COVID-19: LTC Advice!

[Newgurl17, CNA, LPN]

Hey all...

First of all, I am hoping everyone is staying safe and healthy during this nasty pandemic.

My questions for today are for all the floor nurses working in LTC.... 

How are you coping with the workload amonst the pandemic? Have any policy changes been made at your facility to help prevent the spread of the virus?

Recently, my facility got hit with COVID on one of the units, and so we've been asked to wear PPE whenever we enter a resident's room...even if it's something as quick as giving some medications. 

So here I am, looking after 17-24 residents in the special care unit, wearing PPE for the residents who are cognitive enough to stay in their rooms, sometimes doing assessments as necessary ( fall follow ups, for example) washing my hands before leaving the room, and dealing with any other distractions that may come along the way. My med passes that would have normally taken 45 mintues to an hour on average are now taking me an hour and a half to two hours to complete. A morning nurse told me her 0800 round sometimes takes her until 10 because she is helping out with feeds. This is only the second week of this new change and my brain is feeling like scrambled eggs! I've forgotten to chart things and I feel like I am rushing throughout my shift. Not to mention we're wiping down everything after shift and changing out of our scrubs. My shift is only 5 hours long.

How has everyone's experience been dealing with COVID at your facility?

Stay safe!

 

 

[BokChoi18, LPN]

On 12/7/2020 at 12:26 PM, Newgurl17 said:

Hey all...

First of all, I am hoping everyone is staying safe and healthy during this nasty pandemic.

My questions for today are for all the floor nurses working in LTC.... 

How are you coping with the workload amonst the pandemic? Have any policy changes been made at your facility to help prevent the spread of the virus?

Recently, my facility got hit with COVID on one of the units, and so we've been asked to wear PPE whenever we enter a resident's room...even if it's something as quick as giving some medications. 

So here I am, looking after 17-24 residents in the special care unit, wearing PPE for the residents who are cognitive enough to stay in their rooms, sometimes doing assessments as necessary ( fall follow ups, for example) washing my hands before leaving the room, and dealing with any other distractions that may come along the way. My med passes that would have normally taken 45 mintues to an hour on average are now taking me an hour and a half to two hours to complete. A morning nurse told me her 0800 round sometimes takes her until 10 because she is helping out with feeds. This is only the second week of this new change and my brain is feeling like scrambled eggs! I've forgotten to chart things and I feel like I am rushing throughout my shift. Not to mention we're wiping down everything after shift and changing out of our scrubs. My shift is only 5 hours long.

How has everyone's experience been dealing with COVID at your facility?

Stay safe!

 

 

I work LTC. I had PPE and double masked but still got covid. It’s inevitable. At some point you might compromise your PPE even by accident and then you get covid. Our faculty started with 3 cases and then went to 14 and counting. We were doing rapid test, but public Heath said do 2-3 day one. They are more accurate but it give covid pts. Especially asymptomatic ones a chance to spread it before being isolated. Also, they had nurses in covid wing also work other floors so I don’t see how they’ll stop the spread.  Take precautions if you’re working and protect your family when you get home. Even remove your toothbrush from the bathroom. The have hotels you can stay at as well. 

[Missingyou, CNA]

We were hit hard In the Spring. Of 120 residents, we lost 32 to covid & 66 tested positive, most with symptoms bad enough to land them in the hospital. 

At that time we closed off all units with plastic so wandering residents ( or staff ) couldn't easily enter the units. Each unit had its own breakdown & staff bathroom. Kitchen/laundry staff not allowed on units. We hand to receive/ deliver such items to fire exit doors for pick up. 

I agree with above, no matter how careful you are, you will get covid. Nursing homes just don't have access to proper protection like hospitals do. There is not one single staff in that building who have been there since the beginning that hasn't tested positive at sometime. 

If I knew then what I know now, I would have left the nursing home back in March when our 1st resident tested positive & worked in either home care or hospital. The only reason I stay now is because I've had covid & the majority of staff & residents have had it. We have been completely "covid free" for more than 6 weeks.