In 2020, I was finally invited to be a member of the Omega Kappa Chapter of Sigma. I was ecstatic about the opportunity to contribute to the body of nursing in a different way and ready to get involved with my chapter. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic put a damper on the chapter life I was looking forward to for so long. That first year of the pandemic was really heartrending and stressful, especially being on the front line in the emergency room (ER). In the second year of the pandemic, I embarked on a year-long study in midwifery. This was a wonderful experience but very taxing mentally and physically, and so being back at work at the end of the course, I was ready to not only step back into the activities of Omega Kappa Chapter, but also to shake up my life a bit by stepping out of my comfort zone.
When our chapter president, Sheryl Garriques-Lloyd, posted about The Nurse Antigone project, I mulled it over for a few hours and thought that while this may not be something I’m used to, it doesn’t seem too hard. So, I signed up to be a part of the nurse chorus, having no clue exactly what it was about. I read the information packet that Bryan Doerries (the director) had sent, but I thought that “chorus” referred to a group of people speaking together. Oh boy, was I wrong!
The script was emailed to me, and I read through what was a centuries old Greek tragedy with words like bacchic, dirce, and Ismenus—words that were not a part of my daily vocabulary. It seemed innocuous enough that I felt comfortable participating, especially as the parts for the nurse chorus were clearly identified as “chorus.” A few days before the first rehearsal, I received the revised script and saw that I had parts assigned to me. Imagine my horror as I thought about reading these unfamiliar words and phrases on Zoom, where my face will be clearly shown, to an audience I couldn’t even see! Then I reminded myself that I wanted to step out of my comfort zone, and that I didn’t want to disappoint my chapter by pulling out of the project. I gathered myself and made the extra effort to really understand what was required of me.
I went into the first rehearsal feeling unsure of what would happen, not really understanding what the play had to do with nursing, but at the same time excited to interact with other nurses around the world. Our director, Bryan, quickly set us at ease with introductions. He explained the background of the Greek tragedy penned by Sophocles around 441 BC, how the themes within the play had resonated with nurses in previous iterations of The Nurse Antigone—particularly in the face of the pandemic—as well as the challenges being experienced in nursing worldwide. This gave me a different perspective of the play itself, and I looked at it with fresh eyes. The five of us in the nurse chorus interacted tentatively at first, but by the time we were done reading through the script, it had started to feel as if we had known each other for a while. I left that rehearsal looking forward to the performance, while still feeling a bit apprehensive about being able to deliver the content.
Before I knew it, it was 23 February 2023, the day of our final rehearsal before the actual performance was expected to start 20 minutes later. I was excited to meet the professional actors who rounded out the cast, especially Mr. Frankie Faison who I had watched many times on television and the big screen. As with any other production, there were technical glitches during this rehearsal, but we pushed through, and by the end I felt reasonably competent about delivering my lines. Suddenly it was time to perform—last minute sound checks were done, the audience was online, and it was time for my first set of lines. There was an initial spark of nervousness, I said my first lines, and before I could think about it, we were at the end of the reading.
The second part of the program involved nurses from all over the world (Australia, UK, Nigeria, the Caribbean, and the USA), as well as those of us in the nursing chorus, responding to how the events in the play correlated to some of the ethical dilemmas faced by nurses throughout the pandemic. The nurses spoke about trying to find a balance between nursing leadership roles and being true to their morals, as well as not being able to participate in end-of-life care during the pandemic. There was also an emphasis on nurses worldwide needing to see themselves as being important enough, strong enough, and having enough people to make changes needed in nursing. What resonated the most for me was the struggle that managers and leaders face in carrying out their management functions while being the mentor and coach their staff needs without losing who they are as individuals.
The Nurse Antigone experience was an enriching one; it was thought provoking, enlightening, and exciting. I really appreciated the fact that there were options for all the participants to have access to creative writing workshops, counselling, and support for those struggling with burnout, compassion fatigue, and moral injury, as well as the opportunity for emotional well-being support. As my chapter leader, Sheryl Garriques-Lloyd, posts daily, “There’s no good health without good mental health.” My one disappointment was that it went so fast that I didn’t get a chance to show my “fangirl” status to Mr. Faison!
I remain grateful for the opportunity to have been a participant in this production and would certainly do it again. Thank you, Sigma!
Olivia Williams-Coombs, RN, RNM, CEN, is a Clinical Nurse Manager at the University Hospital of the West Indies in Jamaica. She is a member of Sigma’s Omega Kappa Chapter.