The Capital News has chosen to run this letter from a Kelowna General Hospital nurse anonymously after verifying their identity. The writer requested anonymity due to fear of repercussions from their employer.

To the editor:

To the 1,000 or so protesting outside Kelowna General Hospital on Wednesday sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½” we see you.

How could we not? The screaming, yelling, honking. Itsa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½™s hard to miss.

You were seeking more attention, and you got it. Congratulations. You live in a free society, and you got noticed. We saw you.

To the people yelling, swearing, and fingering hospital staff on the skywalk sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½” we see you.

To the people shouting at staff that we were sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½˜part of the problemsa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½™ sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½” we see you.

To the four vehicles circling the block repeatedly honking your horns to make it seem like there were more supportive vehicles than there actually were sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½” we see you.

To the people blocking the sidewalks and roads impeding patients/staff/visitors from getting to the hospital sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½” we see you.

READ MORE: Vax card protesters take over streets near Kelowna General Hospital

READ MORE: KGH Foundation ramps up White Hearts Project after hospital protest

I came out of my nursing shift in the ICU for five minutes and linked arms with my colleagues while turning our collective backs to you. But I saw other things too.

To the 361,000 other Okanagan residents who werensa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½™t there sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½” we see you too.

To the mystery donor(s) who funded lunch for many of the hospital staff through the KGH auxiliary sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½” we see you too.

To the unit who sent a card and gift to the ICU staff on Wednesday sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½” we see you too.

To the anonymous donor of coffee to the ICU night shift sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½” we see you too.

To the many kind words shared in person and online sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½”we see you too.

To the local businesses struggling through COVID who are once again cutting their bottom line to extend offers to health care workers sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½” we see you too.

In a career of ICU nursing, I have seen SARS, H1N1, Ebola, and many more. COVID has been a game-changer. Our ICU is completely full and overflowing with COVID patients. Many of them continue to die.

You have no idea what goes on within these walls. You donsa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½™t see us.

Isa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½™m not debating the merits of why you were protesting. Choosing to protest at your hospital because of a government policy you donsa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½™t like is a soldier bombing the Red Cross because theysa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½™re upset at their military leaders sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½” completely misdirected, thoughtless, and attention-seeking behaviour.

But guess what. We all set our alarm clocks to get up the next morning and come into work and do it again. You didnsa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½™t hurt us. You didnsa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½™t break us. You didnsa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½™t change us. You just demonstrated to the community who you are and what yousa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½™re made of, as unflattering as that is. Thanks for making that crystal clear. Donsa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½™t worry. We see you.

Anonymous ICU nurse

Kelowna, B.C.