Enteric Outbreak!

[Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN]

So, got to work today to find our unit is in the midst of an Enteric Outbreak. 13 out of 28 pts isolated.

oh joy.

Not enough isolation gowns. Mixed messages about what we are to be wearing - some say n95 masks for vomitting pts. Some say just surgical masks.

Severe lack of management support.

Visitors still allowed in - nursing just has to enforce "good hand hygine" says infection control. Right. On top of doing all my usual work, I have to police visitors who don't listen anyway.

Only good thing was the did staff up - 1 extra staff per shift.

Still - I am exhausted. My hands are dry and everything tastes like alcohol hand sanitizer.

So - that was my day.

How was yours?

[oramar]

Oh dear, nice pat on the back to you for the good job you are doing.

[leslie :-D]

my goodness...

at least i hope your pts were all continent.

leslie

[mustlovepoodles, RN]

Oh man, that sounds like a day from H-E-L-L Makes me queasy just reading it.

[nyteshade, BSN]

'Tis the season! lol!

[ohgoodnessgracious]

N95 masks, really? Doesn't that seem a bit much? We're lucky we get N95 masks to last a shift on our unit for our airborne patients!

[Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN]

N95 masks, really? Doesn't that seem a bit much? We're lucky we get N95 masks to last a shift on our unit for our airborne patients!

Yep - we use N95 masks a lot - SARS changed a lot of things in our hospital, esp how we deal with airborne illnesses. I don't quite understand the rational for an N95 mask with a pt who is vomiting due to gastro, but I have given up trying to figure out our infection control nurse's logic! Supplies are not a problem - there are plenty of N95 masks. We make the visitors use the surgical mask, keeping the N95 for the staff. We did the same with the H1N1 outbreak.

I think this is on of the differences between the American system of health care and the Canadian. I have seen many American Nurses saying they don't have enough PPE - we usually have anything we need. Except when an outbreak occurs on a long weekend and the idiot infection control nurse doesn't order extra supplies until Tuesday! :)

We currently have 14 pts in isolation. They are finally deciding to close the unit to visitors! Which means we won't have to police visitors to wear PPE, wash hands and not wander about touching everything!

Oh- the rational for the N95 mask (and face guard, I forgot to mention) is that the 'pt may vomit in your face and it can get in your eye". Frankly, I don't get my face that close to a vomiting pt but once again, I just do what I is told!