new orleans nurse story on the front lines

new orleans nurse story on the front lines

Visit benefits.gov.to apply for the 3 the coronavirus pandemic is turning hospitals into war zones.

From lack of protective equipment to fears of infecting their loved ones..

Health care workers are facing the biggest challenge of their careers.

Ne's 1's cassie schirm got exclusive interviews with nurses from acadiana to new orleans on the struggles the're facing and what the're seeing.here in acadiana, one nurse tells news 15 there are not enough n-95 masks for the nurses... so they are having to reuse their masks until they fall apart... they place a surgeo's mask on top -- making it hard to breathe.

Even though the physical aspects have gotten much harder for the medical staff, she says the emotional side is the one that hurts the most.

"as doctors and nurses were use to people dying tha's part of it.

Having to tell someone over the phone and they can come and hug their loved one and tell them over the phone say goodbye one last time that part does't get any easier."

After speaking with more nurses who detail working through this pandemic... nes 15s cassie schirm has more..

Well, three words came up the most: grueling, exhausting and all consuming.tha's how those on the front lines are describing this battle against cover 19.with the number of patients rising scores the state health care professionals are being pushed to their limits.

I spoke with one new orleans nurse who tells me her story and how everyone is coming together to fight this fight.

"things are kind of just crazy once we had one patient it just seems like they came in one after the other after the next"26 year old blair guidry is a cardiac medical icu nurse at oechsne's ...fighting covid 19 on the front lines in new orleans.

"our unit has one of the highest mortality rates so we are used to seeing a lot of deaths but this seems to be more just all of a sudden kind of process for death.

"her unit is seeing even more death with this virus.

"i's people of all ages that are coming in and fighting for their life i think tha's just the hardest part and also not having any family at bedside for them i's hard to watch too because w're already empathetic and the family members a car and the crying i ca't be there and so tha's just really hard to hear their voices in to know the struggle and just reassure them that this is equally hard for me as it is for you because were used to taking care of the patient and the family also."this has been hitting guidry hard emotionally.

"for me personally emotionally and 'm not an emotional person but this just seems to be taking a toll and i's really difficult i's something to take very seriously."even with the emotional and physical stress she says i's worth it.

"i ca't imagine doing anything else."but as the unit fights to keep people alive guidry says there are some positives the're coming together even more as a team.

"our unit is already based on an amazing teamwork and this is just really bringing us together and closer"and the community is showing their support through cards, food and thank yous."w've gotten a lot of support from the community despite what the're going through as well not be able to go to work i's humbling i's nice to have that support.

"now governor john bel edwards says we soon will be running low on beds, ventilators and supplies across the state.

This is a fear that has run through the three year nurses mind.

11:16 i's something tha's crossed my mind but i do you think that 've seen for example at my hospital do you know open up three new 30 to accommodate the serious patients to the three that we already have.

So i do see moves being made in the right direction.this is not just new orleans i's a nationwide so w're not the only ones that are struggling with the supplies lack of and stuff like that"guidry says she has one message to all of louisiana.

"stay strong and stay home because tha's all we can do stay strong."now guidry tells me its a fight