see someone sick who normally would be admitted to hospital but is now being catered for at home instead in case they catch something. Lastly we are all human too and frightened of catching it or worse passing it on.

How does it feel to know you are a key worker and have a vital role in this global pandemic?
I have always loved my job and the satisfaction it brings me of making a difference to people’s lives be it in healing their wounds or being with them and their families at the end . Being allowed into peoples lives in this personal way is always a privilege. I feel lucky that I can go and show my face to people who will not have seen or spoken to anyone for weeks and to provide that human contact . So yes I am glad I can be of use and that my skills are needed at this time. 

I would like to personally say a huge thank you to Anne and Marty for taking time out of their busy schedules for me to conduct these interviews, and for their and their colleagues resilience and effort during this pandemic. It is greatly appreciated.