Are you seeing changes due to Covid?

Editorial Team / Admin · Mar 16, 2020

As of 3pm today, we cancelled all elective surgeries for at least the next 2 weeks and after that to be determined if we will cancel more.

**RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN** · Mar 16, 2020

Same and now we play the stay home on call game with no pay, unless you have PTO banked. Tough times.

LoveThemSox, BSN, RN · Mar 17, 2020

Our system “says” they are canceling elective surgeries, but they are making excuses for surgeries that can’t wait more than a month. Basically allowing docs to argue in why they “need” to do elective cases now. It makes me so angry that they are not taking the warnings seriously, and that we are using resources on that when we should be conserving in preparation for more Covid-19 patients. There are a handful in the state, but that is only going to rise since we do not have an effective quarantine and shutdown in this country.

CAnewgrad2016, BSN, RN · Mar 18, 2020

they cancelled elective surgeries and I work in outpatient surgery. my per diem shifts have been cut. so far I've been floated to main OR. it's a huge hit on my income without per diem and overtime.

marcnor · Mar 21, 2020

Hell yeah, cancelled electives for 3 weeks, 2/3 of staff laid off yesterday...but have to remain sorta/kinda on call................

Amistad, RN · Mar 23, 2020

On 3/21/2020 at 6:29 PM, marcnor said:
Hell yeah, cancelled electives for 3 weeks, 2/3 of staff laid off yesterday...but have to remain sorta/kinda on call................

I’m in the same boat. “On call” for urgent cases at home without pay. I was advised to apply for unemployment. Times are rough!

Silver_Rik, ASN, RN · Mar 24, 2020

We've stopped elective surgeries (some exceptions can be made on a case by case basis). We've cut back from 32 active operating rooms (plus reserved rooms for trauma cases) to 19, and I heard we only had 10 going today. Our ambulatory surgery clinic is completely shutdown.

So far, at least, no layoffs. There is talk of a three way rotation where only 1/3 of the scheduled periop staff will work on a shift but the other 2/3 will stay home and still get paid if they agree to be on call to come in if needed.

For me and the other periop 101 interns, we have been pulled out of the OR to save on PPE. They had already eliminated all student nurse observers, medical students, and even talk of cutting back on residents in the room. We are working on our class modules and doing alternative assignments: Covid19 assessments on hospital visitors (we are still allowing visitors. Also a lot of PACU nurses are doing this now), taking children's temps at the employee daycare, cleaning and disinfecting, organizing supplies. We've been asked to provide a list of alternative schedules we'd be willing to work for possible further reassignment.

So far it seems they want to keep us and get us back into the OR ASAP, but I suspect that could be awhile.

Silver_Rik, ASN, RN · Mar 24, 2020

Found out last night that we’ve gone to a no visitors policy effective at midnight

laurengvoss, BSN, RN · Mar 25, 2020

I’ve been “partially furloughed”. Basically they can’t give me hours in my OR. They are staffing by seniority. It just feels like I’m constantly on call because they may use me one day or they may not.

Nscorpiored, BSN · Apr 11, 2020

Yes!

They have cancelled all elective surgeries emergent/urgent only. We come in the morning and have more than 20 surgeries, by 730 am the surgeries are cut down to less than 10

Speaking for myself due to having previous nursing experience I have that to fall back on so I have been floated outside of the O.R.

My director has to approve the hours, no overtime, 40 hours weekly, but also be available to take surgeries in the O.R. for learning (I am still in the PeriOp Orientation and have 8 weeks left for rotations)

April has been a rough month and I suspect that May will not get any better. This will be routine for several months but I am hanging in there as best as I can

RN1.618, BSN, RN · Apr 12, 2020

We have gone from about 30+ procedures a day to less than 10. We are being floated out to other departments to supplement the lack of hours available in the OR. We have sent half of our vents out to our other campuses. Definitely a scary time but I'm sure this experience will make us better nurses and we will learn a great deal from all that we are experiencing.