Caregivers Taking Care Of Ourselves

Oh my gosh, the pandemic is here! Mass destruction is upon us and the end of the world will happen. Great googly moogly, perhaps we should all make a bunker and store oodles-of-noodles and twinkies because of course, those do not go bad for centuries. And don't forget the Tamiflu. Heaven's to Betsy, we have never had the flu before?! Nurses Announcements Archive Article

Let's get it together folks. As health care professionals, we sound like the silly group of birds on the ice age. Remember the ones that are going "prepare for the ice age" and trying in vain to hide the last melon?

How are we going to help our patients over their fears and answer their questions if we are panicking? Let us start by realizing that the vast majority of us will only suffer from the flu and that is only if we are the unlucky ones to get sick. The people most affected will be those who don't have access to health care, and those that are healthy. That's right, it's hitting the 20 something's to the 40 something's the hardest.

Yeah, it sucks, we will deal with it, ladies and gentlemen. What is one way to deal with a tough situation at work...come on you remember...it was in nursing school...a thorough self-examination of the way you feel about something. Talk to your peers, talk to your family, really examine how you feel.

Don't just go through scenarios in your mind, actually talk it over with other staff members. What are your facilities policies regarding a flu pandemic? Is there one in place? Could you be instrumental in helping put policies in place that help in patient flow and reducing infection rates?

Actually doing something about the problem can help in reducing your fears. That way you know what is coming down the line should there be a problem, and not only for pandemic flu but also for internal/external disaster scenarios at your facility.

Are you prepared at home for an emergency in the community if you had to leave in a hurry? Despite what I said above it does help to ease your mind if things are taken care of at home. There should be water stored, canned and dried foods available, important papers in a fireproof container, and emergency routes made out from homework and schools along with an emergency contact number that everyone knows by heart.

Now, are you all like me, go to work...go home...sleep...go to work...go home...kiss the kids...go to bed...you all know what its like. We all need to start taking better care of ourselves. We have all heard it before but now we really need to take inventory of our stress level and reduce it, because it's going to be the main thing that gets us sick (besides the nasty little old man in room 512 that just harked up a lung on your scrubs). Get some exercise, play with your children/grandkids, garden, run, read something besides a drug guide, make passionate love (what a great stress reducer eh?). Do something not nursing related.

In the end, please take care of yourselves guys so we can take care of those frightened patients out there. You are important and we need you!!!