Night Shift Hero

Meet Dan Wilkes, a three time champion of the San Francisco Gay Flag Football League regular season.  He plays center, and protects the quarterback to make sure the offense can do their job and score.  But, today, he takes the time out to be interviewed after his overnight shift as a pediatrics psych nurse at a hospital in San Francisco.  

Dan shared he first wanted to become a nurse because he genuinely wants to help people both from a physical and a mental place.  He struggled at a younger age with depression, anxiety and a compulsive disorder that crippled him through his early years.  When he overcame those struggles, he committed to helping others through the same pain he experienced, and used it help others through the healing process as well.  Dan stated, "The more I studied, the more I became interested in the psychology behind helping people."  

Dan has worked in his profession for the last 10 years.  At the time of this interview, he had just finished a 12 hour night shift of monitoring and protecting youth that are in the psychiatric ward for a hospital.  These youth are either a danger to harm themselves, harm others, or gravely disabled from their mental health.  Dan's job is to monitor and respond to any crisis throughout the night and figure out what kind of therapeutic treatment they would need.  His responsibility can range from administering medication to caring for physically violent patients.  Having to maneuver those situations where a patient is being violent towards others can be very difficult when you’re striving to ensure the mental and physical safety of the staff and the patients, including the patient that is violent.  

COVID-19 has added an extra layer of caution and stress on Dan's job, as well as his colleagues, because children and youth have clinically shown less symptoms of the virus.  Dan and his colleagues need to handle patients with extra sensitivity to potential exposure, but also to continue to respond to the mental health cases through social distancing with other nurses and doctors as well.  When patients are transported in from an ER or another part of the hospital, there is a very real risk that the patient has been exposed to COVID-19, while still struggling with one of the darkest moments of their young lives.  

Dan says that he is fortunate that he has access to PPE, and the hospital is doing a great job at providing the PPE, which the hospital and government officials require him to wear during his shifts.  He also shared that during his shifts, most patients are in isolation, and thus, the spread of the virus can be contained better in the psychiatric ward.

"COVID-19 has certainly added extra anxiety and uncertainty to many of our lives.  Often mental health is stigmatized so people don’t open up, and it is more important than ever to recognize how you are feeling."  Dan emphasized that checking in on people matters, and sending a quick text or phone call could make an impact on someone when they are feeling alone.  "Those people that seem 'Happy go lucky' but you have no idea the story behind people.  People, by and large,  enjoy hearing from people."  

Dan shares that along with hearing from people, he is missing his flag football family as well.  "Of course I miss football," Dan shares.  Dan played football during his youth, and when continuing to play, while discovering his identity of being gay in High School, decided to stop playing Football because he was worried about the locker room cultures, and being made fun of.  He walked away from football, not knowing when he would return.  

In his adult life, he found football again through the San Francisco Gay Flag Football League, and decided to give it another go, and realized that there was a community for him, and he could be himself and still enjoy the sport he once loved.  He has completed three seasons in the SFGFFL, and believe it or not, his team has won the championship every season he has played.  "I'm pretty sure it wasn't because of me" he shares, but he says he was extremely fortunate to be surrounded by really great people.  He was even looking forward to attending his first Gay Bowl this year in Hawaii before it was cancelled.  "I was really disappointed, but I understand why.  Hopefully another time I can go to a Gay Bowl"  

He shares that the city of San Francisco has a very diverse culture around gender, and sexuality, and he feels the SFGFFL represents those values as well, and supports all members no matter who they are, and can play without the fear of being called names or being made fun of, and can focus on connectivity and acceptance.  

He shared to people who are missing sports and staying home right now, "The might be a lot of confusion, cynicism but remember that roughly 99% want the same things, and do good and help each other" and added "let’s keep faith in each other and get through this together."  He said that people could text or call their friends and family, or hop on a zoom game night with friends, to care and reach out to each other.  Also exercise or take long walks with masks on for self care as well.  It's more important than ever to watch out for reach other and yourself right now.  Dan shared that we should all "assume the best" in each other, and together we can get through these difficult times.  

We would like to thank all of our Health Care workers across the league that are helping all of us get through these tough times.  Thank you so much for everything you do, and we can thank you enough for your dedication to keeping us healthy.  We are so proud to be part of your community on and off the field.  

Dan we are grateful for all you do.  You are a champion, both on and off the field.  

For anyone struggling with mental health, or if you might know someone that needs help, National suicide prevention lifeline: 1-800-273-8255