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+--- Thread: Behind The Mask, My Perspective As A Nurse In A COVID ICU (/showthread.php?tid=244190)
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Behind The Mask, My Perspective As A Nurse In A COVID ICU - TheCaber - 07-26-2020
The woman who wrote this works alongside my niece.
Behind The Mask, My Perspective As A Nurse In A COVID ICU
My niece graduated from nursing school in June 2019, and landed her 'dream job' working as a Stroke ICU nurse in the Fall of 2019. Two weeks after she started, the pandemic hit and every available ICU floor was repurposed as a COVID ICU treatment floor. My niece had to deal with (1) no prior training, (2) deep fear that she would be unable to help her patients, or worse (3) she would kill them. Also, her father is a double kidney transplant patient/immuno-compromised, so she feared bringing COVID to him. She has been isolated from family and friends since the pandemic began. She had but one mask to use for her entire shift, she had to bring it home with her, spray it with cleaning fluid (bleach? hydrogen peroxide?) and store it overnight in a 'baggie', then bring it to work the next day (a special thanks from me to #45 for stealing ALL the PPE in New England). My wife has spoken with her by phone, and the conversations are heart-wrenching. I don't know when she will be free of the burden.
The pandemic has eased somewhat, but the second wave is coming. And it will be worse.
Watch the Trump Death Clock for some context.
Re: Behind The Mask, My Perspective As A Nurse In A COVID ICU - d4 - 07-26-2020
TheCaber, I can't tell if these are your words or a cut and paste.
Just to confirm, your niece is a coworker of Hannah Glaser?
Re: Behind The Mask, My Perspective As A Nurse In A COVID ICU - TheCaber - 07-26-2020
d4 wrote:
TheCaber, I can't tell if these are your words or a cut and paste.
Just to confirm, your niece is a coworker of Hannah Glaser?
Yes, she is a coworker of Hannah Glaser.
I wrote my words above and below the link to Hannah's story.
Re: Behind The Mask, My Perspective As A Nurse In A COVID ICU - RgrF - 07-26-2020
That was a moving story Caber - maybe more so for me because I've had the experience of being an ER patient at Mass General and that carries with it an appreciation of their level of professionalism - but really because it gives us a glimpse of what life is like behind the doors.
Imagine what nurses in those south Texas counties are having to deal with: an exploding infection rate with few beds, few doctors, almost no PPE equipment and so little hope they are having to send people home to die with their families. MGH has a huge support network, these Texas folk have none of that and also have a hurricane to deal with on top of it all. They're not alone, aside from the hurricane this scenario is repeating throughout a large number of the poor areas of our country. Who's willing or even able to step up and help them - apparently no one.
This pandemic seems to be on the verge of becoming a national disaster of the first magnitude.
Re: Behind The Mask, My Perspective As A Nurse In A COVID ICU - RAMd®d - 07-26-2020
This pandemic seems to be on the verge of becoming a national disaster of the first magnitude.
This pandemic is a national disaster of the first magnitude.
'We' just don't know it yet.
Re: Behind The Mask, My Perspective As A Nurse In A COVID ICU - Sarcany - 07-26-2020
RAMd®d wrote:
This pandemic seems to be on the verge of becoming a national disaster of the first magnitude.
This pandemic is a national disaster of the first magnitude.
'We' just don't know it yet.
Umm...
Pretty sure we know it.
Re: Behind The Mask, My Perspective As A Nurse In A COVID ICU - testcase - 07-26-2020
"The pandemic has eased somewhat, but the second wave is coming."
I fear you're wrong about that timeline. The FIRST wave is still far from over. According to the book "The Great Influenza" (which has been updated) it shows that once the first wave was over, there would be a "calm" of several months. THEN the second wave would roll in (and, in a mutated state). Once that wave had run its' course, rinse and repeat for wave number three. It's amazing how many lessons from "The Great Influenza" have been ignored or, forgotten completely.
Buy hey, not to worry, there's going to be a vaccine soon :ROTFL: (and I have a bridge for sale in a prime Brooklyn location). :oldfogey:
Re: Behind The Mask, My Perspective As A Nurse In A COVID ICU - d4 - 07-26-2020
TheCaber wrote:
She had but one mask to use for her entire shift, she had to bring it home with her, spray it with cleaning fluid (bleach? hydrogen peroxide?) and store it overnight in a 'baggie', then bring it to work the next day
The nurse in the article is wearing a 3-ply mask. Is that the type of mask your niece (the author's coworker) is repeatedly reusing? Even in the early days of the pandemic, masks were available online. Expensive, but they were available. Now 3-ply masks are $6/box of 50. Unless she's talking about N95 masks. Those were maybe $3 each online in March/April. Cheaper now. Was your niece not able to find and purchase masks online for herself?
Re: Behind The Mask, My Perspective As A Nurse In A COVID ICU - Ted King - 07-26-2020
testcase wrote:
"The pandemic has eased somewhat, but the second wave is coming."
I fear you're wrong about that timeline. The FIRST wave is still far from over. According to the book "The Great Influenza" (which has been updated) it shows that once the first wave was over, there would be a "calm" of several months. THEN the second wave would roll in (and, in a mutated state). Once that wave had run its' course, rinse and repeat for wave number three. It's amazing how many lessons from "The Great Influenza" have been ignored or, forgotten completely.
Buy hey, not to worry, there's going to be a vaccine soon :ROTFL: (and I have a bridge for sale in a prime Brooklyn location). :oldfogey:
Rachel Maddow (2:08 minutes long):
Rachel Maddow revisits Dr. David Ho's charts comparing a simultaneous response to the coronavirus outbreak versus a sequential, state-by-state response, showing that the simultaneous response greatly shortens the overall duration of the outbreak.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbvnRdKDMSc
Re: Behind The Mask, My Perspective As A Nurse In A COVID ICU - Lemon Drop - 07-26-2020
d4 wrote:
[quote=TheCaber]
She had but one mask to use for her entire shift, she had to bring it home with her, spray it with cleaning fluid (bleach? hydrogen peroxide?) and store it overnight in a 'baggie', then bring it to work the next day
The nurse in the article is wearing a 3-ply mask. Is that the type of mask your niece (the author's coworker) is repeatedly reusing? Even in the early days of the pandemic, masks were available online. Expensive, but they were available. Now 3-ply masks are $6/box of 50. Unless she's talking about N95 masks. Those were maybe $3 each online in March/April. Cheaper now. Was your niece not able to find and purchase masks online for herself?
Your information on the availability of NIOSH-approved medical N95 masks (respirator type) is not correct. We still have a shortage of those in healthcare settings.
https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/personal-protective-equipment-infection-control/faqs-shortages-surgical-masks-and-gowns-during-covid-19-pandemic
Yes the nurse/writer is wearing a surgical mask in the photo - ever seen a photo of yourself in an N95 mask? Less cute. But she writes this:
Next I take off my surgical mask (the type we all wear around the floor and the hospital campus), put on a pair of gloves, and pick up my “dirty” N95 mask (“dirty,” because it has already been used in other rooms). I try to be mindful of touching the outside with only one designated hand. This designated hand holds the outside of the mask as my clean hand guides the straps to the back of my head.