Healthcare workers - what are you seeing now?

[hellokitty]

It sucks, we are in a state that is in the level second to worst with COVID cases. The health system I work at serves 2/3 of our state. Northern part of our territory is doing the worst, no electives due to lack of beds. We have seen an alarming increase of people who are younger having strokes...

The hospital has emergency procedures with what to do with overflow patients (hallway). My cousin's husband who has been struggling with a non covid related medical crisis spent 5 days in the ED due to lack of beds. It sucks, and anyone who is eligible for the vaccine and hasn't gotten it yet should be held accountable for causing this mess. Those with the vax who get covid are able for the most part to manage their symptoms at home through their PCP. It is these antivax assholes taking up beds and resources and hcp are burned out.

I'm no longer a Frontline worker, I changed jobs, but if I would have stayed I'd be dragged back kicking and screaming for redployment again. I feel for all my hcp colleagues dealing with this **** and I also have so much disdain for the ones who work in healthcare and refuse to get the vax, it is accusing additional staffing burdens and spread.

[hellokitty]

Double post

[dogmom]

Just a quick update from HCW land. Many of us are completely demoralized. Besides the rising numbers, younger patients coming in because they make up most of the unvaccinated (20-50), and people still out and about like nothing is happening we got a one-two punch this week. CDC said we can work 5 days after a positive test, even with symptoms. Then the American Heart Association said not to slow access to CPR during a code to get PPE on. Considering the poor outcomes for codes in COVID positive patients that is just incredibly disrespectful. We know the risk of contamination, even when wearing PPE is higher. I sort of get the CDC thing. There are people that only had a sore throat and a cough that are fine otherwise and they are out for weeks. What we all fear is hospital administration telling us to go back, when sick, because it’s been 5 days. Usually to understaffed units. If we make it through this without 1/3 of workers leaving healthcare I will be shocked. The whole system is about to collapse and no one seems to care. There is a hospital that got National Guard troops in to help. But the administration said, well if they are helping then we can do elective surgery. The Guard said, no if you do we will leave. They started up elective surgeries and now the staff doesn’t have the help. I would have left nursing if I lived in half of this country.

[twowhat?]

Just a quick update from HCW land. Many of us are completely demoralized. Besides the rising numbers, younger patients coming in because they make up most of the unvaccinated (20-50), and people still out and about like nothing is happening we got a one-two punch this week. CDC said we can work 5 days after a positive test, even with symptoms. Then the American Heart Association said not to slow access to CPR during a code to get PPE on. Considering the poor outcomes for codes in COVID positive patients that is just incredibly disrespectful. We know the risk of contamination, even when wearing PPE is higher. I sort of get the CDC thing. There are people that only had a sore throat and a cough that are fine otherwise and they are out for weeks. What we all fear is hospital administration telling us to go back, when sick, because it’s been 5 days. Usually to understaffed units. If we make it through this without 1/3 of workers leaving healthcare I will be shocked. The whole system is about to collapse and no one seems to care. There is a hospital that got National Guard troops in to help. But the administration said, well if they are helping then we can do elective surgery. The Guard said, no if you do we will leave. They started up elective surgeries and now the staff doesn’t have the help. I would have left nursing if I lived in half of this country.

This is insane. PPE should be the basic minimum in caring for any COVID patient, coding or not. I can't believe it. Risking the HCP's life to try to save the life of a coding covid patient whose outcome is insanely poor? I can't believe it. It's like telling people on planes to make sure others who are struggling have oxygen masks on first before donning their own oxygen mask, but 1000x worse.

The staffing issues and saying HCPs have to go back after 5 days even if symptomatic also just seems...cruel. I don't even know what to think anymore. Hugs to you.

[Kestrel]

My mother is a retired nurse (LPN). She's 76 years old and diabetic. She's been retired for not quite four years. She was called on Christmas Eve by her old boss. They asked her to come back and man the desk at her old unit (mother/baby care, post-pardum). She said no, then sat down with me and my sister and cried for an hour. (We happened to be there when they called.) She is convinced that if she goes back, it will literally kill her. I don't think she's wrong. But she's so upset about all of her friends and old coworkers that are so massively overworked and understaffed right now. I guess that the boss really, really guilt tripped her - "come help the babies" kind of stuff.
What a crappy place to to put her. I get that they are having staffing issues, and you can't exactly tell a woman in labor to come back in three months, but this sucks.

[dogmom]

My mother is a retired nurse (LPN). She's 76 years old and diabetic. She's been retired for not quite four years. She was called on Christmas Eve by her old boss. They asked her to come back and man the desk at her old unit (mother/baby care, post-pardum). She said no, then sat down with me and my sister and cried for an hour. (We happened to be there when they called.) She is convinced that if she goes back, it will literally kill her. I don't think she's wrong. But she's so upset about all of her friends and old coworkers that are so massively overworked and understaffed right now. I guess that the boss really, really guilt tripped her - "come help the babies" kind of stuff.
What a crappy place to to put her. I get that they are having staffing issues, and you can't exactly tell a woman in labor to come back in three months, but this sucks.

Do NOT let your mother go back, if for no other reason her sanity. The outcomes for pregnant women with Covid are just horrific at times. I’ve refrained from talking about it here much, but it’s ugly. Then there is the fact L&D nurses seem more susceptible to Covid denialism for a whole host of reasons. Just no.

[MSWR0319]

Just a quick update from HCW land. Many of us are completely demoralized. Besides the rising numbers, younger patients coming in because they make up most of the unvaccinated (20-50), and people still out and about like nothing is happening we got a one-two punch this week. CDC said we can work 5 days after a positive test, even with symptoms. Then the American Heart Association said not to slow access to CPR during a code to get PPE on. Considering the poor outcomes for codes in COVID positive patients that is just incredibly disrespectful. We know the risk of contamination, even when wearing PPE is higher. I sort of get the CDC thing. There are people that only had a sore throat and a cough that are fine otherwise and they are out for weeks. What we all fear is hospital administration telling us to go back, when sick, because it’s been 5 days. Usually to understaffed units. If we make it through this without 1/3 of workers leaving healthcare I will be shocked. The whole system is about to collapse and no one seems to care. There is a hospital that got National Guard troops in to help. But the administration said, well if they are helping then we can do elective surgery. The Guard said, no if you do we will leave. They started up elective surgeries and now the staff doesn’t have the help. I would have left nursing if I lived in half of this country.

I am, so so sorry. When I heard about the 5 days after a positive test for HCW, I thought "Why???" They need the 10 days even if it's just to get a break from work and for their mental health. And I hadn't heard about the PPE thing, that's just NUTS. Why on earth would they say that? You are all saints.

[Philly Mom]

I am, so so sorry. When I heard about the 5 days after a positive test for HCW, I thought "Why???" They need the 10 days even if it's just to get a break from work and for their mental health. And I hadn't heard about the PPE thing, that's just NUTS. Why on earth would they say that? You are all saints.

My ER friends welcome the 5 days for people who feel fine. It is a huge burden on them when colleagues are out and the system can’t take too many people out at once.


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[jgenie]

Just a quick update from HCW land. Many of us are completely demoralized. Besides the rising numbers, younger patients coming in because they make up most of the unvaccinated (20-50), and people still out and about like nothing is happening we got a one-two punch this week. CDC said we can work 5 days after a positive test, even with symptoms. Then the American Heart Association said not to slow access to CPR during a code to get PPE on. Considering the poor outcomes for codes in COVID positive patients that is just incredibly disrespectful. We know the risk of contamination, even when wearing PPE is higher. I sort of get the CDC thing. There are people that only had a sore throat and a cough that are fine otherwise and they are out for weeks. What we all fear is hospital administration telling us to go back, when sick, because it’s been 5 days. Usually to understaffed units. If we make it through this without 1/3 of workers leaving healthcare I will be shocked. The whole system is about to collapse and no one seems to care. There is a hospital that got National Guard troops in to help. But the administration said, well if they are helping then we can do elective surgery. The Guard said, no if you do we will leave. They started up elective surgeries and now the staff doesn’t have the help. I would have left nursing if I lived in half of this country.

This is crazy! Basically they’re telling you to quite possibly sacrifice your life to save your patient’s life. Workers may not die but they could end up with long haul symptoms. I don’t know that I could go to work with those directives.

[dogmom]

My ER friends welcome the 5 days for people who feel fine. It is a huge burden on them when colleagues are out and the system can’t take too many people out at once.


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I mean I get it IF they feel fine. The phrase is mildly symptomatic with improving symptoms. There are so many workplaces that will write you up if you call out more than once or straight up tell you to come in sick. I can absolutely see some hospitals telling HCW, your fever broke, so you can come in now even if you can barely get out of bed. For what? I community that can’t get vaccinated, won’t wear the mask for one hour that you have to for 12 hours, gets into fights that you are killing their love one by putting them on a ventilator? I feel supported where I work, but many, many HCW don’t.