I don’t have kids

[GSDlvrRN, MSN]

Hello,

I need to tell my experience with COVID 19 and infertility. I am a tele nurse, and I work on a tele floor. Our sixth floor has been converted to our respiratory care unit where all patients who are out if they are “ rule out COVID “ or positive for COVID already. Most of those patients are on telemetry so telemetry nurses are floated up there. I was floated because a nurse found out her patient was positive and, at 10 o’clock, she told my charge her son is immunocompromised and she could not continue the shift up there. I left my patients on the tele floor and we swapped groups. I returned to the sixth floor for two more days because I had genuine desire to work with coronavirus patients and to help. It was also nice to keep my same group of patients for three days.

Several comments have been made to me regarding the fact that I CHOSE to work there. The comments were regarding my childlessness and the fact that it is better for me to work up there because I don’t have children. Add to this the fact my husband and I have infertility issues and the comments just magnify my hurt. And I’m fragile and emotional like everyone else right now! I have gone home crying and completely broken. This crisis is bringing out very cruel behavior in my coworkers and I don’t deserve this. My working with COVID patients has nothing to do with the fact that I don’t have kids to come home to and “ infect”.

Comments have also been made to me that I’m “ young” and I “ will survive”. And my age has nothing to do with the fact that I had desire to work with COVID patients. People have also told me I shouldn’t come to the fourth floor to get anything from my locker and they have come up to me to check my temp and told me I need to demand to be tested for coronavirus. I have worn the proper PPE every time dealing with patients with COVID or suspected to have COVID and my employer has never put me in a position to knowingly be exposed to the virus.

I feel like I did the wrong thing by volunteering to float, and how dare I give my coworkers power to make me feel like that. I feel like the world is on my shoulders and my coworkers are not behind me. We are all so broken exhausted and this adds to it, and I am so ashamed of them. Seriously, what the h*** guys?

[HandsOffMySteth]

Seems rather self centered of them. You have just as much a need not to be infected as anyone else. Regardless, it was in poor taste to talk that way around you. I sincerely hope that nurses who can't meet their obligations to their patients resign.

[amoLucia]

GSD - please know that many of us sympathize with you for the 'un-thoughtfulness' of those so inconsiderate.

Stay safe & blessings.

[GSDlvrRN, MSN]

5 hours ago, juniper222 said:

Seems rather self centered of them. You have just as much a need not to be infected as anyone else. Regardless, it was in poor taste to talk that way around you. I sincerely hope that nurses who can't meet their obligations to their patients resign.

That would be about 90% of my coworkers right now. Thank you for your words.

2 minutes ago, amoLucia said:

GSD - please know that many of us sympathize with you for the 'un-thoughtfulness' of those so inconsiderate.

Stay safe & blessings.

Thank you for this

[mimibrown, ADN, BSN]

They are very insensitive. You are just as valuable as everyone else. Don’t let it get to you. The way things are progressing, they will be floated eventually.

[BSN-to-MSN, ADN, BSN, RN]

It's their own anxiety and fears in those comments. It is hurtful to you, and you are keeping it in by not saying anything back. Good for you, I would tell them a few things back, though, and that would not help the situation. As previous poster said, they will float there eventually.