Death, Through a Nurse's Eyes
EMMY NOMINATION FOR OUTSTANDING Health or Medical Coverage
Death, Through a Nurse’s Eyes
Produced by Alexander Stockton and Lucy King
Edited by Alexander Stockton
The New York Times | Opinion
The short film above allows you to experience the brutality of the pandemic from the perspective of nurses inside a Covid-19 intensive care unit.
Opinion Video producer Alexander Stockton spent several days reporting at the Valleywise Medical Center in Phoenix. Two I.C.U. nurses wore cameras to show what it’s like to care for the sickest Covid patients a year into the pandemic.
So many Americans have died in hospitals without family by their side, but they were not alone. Nurses brush patients’ teeth, change their catheters and hold their hands in their final moments.
In just a year, we’ve lost half a million Americans to Covid-19. Vaccinations may be offering some relief, but inside I.C.U.s, nurses continue to contend with the trauma and grief of America’s carousel of death.
Press Coverage and Awards
“Death, Through a Nurse’s Eyes” has been viewed millions of times. It was featured on MSNBC, CBSN, Cheddar, and various other local and international news outlets, including in France and Spain. It’s being used as an education tool at various schools, including Harvard Medical School. One university published a response to the film on their website, calling it “the most realistic, raw, and truthful account of being a nurse in Covid-times that I have seen to date.” Alexander Stockton was invited to be the keynote speaker at the Yale School of Nursing Honors Society induction. Many commenters on site referred to the video as “required viewing.” The film tied for the audience award at the Sedona International Film Festival. Among those who shared the video was Senator Kyrsten Sinema.
One viewer in Phoenix wrote to say her grandparents didn’t believe in Covid-19 and refused to wear masks in public. After seeing the video, they were considering getting the vaccine. She shared this beautiful sentiment: “Your documentary provides us a road map to getting back to a fact-based world: empathy.”