Canada’s preparedness compared to USA

Nurses COVID

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I’m shocked how unprepared the states are !! I’m reading these posts of people being limited to 1 N95 and being forced to work after being exposed to a suspected covid patient in the states and I can’t understand why the hospitals didn’t prepare. We have no cases yet but have been planning for a month down to every detail (which rooms will be used in which order and the route we will take patients back from triage, who will supervise donning and doffing etc). Are hospitals not expected to keep a certain amount of pandemic supplies store at all times there ?

Specializes in Dialysis.
2 hours ago, CommunityRNBSN said:

I think maybe you’re not seeing this objectively. You said “I think quite a few nurses would leave the ER” if they limit masks. But it’s not like “they” are limiting masks for fun (or for revenue). The reason they’re being limited is that there are not enough masks. As your Canadian colleague above wrote, that isn’t a nation-specific problem. It’s worldwide. And the idea of leaving the ER is fine, but SOMEBODY has to care for those patients. It’s a different situation than, say, going on strike for more money, where your leverage is your ability to leave. People are reusing their masks and respirators because it is either that, or walk out and let a different nurse re-use the masks and respirators.

Thank you. This is my answer for anyone, regardless of US/Canada/Europe/etc, who keeps making statements regarding shortages of PPE and equipment, and stating that they'll leave. Okay, all of us understand the fears and anger. We have the same feelings. But who will take care of you and yours, when you need it, if every nurse walks out? And there is a worldwide shortage of PPE. Many companies claim to be making it, but where is it? The companies in China and Japan are holding onto it for their own. Our companies are learning, and news sources state that some of these companies are wanting to charge exorbitant rates for the product, stating costs of retooling. There is no magical warehouse storage where the PPE is being held for ransome. Facilities have to ration somewhat, as they don't know when they will get their shipment vs how long this is going to last. Instead of calling each other names, and the other childish things I've seen on here as of late, we've got to come up with realistic solutions. These conditions existed before this happened, many just chose to ignore them because-good money/hours/dept I want to work in/you pick reason-they chose to. Nurses are innovative, and come up with solutions. We need to figure it out, management and administration sure isn't going to!

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On 3/28/2020 at 3:11 PM, meganvl said:

I guess I assumed all hospitals in Canada or atleast Ontario had pandemic supplies... we will run out eventually too but for now we change our masks every 2 hours or when they get wet (were told they’re not effective if not dry) and if we are dealing with a suspected Covid patient I think most nurses would wear an n95. If they limited our masks I think quite a few nurses would leave the er

I'm also in Ontario and this is not my hospital's situation. Our high risk areas like ER get two surgical masks per shift, and one N95. Some other potentially higher risk floors (hemo, chemo, L&D) where patients might come in directly are given one surgical mask per shift that we wear the whole time. On L&D we also get one n95 for any c-sections we have that shift. I don't know of any hospitals around me that are giving new masks every 2 hours.

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As a former soldier, I was willing to put my life on the line to save others. I still have the same motivation today. The situational shortage of PPE is a big problem as everyone knows but what is the alternative? Do we just give up and let everyone die? What kind of nurses would we be if we did that?

If I were a patient who was admitted and nurses ran away to save themselves leaving me to die I would be somewhat disappointed. If I have to I would put a makeshift mask and gown on so be it. Perhaps NBC masks from the military would be an option.

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Specializes in CTICU.

Maybe some of these hospital CEOs or insurance companies would see fit to spare some cash to purchase the PPE which is currently being bid for by various states and the federal government??

The bean counters always rely on our altruism to turn up, even if there is an unreasonable risk to our own health.

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1 hour ago, ghillbert said:

Maybe some of these hospital CEOs or insurance companies would see fit to spare some cash to purchase the PPE which is currently being bid for by various states and the federal government??

The bean counters always rely on our altruism to turn up, even if there is an unreasonable risk to our own health.

Apparently some of these hospital administrative brainiacs don't know how to correspond with FEMA and would prefer to start a bidding war. They are going through the wrong channels. In the interim, the staff pays the true price of ignorance. I hope heads roll upon retrospect.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Pediatric Float, PICU, NICU.
21 hours ago, juniper222 said:

As a former soldier, I was willing to put my life on the line to save others. I still have the same motivation today. The situational shortage of PPE is a big problem as everyone knows but what is the alternative? Do we just give up and let everyone die? What kind of nurses would we be if we did that?

What kind of nurse would we be if we walked out rather than not have the necessary PPE to protect us against a COVID-positive patient? The kind that values their own life and understands that we can't set ourselves on fire to keep everyone else warm.

I'm cautious but accepting the whole surgical masks as an alternative right now because I do want to help people and it is my job. But if they tried to throw me into it with no PPE/completely unacceptable PPE, I would easily walk out without batting an eye with no guilt at all. My safety and the safety of me family is #1 priority to me.

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7 minutes ago, JadedCPN said:

What kind of nurse would we be if we walked out rather than not have the necessary PPE to protect us against a COVID-positive patient? The kind that values their own life and understands that we can't set ourselves on fire to keep everyone else warm.

I'm cautious but accepting the whole surgical masks as an alternative right now because I do want to help people and it is my job. But if they tried to throw me into it with no PPE/completely unacceptable PPE, I would easily walk out without batting an eye with no guilt at all. My safety and the safety of me family is #1 priority to me.

To recap, I don't condone going in with no PPE whatsoever. To say "we don't have any N95 so just go with nothing" is criminally stupid at best. What I am saying is there are alternatives when in a major crisis, we just need to find them. There are thousands of military NBC masks that have appropriate filtration that may be substituted, for example. Training to use them is not complex and the filters are disposable. It might scare the patients to have Darth Vader helping them, but I'm sure they can figure that part out. In the face of a shortage we need to use our brains rather than just give up. There are too many people in this who think "this is how we have done it and there is no other way."

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
On 4/2/2020 at 12:05 PM, juniper222 said:

To recap, I don't condone going in with no PPE whatsoever. To say "we don't have any N95 so just go with nothing" is criminally stupid at best. What I am saying is there are alternatives when in a major crisis, we just need to find them. There are thousands of military NBC masks that have appropriate filtration that may be substituted, for example. Training to use them is not complex and the filters are disposable. It might scare the patients to have Darth Vader helping them, but I'm sure they can figure that part out. In the face of a shortage we need to use our brains rather than just give up. There are too many people in this who think "this is how we have done it and there is no other way."

Maybe someone should alert the commander in Chief that he could repurpose military masks.

Civilian nurses did not sign employment agreements to include pandemic care with inadequate supplies because that is best for the bean counters. We don't enjoy military entitlements to offset the risk of illness or death.

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On 4/2/2020 at 3:49 PM, JadedCPN said:

What kind of nurse would we be if we walked out rather than not have the necessary PPE to protect us against a COVID-positive patient? The kind that values their own life and understands that we can't set ourselves on fire to keep everyone else warm.

100%

The minute someone suggest we martyr ourselves they AUTOMATICALLY lose a lot of credibility. It's totally contradictory to promote the idea that nurses shouldn't have a sense of self-preservation... Without valuing their own life, how would they be capable of taking care of others. On a plane, you put your oxygen mask 1st then help those in need of assistance 2nd. It's ascinine to suggest anyone give direct patient care without PPE. For one, because containment is impossible this way and you WILL infect countless other people!

Our professional lives affect our personal lives. So, if we're discouraged from even considering self-preservation... we simply won't be well enough to take care of others. I'm no longer responding to "calls for volunteers" to be a warm body lining up to die in the slaughterhouses of nurses that hospitals have now become. When they can guarantee access to PPE, I'll happily sacrifice my time to help. As someone previously stated, let the executive bean counters take a pay cut to provide us with the supplies we need. Until then, any nurse not required to do shift work should stay the heck home, take care of themselves, and take care of their families.

Nurse does not = indentured slave. If we don't stand up for better standards for our profession, we'll have no right to complain about the deteriorated s***show it becomes. More so than it already is, sigh.

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On 4/2/2020 at 4:05 PM, juniper222 said:

To recap, I don't condone going in with no PPE whatsoever. To say "we don't have any N95 so just go with nothing" is criminally stupid at best. What I am saying is there are alternatives when in a major crisis, we just need to find them.

Currently, there are units in certain hospitals in Ontario that are telling their nursing staff this more or less. They get nothing, and many are working with home-made masks. I'm not kidding! My rage about all this is growing by the day. I'm literally done with being nice to people or politically correct about this is total BS.

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