A nurse from Ysbyty Gwynedd has been featured on the Marks & Spencer website, where she shares her experience of working on the NHS frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Marks and Spencer has donated £6.4 million to NHS Charities Together through sales of charity t-shirts and bags, and through the Rainbow Sale, where M&S donate 10% of the purchase price of all items to NHS Charities Together.
NHS Charities Together helped fund a wellbeing service for staff during this difficult time and Zoe McDonald, a senior staff nurse with the acute renal team on Ysbyty Gwynedd’s Hebog Ward, told M&S about her experience of working on the frontline of the NHS during the pandemic.
She said: “The first time I had to go to a Covid-19 ward to dialyse a patient, I didn’t sleep the night before. I was terrified, literally shaking when I walked in.
“The staff on the ward were so good, they put me at ease and now it feels OK to go there. I put on my protective gear; it’s become part of what we do.
“The charity helped fund a wellbeing service that provides support for staff to talk about their fears or how the pandemic was affecting them.
“I’ve heard from quite a few people who have used it and they said it helped a lot. The camaraderie of the staff has got me through. From my incredible manager to staff I’ve met for the first time, we’ve all helped each other.”
