Disheartened by Profession Realities

[2BS Nurse]

I've been a nurse for about 10 years now. I completed the ADN, obligatory BSN (second bachelor's degree), took a board certification exam and have worked in three specialties. I LOVED the science (A&P, micro, patho, etc) and find myself going back to it for inspiration. Does anyone else out there feel as if we went to school just to eventually end up doing paperwork and charting? 

The challenge of nursing lies in multitasking and dealing with difficult patients and families. I long for the challenge of actually applying the science. We are so obsessed with patient throughput and keeping that money grossing machine turning. I had zero interest in studying finance. When I entered the nursing profession, I didn't anticipate the responsibility of perpetuating superfluous patient appointments (disguised as "lost to follow up") would fall on my shoulders.

[Covidnursedropout]

We're heroes alright.

[Covidnursedropout]

It's called "double dipping".  AKA medicare fraud.  And if you're a nurse who can work for a hospital like that and still sleep at night there's something wrong with you.

[Covidnursedropout]

That's murder.  Another nurse referenced the george floyd killing.  It isn't far off.

[Covidnursedropout]

Staying silent means you're okay with it.  I'm not okay with it.  And I never will be.  And I will never apply for a job at a hospital ever again.

[MunoRN, RN]

1 hour ago, Covidnursedropout said:

For non-covid nurses, here's how it works.  A standard covid test will tell you that you are covid positive for up to 90 days.  The doctors differentiate by doing a covid PCR test.  The PCR test will only be positive when you are actively shedding the virus.  These patients were discharged to a SNF, almost a month ago.  Fell and broke their hip in the SNF, their covid test was positive, but their PCR was negative.  They had surgery to fix their hip and were put in a covid a room even though they recovered from covid a month ago, while patients with active covid died waiting in the ER.

I get it, somedays you just have to vent, but aside from not really following what your general point is you have this a bit backwards.

The PCR will typically show positive for longer than the rapid test, it's testing for fragments of the viral RNA which makes it more sensitive, the downside to this increased sensitivity is that it will will detect the fragments of Covid RNA that are still present long after an active infection.

One of the 'nice' things about Covid is that it offers a number of findings that easily differentiate an active infection causing acute symptoms from an incidental findings of a positive test concomitant with another health issue unrelated to Covid.  In hospitalized patients we differentiate these as 'incidental Covids' from patients who's issue is the primary result of a Covid infection.