I'm a nurse who feels punished for trying to be the 'good guy'

Devon Nicole Oechsle is an emergency room nurse of almost five years in Brazos County, Texas, is married to a firefighter and paramedic from Bryan and mom to "a lovely, spunky 3 1/2-year-old little girl named Ellie that has never met a stranger," she said. Oechsle penned a viral Facebook post about the difficult decision she and her husband had to make in regard having their daughter stay with a friend amid the novel coronavirus outbreak. It has been reprinted here with permission. "When this is all said and done, we hope to take her on a vacation to spend time together," she told "Good Morning America."

This is my current situation.

Jason and I just had to have a very hard conversation to send Ellie away tonight for maybe a month ... to stay with my amazing friend Anita, who did not even hesitate to keep her for us. And Ellie loves "Miss Nita."

This is the face of someone who feels punished for trying to be the "good guy." My job as an ER nurse is just that, my job; I don't ever feel like it's anything crazy or special or deserving of accolades. Jason feels the same way as a ff/medic.

But, our jobs are important right now and unlike many, we are still required to work. And that work carries a high risk of being infected, or spreading this damn virus. I have already been in contact with +covid patients, and the last thing we want to do is have Ellie surrounded by the potential virus we could carry home.

So, I feel punished for having to be the "good guy." I have to send my 3 1/2-year-old child away. I won't get to visit her. I won't get to hug her. I won't get to tuck her in at night. We have FaceTime, and that's it. For up to a month, or who knows how long ... and many of my coworkers have had to do the same.

So, if you've read this far and you are having to stay home with your kids all day, consider it a blessing and absolutely NOTHING less.

And for heaven's sake, everyone, STAY AT HOME. The sooner this crap is over the quicker my kid can come home.

Edit: since this has gone viral somehow, let me just set one thing straight. Don't you DARE come at me for "getting rid of my child" and saying "you made a choice, there were other options" and "no job is worth sending my kid to a stranger to raise."

1. Sure would be a crappy day for you if all the staff in your ER weren't there because they all quit their jobs to stay at home with their kids.

2. Tell me what other options I had since you are so in my shoes?

3. She is 15 minutes down the road, staying with someone she loves and who loves her. We didn't just wake up and decide to leave her with a stranger!

All the keyboard warriors can just sit down.