I'm almost embarrassed to post this... I am an ED nurse at a 450-bed hospital in the midwest. We have not been taxed by COVID patients yet. My wife has become somewhat of a conspiracy theorist and is questioning everything. She found a thread somewhere that convinced her that what we are seeing on TV is not really happening. We have had some serious arguments about this stuff, but she won't stop. She said that lots of nurses were reporting that nothing was happening at their hospitals.
I would like to see if any of the nurses from the hospitals that are being seriously affected are on this forum and can comment. I realize that most of you are probably too exhausted to even get on a forum.
I work at a small hospital (less than 200 beds) in a relatively small state...and it's real. Our overall census is down to about 50% (we don't get the frivolous visits and voluntary surgeries right now)...so 100 pts... and 25% of THOSE are covid or covid rule out. Of those 25...20-30% are vented. THIS IS NOT THE FLU. The flu doesn't carry those kind of numbers.
The flu doesn't fill beds this way...and is not as scary. We are OK....but it is different. The need for PPE is different...the time requirement per patient is HUGELY different....and the way this virus operates is different.
We have docs that come in once a month from NYC...it's real. They for sure respect the hell out of this virus and we're happy to have their experiences to reference.
I have family in NYC in healthcare...it's real. They are scrambling to accomodate patients with covid whike protecting those without it.
I HATE this reality and am not good at social distancing...I miss my people...and hugs...and travel...and restaurants ...but it's real...and I don't want it to get any MORE real. I hate watching these patients...even the non covids...that have to be with us... without their loved ones at the bedside to ease their anxiety and make it all OK.
But THIS...the little bit that I've seen...is enough. I wouldn't want things to be worse here and hope we are lucky and that our peak is now and not a week away as predicted.
And I'm not even on the front line. Those folks spend 8 to 12 hours a day in full gear and have got all my respect.... ❤️
I'm in the Boston area and extremely overwhelmed by what's happening in our hospital, which is now pretty much all Covid.
Our patients are also severely ill. The ones that need just 2-4L n/c O2 are being discharged home with O2 tanks. We're operating in disaster mode in so many ways.. feels like we're in a movie.
I'm shocked even nurses are questioning this is really happening here ?
Specializes in Addictions, psych, corrections, transfers.
Yep, I know nurses in many places hit. In Portland, Oregon (they are being hit and using ICU and 2 med surg floors just for strictly COVID and are running out of room). My nurse friend in Sunvalley, ID were so overwhelmed they had to close the hospital and divert because they didn't have the staff or supplies to treat them and my friend got COVID while it was still open. My nurse friend in New York just told me how much of a nightmare it is. 19 pts medsurg for 3 nurses and doctors having to do blood draws and other treatments to help (you know it's bad if doctors are working like they show them working on TV in real life). This RN has been an agency RN for years and has worked in very difficult areas and she said it's the worst she's seen. I think some place are getting hit and some aren't.
Tell your wife this—I work in a physician’s office and am on the next round of call-ups to be sent to a hospital instead. In my 12 years of nursing, I’ve never worked in a hospital. I had clinical rotations there in school, but have never actually worked in that setting. They’re shifting RNs in the hospitals to ICU/COVID-19 units and pulling us non-hospital nurses in to work the regular floors. I’m a LPN so I’ll be a tech, but if I can do that much to help the swamped hospital staff then I’ll feel better. The healthcare system I work for has 10 hospitals and 200 physician offices in a large metro area. There’s 93 COVID-19 pts in ICU alone.
My hospital has not been hit "hard"...at least yet according to predictions for our area. But, we do have a couple dedicated floor and ICU units for COVID patients. Enough to where there is a need. But we are not overwhelmed. I'm out west. Hope this is the worse it gets out here.
I'm sure population density plays a significant factor. I live in a huge western city, but, our city is spread out over a large geographic area, we are not living on top of each other like other cities like those in New York and other states. Perhaps that is a factor in what you see in your area OP.
I’m in the ED at a smaller (200-250 bed hospital) in central New Jersey. Some days it’s not so bad, I got sent home early at 05:00 on thurs night/min morning and some days are awful. Sunday night was the worst night of my very short (I started in August as a RN, tech prior) nursing career. It’s been very mixed/unpredictable.
The ICU is totally full and there are now 3 or 4 dedicated COVID units. I floated up to the ICU last week and its pretty crazy up there.
But kudos to you for creating an account here in order to create this thread.
So- how did it go? Does she understand yet? If this thread has not set her straight yet, I think you may have a long road ahead.
I hope everything goes well for her. But, her difficulty believing something that is an indisputable fact must be worrisome for you. As a veteran ER nurse, I have no doubt you have a lot of experience with this. If her delusions persist, consider professional help. If she is willing to accept treatment, you should probably talk to HR about your benefits, and what resources are available.
I live in California, my hospital is doing OK for now. Our ICU is filled with covid+ patients, we also have 1 dedicated unit (44 beds). The hospital is updating us with daily emails regarding the number of positive and suspected patients. As of today's update, we have about 140 total positive, currently about 30-35 positive, suspected 10-15, recovered 35-40 (I give a range instead of actual number because I don't remember exactly). Nurses are being cross-trained and or are being ICU extenders/helpers.
I work at a hospital in Elizabeth, NJ, just outside of NYC. We have been very hard hit with Covid patients for about the last 3-4 weeks. Our ED is busier than many long-time veterans (20 years+) have ever seen it. Nurses in our ICU are now required to work 4 12's every week, all vacations have been canceled, and I personally have been caring for almost exclusively Covid pts for at least 2 weeks. Also, we've had many staff members contract Covid and are therefore short staffed. An ER nurse died this past week. My nurse friends who work at other northern NJ hospitals are dealing with the same things. It's real. It's very very real. I'm living it every shift.
I work at a hospital in Elizabeth, NJ, just outside of NYC. We have been very hard hit with Covid patients for about the last 3-4 weeks. Our ED is busier than many long-time veterans (20 years+) have ever seen it. Nurses in our ICU are now required to work 4 12's every week, all vacations have been canceled, and I personally have been caring for almost exclusively Covid pts for at least 2 weeks. Also, we've had many staff members contract Covid and are therefore short staffed. An ER nurse died this past week. My nurse friends who work at other northern NJ hospitals are dealing with the same things. It's real. It's very very real. I'm living it every shift.
Just to followup with my earlier post: we're also running out of CRRT machines and dialysate. I work in two major academic NYC hospitals, and both have this shortage (see here for more info: New Covid-19 crisis hits ICUs as more patients need dialysis). I even witnessed an argument over whether a patient that was DNR should be put on CRRT because the hospital had a critical shortage, only one machine left, etc. Last night, a nurse had a very sick patient that was circling the drain, on multiple drips, CRRT, periodically maxing pressors, on 100% fio2 on the vent and desatting to the 60s, etc...plus another patient. Normally this would be a 1:1 assignment.
I work in a northern hospital in NJ and we're swamped. We have patients in the ER being held for days waiting for an ICU bed. Everyone is basically a hold in the ER. People in the hallways at all times. My hospital turned same day and a floor of offices into ICU. Lots of code blues and rapid responses being called for covid patients all night long.
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ladycody, BSN, RN
92 Posts
I work at a small hospital (less than 200 beds) in a relatively small state...and it's real. Our overall census is down to about 50% (we don't get the frivolous visits and voluntary surgeries right now)...so 100 pts... and 25% of THOSE are covid or covid rule out. Of those 25...20-30% are vented. THIS IS NOT THE FLU. The flu doesn't carry those kind of numbers.
The flu doesn't fill beds this way...and is not as scary. We are OK....but it is different. The need for PPE is different...the time requirement per patient is HUGELY different....and the way this virus operates is different.
We have docs that come in once a month from NYC...it's real. They for sure respect the hell out of this virus and we're happy to have their experiences to reference.
I have family in NYC in healthcare...it's real. They are scrambling to accomodate patients with covid whike protecting those without it.
I HATE this reality and am not good at social distancing...I miss my people...and hugs...and travel...and restaurants ...but it's real...and I don't want it to get any MORE real. I hate watching these patients...even the non covids...that have to be with us... without their loved ones at the bedside to ease their anxiety and make it all OK.
But THIS...the little bit that I've seen...is enough. I wouldn't want things to be worse here and hope we are lucky and that our peak is now and not a week away as predicted.
And I'm not even on the front line. Those folks spend 8 to 12 hours a day in full gear and have got all my respect.... ❤️