Covid and Hospitals: How are things now?

[CrunchRN]

Just curious. Here in DFW I see hospitalizations are rising to 14%. How are things in the hospitals? Are things relatively normal? No more furloughs?

Please share. I am not in acute care, but I am of course very interested in the effects on acute care staff.

[chare]

Quote

Private insurers will have to cover the cost of eight at-home coronavirus tests per member per month starting on Saturday, the Biden administration said Monday.

People who provide their insurance information will be able to get the tests with no out-of-pocket costs at certain pharmacies; in other cases, they will have to file claims to their insurers for reimbursement, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, just as they often do for medical services.

[...]

Covid Live Updates: 8 At-Home Tests per Person per Month to Be Covered by Insurers, U.S. Says

[gere7404, BSN, RN]

5 hours ago, nursej22 said:

I don't know about your "these people" but influenza is ramping up in our area, too, and some may benefit from an antiviral, not to mention if someone as a bacterial infection like strep throat or an ear infection. 

Make no mistake, people will also come into the ER with minor viral syndromes too, because they’re absolutely sure they’re dying of COVID 

remember the days when we got sick and we took Tylenol and ate chicken soup and rested until we felt better? Doesn’t happen anymore, everyone goes to the ER the first sign that they’re dying of COVID 

[Wuzzie]

1 hour ago, gere7404 said:

Make no mistake, people will also come into the ER with minor viral syndromes too, because they’re absolutely sure they’re dying of COVID 

Heck, they’re calling 911 for positive tests. Not symptoms, positive tests. ??‍♀️

[gere7404, BSN, RN]

6 hours ago, chare said:

Covid Live Updates: 8 At-Home Tests per Person per Month to Be Covered by Insurers, U.S. Says

Who the hell needs to test that much? 
 

jk I know the answer - half the people in my ERs waiting room 

[nursej22, MSN, RN]

I remember in the past people on these boards complained about people coming to ED for pregnancy tests.

 I have no doubt that people are coming in just to get tested. I don't think the media is solely to blame. I think there are a lot of people out there who just aren't very bright. And a lot of people just aren't aware of what resources are out there or rely on EDs for their primary care. 

I also have seen ED nurses who aren't all that bright. But I don't lump them all together. 

[toomuchbaloney]

Going to the ED for care is the American system created by uneven access to care otherwise.  It's a decades old problem that is only worsened by a pandemic.  You can't blame people for being freaked out by this pandemic and the physical and emotional devastation that can accompany an infection. 

[Wuzzie]

5 hours ago, nursej22 said:

I have no doubt that people are coming in just to get tested. I don't think the media is solely to blame. I think there are a lot of people out there who just aren't very bright. And a lot of people just aren't aware of what resources are out there or rely on EDs for their primary care. 

I'm not talking about getting tested. I'm talking about young people with no symptoms other than a positive test coming to the ED demanding to be treated and making a stink when we have nothing to offer them. I blame the media and will continue to do so because that is where most people get their information. Especially ones who aren't very bright or aren't aware of the resources available to them.  Your snipe about ED nurses was really inappropriate and juvenile. 

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

11 hours ago, gere7404 said:

Make no mistake, people will also come into the ER with minor viral syndromes too, because they’re absolutely sure they’re dying of COVID 

remember the days when we got sick and we took Tylenol and ate chicken soup and rested until we felt better? Doesn’t happen anymore, everyone goes to the ER the first sign that they’re dying of COVID 

I still do that. However, my younger coworkers and some in their 50's like me run to the doctor for every single sniffle. I don't get it.

9 hours ago, Wuzzie said:

Heck, they’re calling 911 for positive tests. Not symptoms, positive tests. ??‍♀️

Just crazy!

[Wuzzie]

Just did a quick review of our bed board. The "business unit" I work in has a total of 366 beds (large university hospital that is divided into different hospitals [business units]on the same campus). 77 of those beds are closed due to staffing issues. 77! The "staffing issues" are primarily caused by 2 things. Sick nurses and nurses sick of the BS. We have 46 patients that need a bed and only 7 open. If all those beds were staffed we could take all the patients and then some. 

[toomuchbaloney]

21 minutes ago, Wuzzie said:

Just did a quick review of our bed board. The "business unit" I work in has a total of 366 beds (large university hospital that is divided into different hospitals [business units]on the same campus). 77 of those beds are closed due to staffing issues. 77! The "staffing issues" are primarily caused by 2 things. Sick nurses and nurses sick of the BS. We have 46 patients that need a bed and only 7 open. If all those beds were staffed we could take all the patients and then some. 

What you describe sounds to me like a system that was stressed by a pandemic and then broke at the bedside care delivery level. Too much demand, responsibility, accountability and cumulative grief for too many of the nursing staff. 

 

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

Those numbers sure show how much the nursing staff have dealt with Wuzzie. Crazy,

 

[DesiDani]

Some reflection. Just thinking about that thread which mentions how a patient refusing her immune compromise husband to be treated by an unvaccinated nurse, despite that nurse properly wearing PPE.  Now nurses are allowed to work while COVID positive if they are vaccinated. 

Oh the future dilemmas now.