Haven't been here in a while, but I need some advice. Covid has come to my little rural corner of the world. We're taking care of covid positive patients. I'm not afraid to take care of them. I've always figured I'd contract it eventually. However, my place of employment has issued a memo full of instructions and requirements to enter the Covid rooms. They've directed us what kind of masks to wear, and where to wear them. Eye protection the same. Detailed instructions on what to do and how to do it. The problem is they haven't supplied the PPE as directed in the memo. The way I interpret it is, they've covered their butts with the proper procedure, then I get to decide how I protect myself and those I care for. The last day I worked I didn't have an N95 mask, and threw a fit until I got "one" even though I'm supposed to have a different one for each covid room I enter.
I've been burned several times in my long nursing career, improvising when I found I simply couldn't do what I was told to do. Management can and does leave you hanging when you try to do your best with what you have.
I've read the horror stories about nurses in NY, and other hot spots, who weren't properly protected and what they had to do. I feel small complaining about my little problem, that's why I'm asking for advice.
When they tell me I have to have a new N95 mask for each Covid room, and only supply me with one, what do I do?
