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'I hope I don't have to do it again': ICU nurse describes holding patients' hands as they died from COVID-19

Nick Klein has done what others can't even begin to describe as an ICU nurse at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — "I sat with him throughout the next couple of hours while he passed." 

Nick Klein has done what others can't even begin to describe. An intensive care unit (ICU) nurse at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Klein has held the hands of novel coronavirus patients as they died from the virus.

"I don’t know if I have the words to describe it, to tell you the truth," Klein told Local 5's Lakyn McGee. "It’s not something that I want to do again. I feel so bad for the families that they can’t come hold their loved ones hands to say goodbye.”

Klein doesn't know how many times he's held the hands of a patient as they died. 

"I kind of... don't keep track. I think it would make me depressed," he said. 

Klein has devoted the past six years of his life to taking care of people. 

“It is super hard to leave our work at work right now. I feel like I just go home sometimes and think, ‘I wonder if they’re going to make it throughout the night,'” explained Klein.

Beyond these thoughts lies frustrations for Klein as Iowans decide to gather in-person for the holidays— a decision that could land them in the hospital.

RELATED: Polk County officials say some coronavirus data is stabilizing

"I hope I don't have to do it again, but I feel like I will have to." 

The University of Iowa Hospital currently has double the number of COVID-19 patients in the ICU from their peak back in April. 

As of Monday evening, Iowa hospitals are helping 900 patients recover from the virus. Fortunately, hospitalizations have been trending downward since mid-November. 

Iowans across the board can find mental health resources by visiting Your Life Iowa. This state-run program helps Iowans manage their mental health via crisis line and online chats. 

RELATED: In pandemic era's isolation, meaning of 'self-care' evolves

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