While many of her peers were stuck at home during lockdown, second year medical student Janine Ramos was out in the community, putting what she’d learnt at university to good use. Rochelle, a friend of Janine’s who nominated her as an Awesome Aucklander describes her as a “powerhouse”, spending countless hours helping at vaccination centres around Auckland, as well as being part of the Student Volunteer Army, delivering food to those who couldn’t go out and shop, all while juggling her demanding studies. “Her gentleness, kindness and love shines through in everything she does for others.”
Janine says being able to go out and help her community helped her get through lockdown.
Janine
Ramos
Nominated by:
Rochelle Dias
Nominated by:
Rochelle Dias
From medical student to volunteer vaccinator
“The last lockdown was a lot better for me in terms of not feeling as anxious or lonely. I had family, friends, and uni to keep me going, but also being able to work and vaccinate people was a really rewarding time for me. Lockdown can be hard, especially because I feed off other people’s energy, but I was so thankful to be out there working every day. Seeing other nurses, doctors and students going out and doing what they could was so inspiring.”
Getting to go out and put her studies into practice proved to Janine that she’d made the right career choice, and she says it was motivating to get out and do the mahi.
“With my chosen career pathway, everything fell into place and I really enjoyed getting out and falling in love with the practice. Especially during COVID, you just see the worst of the worst. It’s rewarding knowing that even something as simple as a vaccination can change a lot for someone, to know they’re protected, even the slightest bit.”
While there are many high points and rewarding moments, it’s not always warm fuzzies and stress-free. Janine admits that it can take a toll sometimes, especially when patients don’t get better.
“It’s really draining to watch someone you’ve admitted turn so critically ill in the span of two hours... It’s hard to see people suffering, especially when it’s children falling critically ill.”
Janine is grateful for the support systems she has at home with her family and at work with her colleagues. Her siblings all came home to join the family bubble over lockdown, and she says the staff at managed isolation facilities, where she’s recently begun helping out with emergency care, place a strong focus on wellbeing too.
“It’s really draining to watch someone you’ve admitted turn so critically ill in the span of two hours... It’s hard to see people suffering, especially when it’s children falling critically ill.”
Janine is grateful for the support systems she has at home with her family and at work with her colleagues. Her siblings all came home to join the family bubble over lockdown, and she says the staff at managed isolation facilities, where she’s recently begun helping out with emergency care, place a strong focus on wellbeing too.
“I've been hitting pretty big shifts, up to 12 hours! But we have wellbeing coordinators who are constantly checking on staff. Someone will come and ask if we're okay and encourage us to talk if we need it."
“It’s good because I wouldn’t normally stop to think about how I’m looking after myself through all of this. I think we’re in a really good place with mental health. Obviously there’s more to be done but there’s more of a lens on it now and people are able to acknowledge that they might not be okay mentally, even if they’re okay physically.”
Tāmaki Pūkenga Rau
Tāmaki Pūkenga Rau
Janine’s top tips for looking after yourself as an essential worker in a pandemic:
- Practise self-care. Look after yourself so you can look after others. Simple things like making sure you’re getting enough sleep, eating nutritious foods, moving your body and staying connected with others really help
- Acknowledge your feelings. It’s important to acknowledge how difficult this situation is for everyone, including you. Let go of what you can. Understand it’s natural to feel what you’re feeling – worry, joy, hope, anxiety and sadness
- Check in with yourself. With so much happening at work, take time to listen to what your body and mind need! Allow yourself to check out on a regular basis physically, mentally and emotionally. Intentionally create ‘shutdown’ time in your schedule
- Share your feelings. I often find it hard to share negative emotions with others as I know that another word about COVID is the last thing anyone wants to hear. But, soon I realised that bearing it alone is worse than letting someone else in. It’s so important to open up about your feelings with a family member, trusted friend or colleague. Asking for help is NOT a sign of weakness and you should never find yourself suffering in silence
- Find the little bit of light through your work. Be proud of the service you’re providing and remind yourself that despite obstacles or frustrations, you’re doing something important to a lot of people.
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