Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1369939
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 9 MAY 2021 18 COMMERCIAL Motherhood and nursing: Two sides of the same coin BRENDA Mizzi, a lead nurse at Roseville elderly home in At- tard, celebrates her 27th anni- versary in nursing this month. She is also a mother of three children, Amy, 22, Sean, 20, and Casey, 13. "Life throughout the pandem- ic hasn't been easy. COVID-19 has taken an emotional toll on me, as a nurse and mother, as well as on my family. I worry about contracting the virus both at work and outside the elderly home. Every choice I make for my family is influenced by pos- sible exposure at work, and my choices outside of work affect the residents." Brenda's husband Emanuel has retired, and the couple's young- est daughter attended virtual school for most of this year. "Interactions with those out- side our household have been severely limited, so we couldn't lead normal lives." At the start of COVID-19 in 2020, Brenda spent 10 weeks nursing the residents at Rose- ville 24/7 during a 10-week live- in, in order to protect them from the virus, so she was away from her loved ones. "We are a very close-knit fam- ily and this was the hardest thing I have had to experience. On the other hand, nursing is part of who I am and it means everything to me. Becoming a nurse has always been my dream. My grandmother was unwell for a long time and I remember as- suring her I would take care of her when I grew up. Unfortu- nately, she passed away before I could do this." Like every parent in this world, Brenda's time at home after work is taken up by the respon- sibility of caring for her children and spending quality time with them. Casey helps around a great deal with cooking and kitchen chores. Amy, a bookworm, is quite independent and has a job, while Sean is studying to become a veterinary nurse – a passion to care for animals which, in a way, he shares with his mother. "The time we spend together is very often overshadowed by a constant paranoia of contracting the virus and possibly passing it on to the residents, so even when I'm off duty, the well-be- ing of the residents is always on my mind." The family reunites for din- ner in the evening. "We all talk about our day and how we spent it. Sometimes we watch a film together, a happy one, to put us in a good mood. I treasure these special moments." Brenda has always worked in the elderly care sector. "It is so rewarding to hear what older persons have to say, their won- derful stories, and to share some of the sad moments they have had to endure during this diffi- cult time. The role of a nurse is important, as we are in contact with our patients 24/7." Before Brenda knows it, her shift comes to an end. "It's suddenly time to go home and dedicate myself entirely to my family." Her youngest daughter awaits her, starts laying the ta- ble, after which "the kitchen is suddenly a cacophony of voices, smells and sounds which I can- not keep up with but for which I thank God every single day". How is Brenda spending Mother's Day? "I'm spending it at home with my family. I don't wish for materialistic things. Family is the most valuable gift of life." A nurse's devotion Maria Xuereb, a nursing man- ager, is a mother of two – Mat- tea, 11, and Gabriel, 8. Her hus- band Daryl is a medical doctor. "I am on the go all the time, try- ing to juggle my roles of a moth- er, wife, nurse and student." Maria started her career with CareMalta as a facility manager at Bormla Home, while simulta- neously pursuing a Master's in Bioethics at the University of Malta. She is currently studying for a Postgraduate Certificate in Patient Safety and Clinical Risk Management. "Nursing gets under your skin. It is part of who I am and has given me the values that I hold dear – compassion, care, hard work, responsibility, integrity, excellence and connection. We are living through the pandemic together with our residents and we long for all this to be over. As a nurse, my message is to be kind to each other and to our- selves, as we grapple with new ways of living and working in this unparalleled health emer- gency." Maria's day starts at 4.45am. She wakes up, has a coffee and gets the children ready for school. "By 6.15am, we are out of the house. This has already drained 30 per cent of my ener- gy! I try to finish off my duty by 3.30pm to pick up the children. I arrive home, the children start their homework, while I reply to my e-mails, also juggling cook- ing dinner, a fight between sib- lings, plus a work-related phone call here and there if I'm on call." Maria's day involves balancing between nursing and care is- sues. "As a nurse, the past year has been an extremely reward- ing experience, especially while managing Bormla Home during the company's 24-hour live-in, and also being part of the vac- cination campaign. As a nurse, I firmly believe in being devoted to my career and education to provide the best possible care. As a mother, I'm still trying to figure out the right balance be- tween work and personal life in order to be a good parent." COVID-19 has been a big test vis-à-vis juggling family, work and studies. "Very often pandemic duties over the last few months have won over everything else, but I'm now trying to make up for 'lost' family time, exploring new ways of spending time togeth- er despite the imposed restric- tions. Another challenge I face is the dynamics of protecting my family at home while being constantly exposed to the vi- rus." How is Maria spending Moth- er's Day? "I plan to spend it at home with my family... and a good bottle of wine! Brenda Mizzi (left) and Maria Xuereb When your job is to care for the most vulnerable, and you add the stress of a global health crisis, you're faced with the reality of having to divide your essential self in two. Ahead of International Nurses Day on May 12… two mothers and nurses with CareMalta talk about juggling the different responsibilities and major changes that come hand in hand with these two diverse yet so similar roles