The emergency
I am a 24-year-old trauma nurse. I am working my regular shift in the emergency department when we receive a Code Orange — a van attack in the city centre.
The ER instantly fills with sirens, stretchers, and shouting. As more patients arrive, I learn the attacker has targeted a cultural festival for the Muslim community.
My stomach drops. I am a Muslim woman. It becomes clear that victims were targeted because of Islamophobia and hateful ideology.
I try to focus, but my heart is racing. My breathing turns shallow. My hands begin to shake. Every time an ambulance opens its doors, I am terrified it will be someone I love — my family, my friends, my community.
The noise around me becomes overwhelming. My vision narrows as my panic builds, but I force myself to keep moving. Families flood the department, demanding answers. The pressure feels crushing.
Each patient who deteriorates or dies feels like a personal failure. My co-workers suggest I step away when my shift ends, but I refuse. These are my people who’ve been harmed.
I stay, even as the panic lingers, knowing I will never forget this day and those who I could not save.
How CanEMERG can help
We have fact sheets, tool kits, and resources for responders like Fatima:
- Fact sheet: Responses to trauma
- Fact sheet: Managing reactions to stress
- Personal mental health and wellness tool kit
- Naseeha Mental Health: Phone and text mental health support for the Muslim population of Canada
- Nurse 2 Nurse Peer Support: Online and in-person services for nurses, including biweekly group support and psychological resiliency education
Along with guidance for the practitioners, managers, and administrators who direct the system’s response:
- Community mental health and wellness recovery tool kit
- Guidelines to support staff in disaster preparedness
- Understanding minority stress, resilience, and inclusion
- A practitioner’s guide to cultural competency during emergencies
Help is within reach.
