NP's how are you these days?

Specialties NP

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Just checking in to see how everyone is doing in the NP world amidst this COVID19 pandemic. We in Acute/Critical Care for sure are on high alert...mandated work hours if a surge happens. We've had patients with the disease of course but not to the point of shortages of supplies, equipment or healthcare worker fatigue. The daily emails and updates can be overwhelming though. I'm sure those in primary care are inundated with requests for testing.

Specializes in Urgent Care NP, Emergency Nursing, Camp Nursing.
1 minute ago, YG FNP said:

I am a newly graduated FNP who is still working in the ED as an RN while trying to find a job. No one has time to train a new graduate and I still have to eat, so it is the front lines here with a surgical mask, eye shield and the n-95 in a paper bag we keep with us if we are swabbing a suspected COVID patient. I came to allnurses to feel some camaraderie during this time of craziness and stress as my fellow RNs do not understand why I am still working the ED with the lack of PPE and have the option to go be a FNP not understanding that it is not that simple. I can at least now tell them the primary care side is in the same boat with lack of PPE.

Stay safe everyone! Hope to be on your side of the grass someday soon!

It took me a year to find my first job - like you, I was an ED nurse, but I was being picky and looking for ER or urgent care jobs. I don't want to imagine what it'd be like looking for a job now. I expect there to be vacancies and restructuring by the time all this is done.

Also, check with some of the locums agencies - it's a long shot, but some places are going to get desperate for bodies and if you're willing to relocate...

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Thank you for the words of encouragement TheSquire, I am trying to stay positive and encouraging words from those who have lived it help tremendously. Wish I could say it was because I was picky, but I truly believe it is a combination of unfortunate timing and living in a state with no restrictions for NPs they want you to have experience so they do not have to invest in that first year where we will not be up to speed and need a mentor. I will check out locums and see if they have anything to offer.

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Specializes in ACNP-BC, Adult Critical Care, Cardiology.

Re: ACEI. A study from our institution actually contradicts that.

the full text is here:

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.22.002386v1.full.pdf

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Specializes in Corrections, Public Health, Occupational Medicine.

Urgent care/Occupational meds NP here. We are taking our temps every morning and there is a list of symptoms we are signing off on that we have or don't have. As far as PPE- we only have procedure masks in our center to be used only if someone is coughing etc and to be reused until its soiled:(

I feel bad for every nurse, doc, EMT, paramedic, NP, PA who are on the frontlines. Stay safe all.

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We started telehealth for patients too afraid to come in last week. I did full telehealth recently when I self-quarantined and got a test for some subacute symptoms and my wife having more acute symptoms causing her asthma to flare up. Negative on my end so I am back to work today. Though other associates in facilities we own were positive as of today and we decided to change all visits today to telehealth. Our group though seems to have no plan in place and everything is reactionary and day to day.

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Specializes in Med-Surg/Tele/ER/Urgent Care.

Primary care FQHC, we started telephone visits tomorrow, staff outside checks temperatures & asks screening questions, we had been limiting people in lobby to 5 chairs 6 feet apart, one family member only if needed. Have seen acute symptomatic patients in their cars, VS & strep flu tests done by MA outside then physical exam done with pt in car with portable otoscope. Starting tomorrow all patients will be asked to wait in car after checking in. We have done a couple of INR tests since they are finger sticks with patients in the car. Policy changes by the minute. Simple face masks we are reusing, MA bought 3 N95 masks online, I got one from another NP that got some from fire department but I gave her the face shield I bought this weekend at Tractor supply store, it’s for welders but it’s clear and will work fine. I do have face shield that I found in the lab.

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Specializes in Cardiology, Research, Family Practice.

Another primary care update:

No patients.

Went from seeing 22-25/day down to 10 (2 in person, 8 virtual visits).

Hospital owned group is laying off half the clinic in the next few days.

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Specializes in Urgent Care NP, Emergency Nursing, Camp Nursing.

A week later - clinic has reduced hours from 12 to 8 weekdays; we're experimenting with telehealth to keep our numbers up. Most staff are currently being issued one surgical mask per day; we had a patient drop off a box of N-95s, which were issued to staff for prolonged reuse if needed, but we also are already out of vapor fluid for fit testing - it's backordered, so who knows when we'll get it.

I'm looking at picking up some occ-health work, and am talking to various locums agencies to see if they have fill-in shifts at any local EDs.

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Specializes in ACNP-BC, Adult Critical Care, Cardiology.
6 hours ago, GoodNP said:

Another primary care update:

No patients.

Went from seeing 22-25/day down to 10 (2 in person, 8 virtual visits).

Hospital owned group is laying off half the clinic in the next few days.

Could they let those staff work in the hospital? Our census is down in some areas with elective surgeries being cancelled but some of the staff have been reassigned to other areas in need. For one, there is a need for staff screening employees and visitors at the entrances. COVID positive patients are starting to increase in Acute Care and Critical Care so there will be a need there.

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Specializes in Former NP now Internal medicine PGY-3.
3 hours ago, juan de la cruz said:

Could they let those staff work in the hospital? Our census is down in some areas with elective surgeries being cancelled but some of the staff have been reassigned to other areas in need. For one, there is a need for staff screening employees and visitors at the entrances. COVID positive patients are starting to increase in Acute Care and Critical Care so there will be a need there.

I’m sure people would get called back and trained in inpatient resp stuff if census tics up due to corona.

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Specializes in Cardiology, Research, Family Practice.

Yes, the medical assistants are now being offered positions in drive through testing sites. Volume improved some today. We still have people with COPD exacerbations, or extremely high blood sugar, blood pressure, chest pain, abscesses, etc. And, in order to get covid testing here, patients must first have a negative strep and flu test. So we're not back up to full speed, but getting better.

Front desk staff still at risk though because of so many virtual visits. Sigh.

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Specializes in Corrections, Public Health, Occupational Medicine.

Update from my onsite occmed clinic- my traffic has increased 3 fold. Now I'm being sent patient who have URI and cold symptoms to triage even though my company is not testing for COVID-19 or providing test kits.

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