Will you work during a Pandemic?

Nurses COVID

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  1. Nurses, would you go to work during a Pandemic?

    • 1926
      No
    • 5592
      Yes
    • 1288
      undecided

1,893 members have participated

admin note: we just added a poll to this thread today, april 25, 2008, please take a second and vote in the poll so we can have a graphical representation of the responses. thanks

scenario:

h5n1 (the bird flu) mutates to become efficient at transmitting human to human causing a pandemic, with a case fatality rate of 60% and with 80% of the cases in the 0-40 year old age range.

see:

http://www.wpro.who.int/nr/rdonlyres/fd4ac2fd-b7c8-4a13-a32c-6cf328a0c036/0/s4_1113.jpg

hospitals will be quickly overrun. hospital staff shortages are 50%. the government orders all nurses to work. there is not enough personal protection equipment (n95 masks, gloves, goggles, tamiflu, vax, etc)

home quarantines become common (in the fed plans).

your family is also quarantined in your home. you are running out of food and the government promises you will be "taken care of" if you report to work.

will you go?

dr weiss stuart, brief some lawmaker, representative, staff and other members in the audience on pandemic flu on 4/29/08. in this recording process, his overall message was a pandemic flu outbreak is still on its way. his significance message was "i can tell you with 100 percent certainty that we will have a pandemic in our lifetime - i just can't tell you when". i embelishing like hil clin, hardly any lawmakers were there, they sent their aids. why were they not there, what could be more important? therefore, i will not work never mind the ppe. where are the antivirals??????? we all know the saying on the airplane, "put your oxygen on first before helping the person next to you"...:yeah::nurse:

I work in Home Care & went through the SARS outbreak as I had clients who where on home care as well went to hospital for Dialyisis. The hospital they went to was quarantened due to cases of SARS in that Hospital. I was soooo lucky because I had full protection & I ALWAYS have supplies (N95 masks, gloves gowns). BUT & this is a BIG BUT! I also have enough food & water to last 6 mos, my Husband always has extra containers of gas & I don't really have to go anywhere. My Husband is also Diabetic & I have a 6mos supplu of his meds at home. Although I don't have kids at home anymore, our profession does not mandate that we kill ourselves or our families for the greater good! My first obligation is to my family & I will not again knowingly put them in danger. so, the short answer? No I don't think I will go anywhere but my home. I aplogize to no one but too many times I have put not just myself but my family in danger & I won't do it again.

I was walking through one of the older cememetries in my town and I found a grave from 1919 that bore memory to a 26 year old nurse who had "died doing her duty". As the war had ended, I figured she must of fallen victim to the pandemic that was spreading. There was a whole throng of graves from that era with young people, and at least 3 more nurses' graves.

The way I look at it, is, well, its 2008, a lot of those who've died from bird flu and et cetera are from really poor countries with horse pie infastructure (oh, and Canada). I'd wager the damage wouldn't be that bad if it got into western countries. Of course, if mutation occured then we could be in touble. However, we deal with patients with all sorts of horrid contagious diseases and we wouldn't shun our noses at them. When Noror virus spread through where I worked, I continued to work there (until I caught the damn thing), but I was over it quicker then most and my sypmtoms weren't that bad, so as soon as I was clear I was back to work.

We're all going to pop our clogs at some point, dying from a panademic while helping the sick and terminally ill seems as good a way as any, if not a tad noble.

Of course, a few of my class mates have made comment that of course they'd workd - because medical staff would be the first to get the vaccines and cures if they fell ill. I thought that a tad selfish.

If you worked near Toronto during SARs, your response might be different. What you don't know is, 37 of our colleagues are on permanent life support, intubation d/t SARs. Their lives are destroyed...and nobody cares. We are only as good as our protection....and as drones, we hand this over to mgmt that doesnt care! In support of my fallen colleagues....I say....stand up, and take responsibility1!!!!!!

Flygirl, not questioning your veracity but this is news to me and I am certain others as well. In the past all I personally have seen were general reports of HCW's becoming infected, with no long-term reports such as this.

Interesting news indeed.

Ayrman

Specializes in Geriatrics.
If you worked near Toronto during SARs, your response might be different. What you don't know is, 37 of our colleagues are on permanent life support, intubation d/t SARs. Their lives are destroyed...and nobody cares. We are only as good as our protection....and as drones, we hand this over to mgmt that doesnt care! In support of my fallen colleagues....I say....stand up, and take responsibility1!!!!!!

I had know idea! All reports I've read have covered the reality again. This makes me certian that when the pandemic hits, we will be totally alone. What did the gov't do to protect the medical workers? Are they helping the 37 victims now? This job is tough, and sometimes scary, this lack of planning from gov't and the health care industry management just increase the danger 10 fold. My prayers to the 37 and other victims.

Specializes in He who hesitates is probably right....

My wife and I are both nurses (daughter is in nursing school) and we've spoken about this very issue more than once. If there is any sort of pandemic or bio-attack, we are hanging up our stethoscopes for the duration. Neither of us see any reason to dive on that hand grenade for strangers that, for the most part, don't appreciate what we do for them anyway.

I try very hard not to be judgemental, but the "me and mind mentality" is just too much for me. You and your family are not in the world alone. ing to protect yourself in the name of "Even if you stay at home to care for your little circle, you really aren't doing anything to protect them you merely are being scared and using them as a shield. Sorry, the truth is the truth. We need to let go of our ego and become one withothers. nana carol

Specializes in ER/EHR Trainer.

I liken this to lack of oxygen on an airplane, you always put your mask on first....before helping anyone else. You have a responsibility to yourself....IMHO it is stupid to think otherwise.

I don't want to be permanently terminated....comprende

Maisy

Pretty scary that I can quote myself:no:!

Seriously, your first duty is to your self and family. Once you are onsite saving the world....they will not let you go! In a national emergency, you may be subject to martial law. We may be subject to military law.....we won't know until something happens.

The first thing that would happen if a pandemic occurred like the flu of 1918 is total breakdown of the niceties that we call life. If anyone thinks differently, they haven't got a clue! My great grandfather, and two of my grandmother's siblings died in this flu in 1918....my great-grandmother was a nurse....she got two sick children through it. Who would've taken care of my grandmother and her sister had she been "pressed" into service?

Both of my children are away at school....they have both been told to get their butts home if there are any "outbreaks" starting. I am deadly serious. I am not an alarmist, a self-preservationist, or even selfish..I have read the CDC site, a pandemic is a species dna strand away. I have always been healthy, and truly believe I'd survive.

I'll help pick up the pieces.....the truth is people are going to die because they go to the hospital and gather in groups. Right now people don't have the sense to stay home with the stomach flu, or a virus....can you imagine a pandemic?

Again, if I could have a guarentee of PPE I would be there under my terms, I will not be held prisoner...if not, not going to happen.

JMHO,

Maisy

Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

I work to live, not live to work. If I went to work and my immediate family needed me and I was not with them, I would not be able to live with myself. I cannot possibly imagine my son being alone, who has a social phobia and does not communicate well, or my husband, who has placed me before himself to go to a place that will not appreciate me. If I know they are fine, then, I will go. If not, then, I will remain home.

It does help, though, that my husband works at my job. My first inclination would be to get to my son and bring him with me. We would weather this storm together as a family. Period.

Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
I AM extending the life of those I care about most. ME, and my immediate family. Anyone with a brain in their head would be scared, but lots of things are scary and we deal with them every day. I come from an EMS background. Shooting scenes, violent psych patients, all kinds of infectious pathologies, domestic violence calls, ambulance full of blood like a horror movie, all part of the daily grind. Scared has nothing to do with it. Scary is part of the job. I don't know where you get this sense of smug superiority, but if you get some sort of feeling of grandeur from believing you would violate the most basic rule of health care by failing to protect yourself first, knock yourself out.

I feel you. And, yes, most of them that go would be knocked out...permanently.

Specializes in OB, CASE MANAGEMENT.
I try very hard not to be judgemental, but the "me and mind mentality" is just too much for me. You and your family are not in the world alone. ing to protect yourself in the name of "Even if you stay at home to care for your little circle, you really aren't doing anything to protect them you merely are being scared and using them as a shield. Sorry, the truth is the truth. We need to let go of our ego and become one withothers. nana carol

It is called human nature to try and survive at all cost. nana you need to get a clue

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