Overburdened E.R.'s

"Originally Posted by http://www.nytimes.com

If they have to admit a lot of those people who come into the ER I got a feeling that there will be no beds on the unit(acute or critical) to send them to, a lack of vents to put them on, shortages of antibiotics to treat and a shortage of nurses to administer them. I don't know what is going to happen here as far as how wide spread and how sever the fall flu season will be but I got a bad feeling.

Yup. I hate to admit it, oramar, but I feel the same way. I guess all any of us can do is be certain that we are as prepared as possible for the worst, and hope for the best.

We keep hearing that it's likely this is going to come back in the fall. That's when I'll be in my last semester of nursing school. I don't want to get sick then, during that stressful semester! I'd rather get it this summer and have some antibodies/immunity in the future.

I've stopped washing my hands so much and caring so much about avoiding bugs. Today at the mall I touched a bazillion things, I ran my hands all along the grab handle on the escalator, and then went and ate tacos with my bare fingers. I'm trying, LOL.

A few days ago at my doctor's office I purposely sat next to a coughing sickly looking woman.

I'll report back if I finally have success.

The lack of comprehension and conscience exhibited by your post, indicates that finishing school successfully is more important to you than using the education you were provided, to provide good, knowledgeable nursing care for sick people.

Not only have you exposed yourself to myriads of microorganisms, you have deposited them on escalator handrails for possibly immunocompromised people to share. They will become ill and possibly lose the rest of their lives, due to your recklessness. All you might lose, is some time in your last semester!

You may not like what you see, and hopefully you'll mend your ways when you take some time to look at yourself honestly and reevaluate your career goals, possibly with the assistance of a counselor. Turning your back on others makes you feel worse about yourself.

They will become ill and possibly lose the rest of their lives, due to your recklessness.

My goodness, is this where "Pandemic Awareness" starts to edge towards "Pandemic Hysteria"?

No, psychonaut, this is where anger about inappropriate actions taken by a student nurse, Multicollinearis, was criticized by an infection control oriented, aware Public Health Nurse. That callous viewpoint expressed in post #4 of this thread, demonstrates how social consciousness needs to be inspired in nursing education, and those without it, who purposely cause illness in the unsuspecting public, need to be chastised.

I hope that the student realised the impulsive errors she made, and that it was done due to selfishness, immaturity, and lack of regard for requirements that public health policies/protocols implemented during a pandemic, demand. I suggested that she obtain counseling, and certainly hope that she follows that lead. However I realize that untoward reaction formation could occur in someone so self involved and irresponsible.

The lack of comprehension and conscience exhibited by your post, indicates that finishing school successfully is more important to you than using the education you were provided, to provide good, knowledgeable nursing care for sick people.

Not only have you exposed yourself to myriads of microorganisms, you have deposited them on escalator handrails for possibly immunocompromised people to share. They will become ill and possibly lose the rest of their lives, due to your recklessness. All you might lose, is some time in your last semester!

You may not like what you see, and hopefully you'll mend your ways when you take some time to look at yourself honestly and reevaluate your career goals, possibly with the assistance of a counselor. Turning your back on others makes you feel worse about yourself.

We do need to cut each other some slack, and allow a little levity.

There is some serious enough stuff happening, and it is still very early in this pandemic.

Let's be kind to each other. We are all we've got, folks. We have to lean on each other.

Swine flu puts pressure on Manitoba health system

http://www.edmontonsun.com/news/canada/2009/06/16/9810216-sun.html

Speaking of overburdened health care systems:

As 33 new confirmed cases of the H1N1 influenza virus in Manitoba were announced yesterday, officials continued to work to manage stresses on the health system.

Last Wednesday the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority started moving elective surgeries from St. Boniface General Hospital to the Victoria General Hospital to allow extra staff for the intensive- care units treating patients with severe influenza.

"It's so we can free up staff in the recovery room area if the intensive-care nurses are not enough," said Jan Currie, chief nursing officer for the WRHA. "Staff at Victoria, because they have smaller numbers of influenza cases, aren't in that situation."

The new cases bring the total in the province to 152.

Manitoba's chief medical officer of health, Dr. Joel Kettner, said one to three new cases per day of serious influenza-like illness are requiring admission to hospital intensive-care units. He said suspected serious flu-like illness should be treated quickly.

"The key is feeling short of breath or out of breath," he said. "That is not typical with influenza, and people who have those symptoms should not hesitate to get prompt medical care. We're talking about people who become very ill very quickly, within the first 24 or 48 hours."

There are now 68 confirmed cases of H1N1 in Winnipeg, 57 in the Burntwood/Churchill RHA area, 12 in Northern Manitoba, seven in Brandon, three each in the Interlake and North Eastman, and one each in Parkland and South Eastman.

"We can't say where we're at for sure in this epidemic curve," said Kettner. "It looks as though we may be plateauing a little bit but I don't want to make any predictions yet."

When posts are submitted, it would be a good idea for the poster to indicate their drift, if it's not serious........ for those of us gullible enough to take them that way. Multicollinearty was specific about her actions, which were microbiologically ill advised. (slightly light)

I've stopped washing my hands so much and caring so much about avoiding bugs. Today at the mall I touched a bazillion things, I ran my hands all along the grab handle on the escalator, and then went and ate tacos with my bare fingers. I'm trying, LOL.

The tone is exaggerated for humor, but I essentially agree with the basic idea. I am Jeckyl/Hyde with this in my personal and professional lives; hygienically hyper-vigilant to the point of obsessive in my professional role as NICU RN. I have clashed with my unit hierarchy regarding personal use of ppe and it's use by families. Me and my fellow nurses are of one mind in wishing we could require much stricter IC precautions, which have been greatly reduced in the name of "family-centered" care.

However, in my personal life, I embrace the concept that there can be such a thing as "overly hygenic." The immune system exists to be challenged. I live by the rules of personal hygiene my mother taught me as a lad: wash hands before eating, after the bathroom, cover coughs and sneezes, etc. etc. No antiseptic wipes on the shopping cart handle (and don't lick it, either). You can smooch your dog on the head, just don't make out with it. You don't need to rub cal-state on your hands every 5 minutes (again, completely different story at work).

No, psychonaut, this is where anger about inappropriate actions taken by a student nurse, Multicollinearis, was criticized by an infection control oriented, aware Public Health Nurse. That callous viewpoint expressed in post #4 of this thread, demonstrates how social consciousness needs to be inspired in nursing education, and those without it, who purposely cause illness in the unsuspecting public, need to be chastised.

I hope that the student realised the impulsive errors she made, and that it was done due to selfishness, immaturity, and lack of regard for requirements that public health policies/protocols implemented during a pandemic, demand. I suggested that she obtain counseling, and certainly hope that she follows that lead. However I realize that untoward reaction formation could occur in someone so self involved and irresponsible.

Snideness followed by a smiling icon = passive aggressive to me, but whatever.

You all could be right, p95 masks and ppe may be required to go pick up some McDs in the drive through, and those of us that think you have gone off the deep end may be leading us all to the end of civilization as we know it (see, exaggeration to make a point, I can do it too). I've read Stephen King's "The Stand" probably 4-5 times in my life, I guess I should know better.

This flu situation bears watching, but as things stand now, I won't be queing up for flu vaccines or Tamiflu. More for the rest of you!

EDIT: ...and I realize I'm helping to steer this thread off topic, so I won't belabor my point any further here. I'll leave you to your Pande-noia (ha!) in peace.