Ann Bason and Brandon Hunt followed different paths to the same destination 鈥� careers as nurses working at 91原创 Memorial Hospital (LMH).

Bason, known as 鈥淢other Ann鈥� to many of her colleagues at LMH, got into the profession on a whim, applying for admission to a nurse training program.

鈥淚 just did it as a lark,鈥� she recalled.

鈥淛ust for a joke, I applied.鈥�

Much to her amazement, she was accepted.鈥樷�淚 was shocked.鈥�

That was in 1967. Now 75, the registered nurse, who still works full-time, isn鈥檛 sure when she will retire.

Meanwhile, Hunt, a licenced practical nurse, was inspired to switch careers after seeing the care his mother received while she was dying.

鈥淚 became a nurse after my mom passed due to cancer,鈥� he related.

鈥淚 was a high-rise construction foreman and it changed my life. I went back to high school, got my Grade 12. I went to college and I became a nurse.鈥�

During the pandemic, their jobs have changed, and it is more than just wearing masks and gloves.

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Hunt, who worked on the ward where COVID-19 patients are treated for awhile, rented separate accommodations in 91原创 so he could isolate from his family when he needed to.

And he did. Hunt was one of several nurses at LMH who contracted the virus while treating its victims.

鈥淲e had six nurses fall to COVID, including myself.鈥�

He ended up spending Christmas away from his family, in his apartment.

鈥淚t was an interesting experience,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was relatively mild.鈥�

It鈥檚 the emotional impact that hits the hardest, he observed.

鈥淲e see how COVID affects our patients, we see how it affect their families, and we go through the same thing.鈥�

鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing that prepares you to stand in front of a patient with COVID and hold up an iPad so family can say goodbye. It leaves a mark.鈥�

Bason, who works with older patients who are especially vulnerable, has a personal perspective as a senior herself.

When she isn鈥檛 working, 鈥淚 go to the grocery store, I go to the bank, that鈥檚 about it,鈥� Bason confided.

She and her husband can鈥檛 have her grandchild over for a visit.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very frustrating鈥� Bason said.

鈥淲e have a farm [in Aldergrove], so I can walk about the property and I can wave to the neighbour across the street,鈥� she added. 鈥淚鈥檓 glad I don鈥檛 live in an apartment.鈥�

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Demonstrations of support during the early days of the pandemic made a big difference, Bason and Hunt said, calling it a huge boost to morale to see people banging on pots, and fire trucks and police driving by with sirens sounding.

鈥淭hat amount of support carried us so far,鈥� Hunt commented.鈥�

鈥淚t felt like the public was right there behind you, and it was good,鈥� Bason added.

There hasn鈥檛 been much of it lately, something she ascribed to COVID fatigue.

鈥淚 think people didn鈥檛 expect the pandemic to go on as long as it has.鈥�

COVID has made their jobs more demanding and less certain as variants pop up and patients numbers rise, they said.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 what we all fear, the unknown,鈥� Hunt said.

鈥淵ou get that drop in your stomach because you don鈥檛 know what鈥檚 next. We never really know what changes are coming. We are constantly trying to adapt to the flow of patients who come to the hospital.鈥�

Bason called COVID 鈥渦nprecedented鈥� in its impact on the hospital.

Often, she said, the nurses are short-handed, which means they can鈥檛 spent as much time as they would like with individual patients.

鈥淚f you have to pick up another patient, it only adds to your workload,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou do your best.鈥�

Hunt said the fact that LMH is a relatively small hospital is a positive for the nurses.

鈥淲e鈥檙e very close-knit, a very united nursing front. We know everybody there. There isn鈥檛 anybody who doesn鈥檛 know everyone.鈥�

When COVID arrived, it was 鈥渦nsettling,鈥� Hunt recalled, but it wasn鈥檛 completely unfamiliar territory for medical professionals who have battled other viral outbreaks, he said.

鈥淲e鈥檝e been through this before with SARS, with MERS. We鈥檙e kind of battle tested in that respect.鈥�

Bason said the patients are what keep her on the job.

鈥淚 have met some very interesting patients in my time,鈥� she remarked.

Like the man who was dying yet maintained a wonderful sense of humour to the end.

鈥淗e was so funny,鈥� Bason remembered. 鈥淲hen he was alert, he just made you feel good.鈥�

She recalled a moment with a woman who was unresponsive and close to passing.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to meet my mom in the next world, and I hope when you meet her, you鈥檒l tell her I was a good nurse,鈥� Bason recalled telling the woman, 鈥渆ven if you have to lie.鈥�

At that, the woman smiled.

鈥淚 think if I retired, that is one of the things I will miss,鈥� Bason said. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 imagine sitting down and doing an office job.鈥�