AN Ayrshire nurse who works on a coronavirus ward has written a heartfelt poem after watching a patient die from the deadly virus all alone.

The nurse who wishes to remain anonymous was inspired to put pen to paper after watching a COVID-19 patient she cared for spend their final hours without family surrounded by them.

In the text she writes about how she feels helpless with the suffering around her and the heart-breaking situations that staff on the frontline deal with every day.

The nurse said: “I shared it in a private group, and it got shared a lot. Many nurses got in touch to say it resonated with them.

“I wanted to write the poem to highlight to the public that this is the reality nurses are dealing with on a daily basis.

“I totally understand that people are fed up with the restrictions, but it is so important people follow them.

“We have deaths on a daily basis and we are just a small proportion of a hospital in Scotland.

“It is so frustrating when people say hospitals are empty on social media because what is going on behind closed doors is not pretty and if we do not follow the rules it will not stop.”

“I am scared of what I could be bringing back to my family and children.

“We are human. Every nurse takes a patient’s death particularly hard.

“In the poem I write about a lady who died from COVID-19 and it was my job to stand and be with her as she passed away and within five minutes I had to dust myself down, splash my face and get back to work.

“The level of sickness is getting higher and I don’t want it to continue. We are losing people unnecessarily because it is not just old people with pre-existing conditions.

"It is hard seeing someone who had years left to live and you have to make that phone call to their family and you cannot comfort them.”

The full poem is below:

“Tomorrow I will go back,

Uniform packed, food all set, Head not yet in a place, where it can rest,

I’ll go in early, make good time, Find out which patients are allocated to be mine,

I’ll look them over the big heavy breaths,

Watch the deep rise and fall of the chest,

Little beads of sweat rolling down their cheek,

Evidence of a fever gripping as we speak,

Eyes wide with fear searching for my face,

As though seeing me will make it disappear without a trace

And all I can do is place a mask over their mouth,

Turn up the oxygen watch things go south,

Watch fingers go blue,

Skin become grey,

Eyes start to roll,

And now come what may,

I’ll make you comfortable,

Sit and hold you dear,

Counting the breaths,

Holding back my tears,

In a world where family cannot be by your side.

I’ll be there for you from that I won’t hide,

Finally your breath slows and it’s gone,

The pain has now ceased the suffering is done,

I’ll shed a tear and I’ll take a seat,

Then I’ll stand up tall and then without a beat,

I’ll carry on my day protecting more,

Preparing for another death at my door,

I am your nurse and yet I still weep,

For you and your family

Those who will grieve,

I am your nurse and tomorrow I will go back.”