Frontline Nurses
What have you learned from the frontlines of fighting the coronavirus that you most want policy makers, health care administrators and your bosses to know? If you were in charge, what is the first thing you would change to ensure we never go through this again?
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Responses
nurse practitioner
challenges: there are about 12 RNs (2 NPs) in our Health Dept in a city of 500,000. There is political pressure to set up shelters and drive-thru testing clinics that we cannot possibly staff or oversee. We are getting spread too thin in the community which causes such hopelessness in the staff.
When we are through this I certainly hope that Americans demand healthcare for all. The economic hit for many Americans, with a loss of insurance, is adding insult to injury.
On one hand, I feel so fortunate to be able to work and continue to bring…
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A matter of National Security
I continue to wonder if my career is worth the risk to my health and potential to bring illness and death to my family.
I cannot fathom how the CDC can be so fluid with their requirements for personal protective equipment: they have lost all credibility in my mind.
The question of how we can be more prepared in the future is so inextricably linked with other problems in our society as to require a major change in consciousness. Perhaps this will be the gift of COVID. First of all the move to a Global Free Trade…
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RN, Surgical Services Lead
My biggest challenge has been advocating for the appropriate PPE for myself and coworkers. It is very disconcerting to go against everything we have been taught about infection control, to see other nations using more protective PPE, and to have our CDC change the recommended guidelines for PPE based on what is "available" versus what we know we need to keep us and our patients safe. I am apalled that I have had to argue for an N95 mask and the little brown paper bag to keep it in to reuse on ALL patients. I am afraid for my family…
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Not frontline but still anxious
I used to manage an assisted living facility, but moved into school nursing for more hours. Our school is one of the few that hasn't shut down amid this pandemic, because we are a residential treatment school. Girls still come from all over the country to receive therapy at our place. I have asthma and allergies. My normal O2 is 90%. So, I'm having a tough time keeping myself emotionally centered. I want to help and have a job, but my situation also makes me afraid... Any support is welcome.
Thanks for all you do, you who are REALLY…
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Shared Colleague Stress
Shared with peer RNs
This crisis and tragedy so underscores for me the silent, but effective role of public health measures. If done well, you rarely hear about it. But if botched, then of course, apocalyptic. We did not do the basics. Testing was and is still is a disaster in many places so you can't properly identify and isolate. Hard to contain without aggressive and ambitious mitigation.
I have to tap down my anger as I know some 'leaders' were not taking this seriously even though we had 4, 6, maybe even…
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