Was watching "Downton Abbey" Sunday night and it got to where the great Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918-1919 hit.
Program seemed to get much of the details down right; healthy young persons were fine one minute, greatly ill the next and often dead within 24-48 hours.
From one's own (limited) research on the matter found out that many nurses and other medical persons came down with and subsequently died from being exposed to the flu whilst caring for patients. Of course many knew they shouldn't have been anywhere near such sick persons but "duty" kept nurses on the wards and in the cases of public health nursing going from house to house caring for the stricken.
With almost one hundred years of hindsight and modern adances in medical care one would think if such a thing hit again things would be different. However one does wonder if a bulk of nurses today have the "self sacrificing" gene.
Say this because clearly remember what things were like during the 1980's when AIDS began to appear. Was working as a CNA and often it wasn't the most shining hour for some nursing staff. Indeed on more than several occasions it came down to threats of being written up for insubordination to get some nurses anywhere near afflicted patients.
If there was a major outbreak of unknown or serious disease such as another major flu outbreak would *you* go in? If the hospital was going on lock-down for the duration would you stay or bolt for the door before it's locked?
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
Have you noticed what "dying of old age" actually looks like? Dementia, incontinence, recurrent GI bleeds, CVAs, cancers, decubes? Needing vitamin D because you never get in the sun? Never feel the wind on your face or hear the birds sing, just left in a corner with sludge poured down a PEG? I'm the tail end of the baby boomers, there won't be a decent place for me when I need a bed because there'll be 20 years of Boomers on the waiting list for it. So I'll probably end up in one of those places where when we see that our new admit patient came from there, our hearts sink.
Getting old scares me a LOT more than something that takes me out in a matter of hours.
I'd sign up in a minute.
We must be close to the same age, because I have a lot of the same fears you do, and I am also toward the end of the "Boomer" generation.
Well, I've had no experience in nursing yet, but in all honesty, it would come down to the type of infection, if it wasn't something that simply cannot be cured in the time it takes to die from it, then (If I wasn't already there) I wouldn't come in, I'd most likely get the people I care most about out of harms way. Though I don't really have much of a family after we moved, there would be nothing I could do for most of them, and since my brother intends to move away when he can, my sister also does and my mum decided she wanted to go on the road with my dad (Truck driver) when we all move out, it really depends on who I have since I intend to stay in this city.
If I don't have someone to worry about due to everyone being out of the city, then the chances of me going in in that situation are much larger. But like I said, it depends of the infection.
But, if it was something that could be cured or at least kept at bay until a cure is found, then I would like to think I would be there as soon as I could...
But, like I said, no experience, so I don't really know....
Anybody watch The Walking Dead? AMC series. Zombies. Apocalypse.
The hero, Rick, is the guy who does everything right. Slogs through zombies to save people. Places his sense of right and wrong over the interests of his family. As an observer, he is THE MAN. Integrity, decency and honor enough for 10 people.
His wife resents the heck out of his honor because she takes a back seat.
I wonder what the families of the nurse risking their lives would say.
I would do it if I had the right type of PPE. I'd definitely wear an N95, and probably look like someone from outer space, but I'd definitely work. I would also quarantine myself from my family and make them stay indoors *at home* until the entire thing was over. If you are covered up, gloved up (maybe even double in this case, lol), then you should be all right. Besides, I believe if it's your time to die, you're going to die no matter what you are doing.
When I did HH private duty, one of the questions on a pre-employment test asked "If there were a fire, and you were unable to get your pt out, what would you do?" The correct answer was save yourself. As awful as that sounds.
I don't think that was an awful correct answer. The caveat was "you were unable to get your pt. out." It makes no sense to have two dead people, just so others could post on message boards and comments sections of news stories to call you a "hero," while your loved ones are grieving an avoidable death.
My first career choice was proudly as a Marine. I have watched my brothers and sisters go to countries and see atrocities that would make people much older shudder and have nightmares. Heck, many of them do come home and have nightmares. So, I can tell you that a Marines most favorite person in the whole world when they are injured or ill is a Navy Corpsman. These brave corpsman are women and men who also have children and families waiting for them at home in the states, but they go where bullets fly over their heads to save a Marines. Corpsmen fight to save our lives and nurse us in terrible conditions right now where their lives are in grave danger, but they made a choice to be brave and do what they feel is honorable. I hear everyone saying that it is easy to be brave anonymously, however I am going to believe that when a person says this is what they will do they have already convinced themselves this is what is right and they will do it! The Marine Corps taught me that you can take many things away from me, but my integrity belongs to me and you can't steal that. I signed up to work a job to help others and that is where I would be.
I wasn't going to, but if I thought it was that, I'd be outta there before you could say "Nurse!"
RN/Mom
115 Posts
And if "doing your job" requires you to prioritize the lives of strangers over the lives of your own children, do you still do it?