Staff on Iris ward at King George Hospital have shared their ‘Covid Journey’ in an emotional display that reflects on the past year.

Senior sister, Sinead Skelton, alongside colleagues, sister Ellen and nurse Meri, put together a timeline of achievements and challenges their team encountered during the pandemic.

Sinead emphasised the importance of staff wellbeing as the main motivation behind creating the display: “After having one to ones with the team, we realised it was actually quite hard for them to quantify and contemplate their achievements.

“Considering the year we’ve been through, a ‘thank you’ just didn’t seem adequate, so we decided on a timeline showcasing our achievements and reflecting on the challenges we overcame.

“I think it’s so important we don’t forget any of our achievements. This display is a simple way to articulate those emotions and accomplishments.”

The display has also been used as an opportunity to show their learning and development as a team. Reflecting on the challenges they faced, Sinead said: “We repurposed our ward five times, and although that was terrifying what we did get out of it was new competencies and learning opportunities.

“As we’ve recently marked the anniversary of the first Covid patient, I think now is the right time to reflect and make sure we keep what we learned.”

The timeline also showcases moments of camaraderie as well as a few funny memories the team managed to enjoy and has been well received by staff and patients alike, helping those being treated on the ward comprehend the efforts of staff involved in their care. On seeing the display, one patient said: “I can’t believe how far you’ve all come.”

Sinead praises the display as an honest and open reflection of their experiences over the past year and encourages others to do the same: “I would recommend other wards – or any department – to do this, everyone’s journey over the past year will be different but it really made a difference and gave people the chance to actually realise what they had done, and I think ultimately we have to take some responsibility for our own learning.

“I underestimated the power of it, but we’re absolutely going to continue adding to it.”