Has anyone left nursing job due to COVID19 virus?

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I am curious to find out if anyone has decided to leave their current job due to the risk of this virus? I work in the Emergency Department and we are now being asked to reuse PPE and to prepare for a surge of COVID 19 patients. This makes me sick to my stomach and concerned for my co workers, other patients along with the risk we bring home to our own families.

WE have lost several at our facility and I (We ) are working hard at keeping out covid 19. We monitor residents 4 time a day minimally , The staff is checked twice daily . We are on lock down, we do tele conferences, wash all materials before they come in the door, we all wear mask( Which we recycle as many days as possible and 3 months ago you would have been written up for that offense) but thats another subject altogether. But with all the hard work and dedication of the staff and those making us masks we are still covid free. We do have staff who have said if we get a case in the building they will not be back.

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I did quit my job due to Covid uncertainties. I am able to financially and truly felt and still feel it was the right decision for me. I might go back to nursing later when we have not only a better understanding of this virus but some ammunition to fight with.

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I am having a real hard time with this. I had to step away from nursing in the beginning of March, and being a volunteer EMT, due to COVID because I am immunosuppressed, and per Drs orders. Now my Dr is saying, well, if you want to go back, you can - just protect yourself, be really careful, and, well, you have to go back to work sometime, right? I am So torn. The guilt that I felt staying home while everyone is on the frontline nearly killed me. But now, I am scared. For myself, but more so, for my 83 yo mother who lives with me. I have applied to a ton of jobs working from home, but nothing has come through. I have decided to wait it out until the end of June - and to see how things go. But if anyone has any ideas, please let me know!

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I am utterly and completely disheartened at the treatment of frontline nurses during this pandemic. It’s incomprehensible to me that administrators can force nurses to wear inadequate PPE or to have to constantly reuse PPE. And I think it’s utterly reprehensible how the CDC came out and literally lied to the public about the benefits of wearing masks and has covered for hospitals that haven’t provided adequate PPE. There is no recourse for nurses. Disgusting!

While so many of our hospitals have focused on spa-like bathrooms and patient satisfaction scores above all else, the nursing staffs, the bedrock of the hospitals, have been treated as expendable and understaffing has become the norm.

I did not hesitate when I was placed on unpaid furlough after I refused a redeployment to a covid floor. I did go home shaking. They needed RNs, I was informed. It didn’t matter that I was never fitted for a N95 mask. Didn’t matter that I’d never been oriented to the hospital, and didn’t matter that I never spent one second as anything other than an OB nurse. And when I said I had very serious concerns about bringing the virus home to my immune-compromised child, I was offered counseling for my anxiety. I believe in G-d. He blessed me with my child. I picked her. Luckily, they returned me back to my previous job after my punishment.

I wish all of you the best of health and good things. You all deserve better!

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Yes and I’m never looking back. Literally the nail in The Coffin . I didn’t like it anyway. This is what I needed.

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On 5/14/2020 at 5:20 PM, snevah99 said:

I did quit my job due to Covid uncertainties. I am able to financially and truly felt and still feel it was the right decision for me. I might go back to nursing later when we have not only a better understanding of this virus but some ammunition to fight with.

You did the right thing! Don't EVER be another "warm" body lining up to die at the slaughterhouse (aka hospital). Stay home and stay safe until we get the supplies we need to do our job safely. Police officers get (at the minimum) guns and bullet proof vests. Don't you dare go to work without adequate supplies. Your life is worthy!

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Specializes in Occupational Health; Adult ICU.

I've posted on Covid-19 here from February. I had one article titled "It's not wise to call the new virus the same as the flu" (or something like that).

I answered a few, "should I quit? Questions. With the exception of immuno-compromised nurses, or significant co-morbidities. I'd say, "no...it's our job."

Well, today, in NH, I went shopping. I'm astonished--I might pull some flack but I'll say it, "the Cov-idiots were out in abundance." No masks, often no attempt to use row direction markers, no social spacing.

I value freedom in America and people may do as they wish. Flaunt the tiny virus, after all (in a few hours) a mere 100,000 souls have departed from the earth this past several months.

One sees older folk wearing masks but not younger ones (by and large, there are exceptions) but so many ignoring Covid-19. Why not, for a person, young with no issues, maybe one death in 500? (Adding a lot for those who develop asymptomatic disease). However, I cannot fathom how such behavior will not create a spike--visible, I'll predict in a week to three.

Which brings me back to the original question here: "Should I quit due to the coronavirus?" My answer today is: "If the covidiots create a spike--feel free to quit. Why endanger yourself and your family when others do nothing to protect you?

Virginia Reports Record Jump In New Cases Two Weeks After Reopening: Live Updates
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/media-exposes-100s-uncounted-covid-19-deaths-japan-lifts-state-emergency-us-death-toll

Memorial Day weekend draws big crowds — and triggers warnings of coronavirus resurgence as US death toll nears 100,000
https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-nw-coronavirus-memorial-day-weekend-20200524-32s2v6ootrhnbls7zjq7sy26em-story.html

Thousands flock to Florida beaches, ignoring coronavirus concerns
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-florida-beaches-ignore-social-distancing/

"Shocking": Americans Flood Beaches, Trampling Social Distancing Rules
https://www.zerohedge.com/health/shocking-crowds-flock-ocean-city-maryland-ignoring-social-distancing

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Specializes in Emergency Room.

@Tirednurseandmomma14 How are you feeling now compared to when you first posted this? I am torn about everything and still feel so conflicted, but also things have not improved much in regards to PPE and masks at my facility.

Megan

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Yes, I just did so. This is what I posted in another thread;

"I 

 worked on a stepdown unit and up until a few days ago worked with covid patients that were placed in a negative pressure room.  I didn't have a problem with this, however the other day I was informed I was to expect to admit a covid positive patient on 6 liters High Flow Nasal Cannula into a regular room on enhanced droplet precautions. In other words, they were being placed in a regular room and not in a negative pressure room.  Managements rationale was that the patient "was not coughing" so my exposure should be minimal.  I did not want to accept the patient because I felt that due to the room not being negative pressure, I would be exposed to a high viral load  and I am no Spring chicken, making me more susceptible to serious symptoms if I contracted the virus. Not only that, every time the door of the room would be opened, the air with the virus in it would go out into the hallway were staff are not wearing N95 masks/PAPR's.  Whereas at least with a negative pressure room, when the door is opened, the air wouldn't automatically/immediately go out into the hallway. 

I found this article https://bit.ly/2KyREAp which concluded that "a growing body of evidence that droplet precautions are not appropriate for SARS-CoV-2."  I was told by my manager that I was expected to take the patient. I declined and a younger nurse in her 20's reluctantly offered to take the patient and I took one of her patients, after I said I would resign there and then and go home. The next morning I tendered my resignation as I was advised I was expected to take these patients in these rooms.  What also bothers me is that management didn't bother to tell us that we were going to start getting these patients in regular rooms on enhanced droplet precautions, we were given no chance to have input into the situation....it was just dropped on us....it felt sneaky.   I called my union rep who advised we "had no choice" in the matter and that the med surg units were already doing it.  Meanwhile the other week management had no problem converting half the step down unit to negative pressure rooms, so why didn't they just do it to the entire stepdown unit?  Anyway, I would appreciate any thoughts/feedback on this issue.  "

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