How is flu affecting your hospital?

1. How has flu affected your hospital?
   
   Article below reports: "...42 states have reported widespread levels of the illness with the hard-hit areas in the East, South and Midwest...The West and Southwest have had very little flu."
   
   http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...place/1823425/

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2. 

   About RNfaster

   Joined: Jan '07; Posts: 488; Likes: 424
   from US

   10 Comments

   Comment
3. 
   Jan 12, '13

   Our ED is slammed with n/v dehydration and the floor with tons of pneumonia. Some have been placed on bipap or vents. Very scary stuff.
   
   The staff is falling like flies, even though we have been vaccinated. Very few of us have remained healthy (I probably jinxed myself now).
4. 
   Jan 12, '13

   yep - i had my flu shot, and feel like poop right now. I hear they have hallway beds, and are mandating others to work. Thats pretty awful.
   I thought for SURE i would not get sick. The sad part is , that I think I got this from one of the other nurses who gave me report last week. Ughhhhhhhh! Im satying home using up my pto ( i didnt want to ) because despite wearing a mask ( pt: " oohh, youre sick????) I still have no voice, and like i said ,feel like dogdoo. Maybe said nurse should have stayed home. Ugghhh she's per diem for goshsakes.
5. 
   Jan 13, '13

   Full. Over flow unit full, ED holding admits. Staffing is worse than bad. Due to on going scheduling issues. All of the med/surg units are 1:7-9. (Normally 1:5-6 occasionally 7).
   
   Surgical units are full of medical patients.
   
   Flu, pneumonia, gi bug was horrible last week.
6. 
   Jan 13, '13

   We are swabbing everyone - a lot of positive rapid flu results. The hallways are lined with these people. The staff (myself included) have been sick. I hope this thing has peaked.
7. 
   Jan 13, '13

   I can't wait to get my NGTs, ileostomies, colostomies, bariactric surgeries, mastectomies, whipples, thyroidectomy, back.
   
   I'm quite frustrated with the current issues. They closed a smaller unit and redistributed staff. Of course when there was talk of layoffs people started looking for other positions.
   
   One more shift, then on vacation. Lord help me make it through the night
   
   I can't tell I am getting burned out, so hopefully this vacation will get my head back in the game.
   
   Sorry to hijack
8. 
   Jan 13, '13

   we're slammed too. This week we had 3 days where we didnt have enough beds for all that needed it. I work OB and my unit was taking on medical patients beause the beds were needed. Thankfully January is projected to be a slow-ish month for us...about 75 women who are due this month (we average about 120 deliveries a month, so this is a significant decrease) so thankfully we have been able to take these cases.
9. 
   Jan 15, '13

   http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/weeklyarchives2012-2013/images/image011.gif
   
   Maybe the worst is over?
10. 
    Jan 15, '13

    North Carolina here, and my hospital is still slamming. Now granted, it's not all flu (lots of just respiratory stuff)... but the flu definitely isn't making our lives easier! My 24 bed unit is usually full or nearly full... and we have had instances where we have had to open up the satellite.
11. 
    Jan 17, '13

    What are your hospitals' protocols:
    
    Swab all admitted patients?
    All ED patients too?
    Only those that are febrile?
    Above what temperature?
    Do you isolate swabbed patients until result?
    Do you have a rapid or point-of-care flu test?
    Does negative rapid/point-of-care result mean the discontinuation of isolation?
12. 
    Jan 21, '13

    Hospital protocol is to swab critical care admits only. A refreshing display of common sense.

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