It's a stressful time for everyone around the world, and for people who have to work in healthcare, it's an added stress because of a lot of reasons- lack of PPE, overload of work, callouts, long hours, fear, etc. At work, some people are calm, or at least appear calm. Others are just freaking out..
It's kind of like the movies, where in an emergency, some stay calm and focused, and some others stand there and freeze, start crying, hyperventilating, start screaming hysterically and other types of panicked reactions. It's fine in the movies, but working with people who panic is not fun....and I don't even work in a hospital. I was going to go that route last year, but decided not to because of the mandatory rotating day/evening shifts and because I was able to negotiate about $8,000 more per year at a nursing home than what the hospital was offering. It was a more out of the way hospital, so pay was lower. Anyway, what I am trying to say is even though at the nursing home I work at, there are some Covid positive residents and employees, lack of PPE, and a crazy amount of work that has been added on, it can't compare to the workload and stress of a hospital. And even where I'm at, some employees are just panicking.
This nurse found out she was going to have to take care of a Covid positive room, and literally started crying and having a panic attack for about 15 minutes, saying she was going to walk out and all that. Another nurse called out less than 1 hr before her shift started because she was going to be on a floor with Covid residents, leaving the other nurses who showed up to have to split up her assignment. I saw an aide scream hysterically across the room to a nurse because she had to take care of a Covid positive resident and the resident was standing near her. The therapists (PT and OT), as well as housekeeping staff back up into the wall everytime a nurse walks by, like they will get infected by the nurse. I want to say get a hold of yourself...
I get there are people who are scared for themselves and for their families, and if they quit, I wouldn't blame them one bit. But calling out whenever you find out you might have to take care of a Covid positive resident is just so irresponsible. So many people are asymptomatic anyway, so I just assume everyone has it.
I'm dealing by not calling out, staying calm, sharing PPE I had already had since work gave people one surgical mask and one N95 to wear forever, trying to stay positive, and assisting other nurses when there workload is harder than mine, trying to dispel misinformation, etc. But having to deal with panicky co-workers is not fun....how to deal with it?
I'm a school nurse. The day before the schools were shut down, I had a teacher send me a student for cough. This student has seasonal allergies, and ALWAYS has a cough in fall and then Spring. No fever. Sent him back to class. She sends him back "HE IS COUGHING". I send a note saying, 'I know, he's okay to go to class'. Next the AP is in my office asking what's going on with said student.. Apparently the teacher decided to take it over my head and was freaking out that I was sending a coronavirus kid back to infect her class. We took it to the our administrator, who said backed me up.
I know this situation is different, but panic is happening across the board. I have no idea what it's going to be like when everything gets back to 'normal'.
LOL that sounds like my co-worker freaking out b/c a Covid positive was walking next to her...I suppose it's in situations like these that people find out what they are truly made of....usually, you tell anxious people to take a deep breath and calm down...except, now those people don't want to take any breaths next to any possible Covid positive people...:) Fingers crossed for a vaccine in the next year or so!
LOL that sounds like my co-worker freaking out b/c a Covid positive was walking next to her...I suppose it's in situations like these that people find out what they are truly made of....usually, you tell anxious people to take a deep breath and calm down...except, now those people don't want to take any breaths next to any possible Covid positive people...:) Fingers crossed for a vaccine in the next year or so!
Such insanity. Your residents with Covid must be feeling like lepers with people treating them that way. ?
Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
4 hours ago, herring_RN said:
I'm confused. Is it OK to ask people to wear a mask or stay six feet away?
I do believe it is OK to ask. While I would prefer not to wear a mask because it as an asthmatic it makes me even shorter of breath at times. Still because I have asthma along with a smorgasbord auto immune problems I will wear a mask. I very recently had my own Covid scare and will be even more vigilant in the future. For the most part I see people at least in my corner of the world behaving appropriately in this crises. I am a Libertarian and resent most government intervention into the lives of private citizens, but if my wearing a mask prevents others from getting ill or helps with their anxiety levels I will keep wearing a mask.
I'm confused. Is it OK to ask people to wear a mask or stay six feet away?
Yes, it is absolutely OK to ask them to wear a mask. All the employees at work wear a mask before entering into the building. If I see a resident coughing, a mask goes on them. But in LTC, there are a lot of people with dementia. They don't understand what's going on and are scared because the only people they see are employees who are wearing masks, goggles, gowns. The residents are restricted to their rooms except when they are escorted by staff at times to just walk in the hall for a few minutes, and they are still just accompanied by staff. They are not allowed out with any other residents. They used to be able to come out and sit with other residents, so they don't understand where everybody is at and why their families haven't come to see them.
Some of them will keep a mask on, but others will rip it right off as soon as you try to put it on, and if you force them to wear it, they will bite you or hit you. As for having them stay 6 ft away...well, when you are a nurse or aide trying to do your job, it just doesn't always work out that way. Some stuff you can do from further away, but mostly no. I just wear a mask always and wash my hands constantly, especially before and after adjusting my mask. It grosses me out when I see people touch the outside of their mask and then start touching other things. I say to them remember to wash your hands, and give them a smile with a look that says please don't hate me....
Peditra
47 Posts
LOL that sounds like my co-worker freaking out b/c a Covid positive was walking next to her...I suppose it's in situations like these that people find out what they are truly made of....usually, you tell anxious people to take a deep breath and calm down...except, now those people don't want to take any breaths next to any possible Covid positive people...:) Fingers crossed for a vaccine in the next year or so!