Incogntio- COVID exposed

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Abstract

d: never mentioning our limited PPE supply chain or a contingency plan when second wave hits.I am NOT numb to the fact that friends and coworkers infection rates increase as the days pass. I am sick- sick of the weight of the pandemic that is continuing to grow. The underlying apathy among many people who ignore or even rebel against “recommendations” for social distancing, mask-wearing, and indoor gatherings keep the pandemic alive, and they do not care.In the last few weeks, COVID cases surged. Overall, our daily census numbers are lower compared to the previous year; however, the acuity or overall “sickness level” of patients is much higher, and the work is much more labor-intensive. Personnel shortages cause delays in patient care, unsafe conditions for patients and hospital staff, as well as less than optimal experiences for patients and their families.The morale of the team deteriorates each day as we choose between a warm blanket and pillow for your grandmother or carefully monitoring medication for your father. His rapid heart rate could develop into the onset of a lethal rhythm at any moment. We are helping your cancer-ridden sister to the toilet because she is too weak from the chemotherapy treatments she has b

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een receiving. Each day we must triage, deciding who needs the most care and who will have to soil the bed and get cleaned up later. I guarantee you that your grandmother, dad, or sister will have to wait for care.Earlier, I overheard that we are running low on gloves, and we will be getting fit tested for new N95s next week. Hell, I was just getting used to my blue N95- the ones that implant marks on your face while applying so much pressure on your chin that it hurts to speak. Luckily, I have a decent stock in my garage.It is second nature now; I am almost robotic in my ability to efficiently “gown up” General malaise set in by late April, now I am just numb. I am numb to the claustrophobic nature of my goggles, mask, face shield, and to my own warm, stale breath. I have grown apathetic to the constant “exposure notification” calls, informing me that I have been exposed to COVID-19. Duh!When the murmurs of a global pandemic began to spread, I couldn’t bring myself to throw away my “disposable” N95 masks. Currently, I have ten masks on back up, of which I could rotate if things become really bad. How bad can it get? NY bad? If things don’t turn around soon, I’m scared it will be unfathomable.</article></body>

Incognito- COVID Exposed

An ER Nurse journals her observations working on the frontlines

Photo by visuals

August 10th

Imagine gurneys lined up in every space available with patients waiting to register for care: hallways, doorways, patients lying on blankets on the floor waiting for a bed to become available. These are not only COVID patients but patients seeking emergency medical care for their possible heart attacks, strokes, acute appendicitis, and other ailments or accidents. But the diagnoses do not affect the fact that we are understaffed!

We are intentionally working with half the amount of staff that we had a year ago due to budgetary concerns. Combining our daily encounters with terrified and alone patients who are extremely sick patients, takes a psychological toll on you as a nurse and as a human being. Everybody, the CDC, the Governor, the hospital administration, the federal administration, all knew that a PPE surplus would be at the very least, dire, when the second wave hits. My employer treats us as if we’re blind: never mentioning our limited PPE supply chain or a contingency plan when second wave hits.

I am NOT numb to the fact that friends and coworkers infection rates increase as the days pass. I am sick- sick of the weight of the pandemic that is continuing to grow. The underlying apathy among many people who ignore or even rebel against “recommendations” for social distancing, mask-wearing, and indoor gatherings keep the pandemic alive, and they do not care.

In the last few weeks, COVID cases surged. Overall, our daily census numbers are lower compared to the previous year; however, the acuity or overall “sickness level” of patients is much higher, and the work is much more labor-intensive. Personnel shortages cause delays in patient care, unsafe conditions for patients and hospital staff, as well as less than optimal experiences for patients and their families.

The morale of the team deteriorates each day as we choose between a warm blanket and pillow for your grandmother or carefully monitoring medication for your father. His rapid heart rate could develop into the onset of a lethal rhythm at any moment. We are helping your cancer-ridden sister to the toilet because she is too weak from the chemotherapy treatments she has been receiving. Each day we must triage, deciding who needs the most care and who will have to soil the bed and get cleaned up later. I guarantee you that your grandmother, dad, or sister will have to wait for care.

Earlier, I overheard that we are running low on gloves, and we will be getting fit tested for new N95s next week. Hell, I was just getting used to my blue N95- the ones that implant marks on your face while applying so much pressure on your chin that it hurts to speak. Luckily, I have a decent stock in my garage.

It is second nature now; I am almost robotic in my ability to efficiently “gown up” General malaise set in by late April, now I am just numb. I am numb to the claustrophobic nature of my goggles, mask, face shield, and to my own warm, stale breath. I have grown apathetic to the constant “exposure notification” calls, informing me that I have been exposed to COVID-19. Duh!

When the murmurs of a global pandemic began to spread, I couldn’t bring myself to throw away my “disposable” N95 masks. Currently, I have ten masks on back up, of which I could rotate if things become really bad. How bad can it get? NY bad? If things don’t turn around soon, I’m scared it will be unfathomable.