The New Generation of Nurses are Facing Tragedy as They Begin Their Careers During COVID-19

Being a nurse is a challenging and emotionally draining career. Students in nursing school have to take classes that teach them how to save a life, but also how to cope with the heartbreaking things they will see during their careers. However, the nursing students that graduated this spring were never prepared for the challenge they are currently facing.

Emmelie Olson was a 24-year-old nursing student at the University of Windsor when her life was flipped upside down. In the span of 3 weeks, Emmelie went from being a student preparing for graduation and her NCLEX exam, to working on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“All of a sudden I wasn’t a student doing clinical placements anymore. I was working on the frontlines of the biggest public health crisis we have seen in decades,” says Emmelie “Let’s just say it was not the transition from university to the workplace I was expecting.”

Emmelie is among the hundreds of Canadian nursing students pulled from university to help on the front lines of the pandemic. These nurses are as young as 21 years old and are currently witnessing more tragedy than most will in their lifetime. This pandemic is not something nursing school can prepare you for.

Nursing has always been a challenging and emotionally draining career. However, this entire generation of nurses are going to have their first experiences in the healthcare field be filled with death, tragedy and heartbreak. A mental health crisis is coming for the healthcare profession, and when this pandemic is under control, it will on us to take care of the nurses that took care of us.