anon456

That's a very good idea! Unfortunately I work on small units of 18 beds, and the only shower is for patients, so I wouldn't want to use it for myself. ? And since I float, like I said, I don't have a locker. I'm thinking I may put my pump bag in a trashbag just to keep it extra sealed off between uses. And yes the gowns would work to keep me protected, if we have enough of them. Normally on the units we only keep enough in stock for our C.diff and MRSA patients, etc. Hopefully we'll have enough to wear them more often than that, but I'm not counting on it. Sigh. I think I may just make it practice to take off my scrub top before pumping. I always wear a sleeveless shirt underneath so I'll still have some coverage during pumping. I have seen other pumping moms cleaning the table surface before setting up the pump, and then putting a towel down on the table, too.

I just logged onto this forum after a long time away from it in order to see if others are in this same situation! Thank you for posting! I have a 9 week old (full term) and am going back to work in 2 days. I have a husband with some underlying health issues that make him at risk of Covid-19 complications, and I have two older children who are currently not in school due to closures. My husband was just put on furlough and due to taking early FMLA due to pregnancy complications , and because my short term disability ran out 2 weeks ago, I have to go back to work now, not later. I guess one "advantage" of husband being out of work right now is he can watch the baby. I'm a hospice nurse and I work inpatient units (I float to various units in my area). I was told we will be accepting end of life Covid-19 patients. We have been fitted for N95 masks but who knows if there will even be any to wear?? Ugh. We went over a few different ideas on how to protect the baby and my husband from me, including me living in our porch room and not coming in contact with either of them-- but we decided that was not realistic. Like you, I have set up a decontamination plan. In addition to stripping down in the garage and going straight to the shower, I have switched to clogs (instead of my usual running shoes) so they can easily wiped down. I'm going to set up a bleach pan in the garage to step into to make sure the soles are also disinfected, and then wipe down the tops of the shoes with Lysol wipes. Of course the shoes won't ever come into the house. I will put a sheet on the seat of my car and that will also go into the wash with my clothes. I don't have a locker at work and have to bring my bag with me and keep it at my desk. I bought a clear vinyl bag that is easy to wipe down, and all the contents will be kept in ziplock bags and separated from each other. The stethoscope, pens, scissors, etc are in one bag, my personal items in another bag. My biggest challenge will be pumping at work. I have a bag that's easy to wipe down and can be stored in the staff lounge. The pump can be wiped down too. But I assume I'll be "dirty" during my pumping breaks. Do I take my scrub top off and change it before pumping? Do I risk storing my milk cooler in the fridge? I was thinking I can put the whole cooler in a plastic bag in the fridge for better protection. I can't expect my cooler bag to keep the milk cold for 12 hours just with some ice packs. I would love to hear back from other moms with newborns going back "into the fire" at work. What a time to get off maternity leave, right? ?

I have always wondered about this myself. As a hospice nurse we often give a LOT more doses of comfort meds than is typical for non-hospice patients. I used to be very uncomfortable with this, and this is where it's *very* important to document what state the patient was in as far as pain/discomfort before and after the intervention. . . and back off the meds as soon as the patient is comfortable. It's difficult to say what that safe or unsafe dose is for each patient-- some have been on pain meds so long they are given huge amounts that would kill an opioid naive patient immediately. I have patients on 200mcg/hour Fentanyl patches who are also getting breakthrough morphine, and they are still able to talk to me!

A 36-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of impregnating woman in a vegetative state who gave birth last month at a Phoenix health care facility, Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams said Wednesday. Nathan Sutherland, a licensed practical nurse who was caring for the woman at the Hacienda HealthCare facility, has been arrested and is being booked on preliminary charges of sexual assault and vulnerable-adult abuse, Williams said. https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/23/health/arizona-woman-birth-vegetative-state/index.html

I have a "nurse name" that I use only at work, and otherwise I am called by my real name. While I expect people in my life to learn and say my name, I don't expect that of sick people or stressed out people. Nor do I want to have to explain my name because it takes away from the patient.

I asked one of them why she was wearing gloves and she said it was to protect her nails

I am also not giving medical advice here-- just sharing my own experience. When I was hired to hospice nursing I was originally going to work both the inpatient units and home setting for our company. I told them I won't be able to visit homes with multiple cats or people who are smoking in their homes. They felt this was too limiting in the cases I might be able to take on home visits, so they only work me at impatient units. *However* we have patients on the units who are allowed to have their pets visit from home. I take an OTC non-drowsy allergy med on my work days to help cope with that, and with other allergens on the unit from flowers, cleaning products, oil diffuses, etc.

I agree with comments above and wanted to add: Document the heck out of the situation as you communicated with the doctor, what they said back to you, what you observed that they did, and how patient responded all the way through your shift. It covers your "assets" should your own actions be questions later. This was an old lady with history of multiple falls. It's very possible she had been declining for days or weeks at home due to natural causes. I see this *all* the time in my area of nursing. Usually patient starts to aspirate at home due to natural decline/early dying process (which can take weeks) and they also start to fall a lot. I normally see them once they break a hip and family decides not to do any further treatments due to age/risks. It's very possible this patient already had aspiration issues, pneumonia, and weakness and this latest event was just the last step to her natural dying process. As a nurse, of course, we want to not cause further interventions, but neither should we over-analyze things as long as you did your part correctly (including notifying the doctor, which you did, and double-checking policy on that type of tube and other interventions).

1. Is it possible that the wife misunderstood the rationale behind the weighted blanket? For example maybe the hospice nurse told her to use rolled washclothes to prevent contractures of the hands, and the weighed blanket might be soothing.I can only imagine under that level of stress that info might have been misunderstood. 2. I work in hospice and weighted blankets are NOT considered restraints where I work now, nor were they considered a restraint when I worked in pediatrics at a leading peds hospital. They were very often used on the chronic kids and the kids found them comforting -- and not just autistic kids. 3. Weighted blankets are very soothing and therapeutic for many people for many reasons, not just autistic people. Sometimes my patients enjoy a few heavy blankets for the security. Heck, I have a weighted blanket myself and it helps me fall asleep when I have insomnia!

This is a wonderful article! I found myself going back and remembering my own version of the patient you described above, with a similar history. My patient had a severe anoxic brain injury at the age of two. When I cared for him he was in his 20's, a ward of the state, trached, vent-dependent, gtube, and so severely contracted his spine was in a C shape and his tiny legs had rotated out of their hip sockets. He did not even blink. It was painful to watch his suffering and to imagine that he had lived that way for more than 20 years. What we could do as nurses wss treat him as respectfully as possible during our shifts, bathe him, talk to him, and let him know he was safe and not alone. I am unsure if he heard or sensed us, but on some level hopefully his spirit was touched. What finally happened is the ethics board went in front of a judge and they pleaded their case, and it was decided to make him a DNR and not pursue aggressive treatment the next time he became sick. There was a next time, and when I heard he had passed away I was happy and relieved for him, that he was finally at peace. And then because of him, and others like him in my care in a pediatric hospital, I pursued hospice nursing instead. Because so many of my patients were variations of the one described above, and I just could not do it anymore. I love hospice nursing. I make people comfortable. I support them as their bodies go through the natural stage of dying. I work with both children and adults (mostly adults) and I have never regretted changing specialties. Than you again for sharing the story of this patient. May he provoke thought and may we honor his journey by trying to be the best advocates for our patients even as we are caught in the middle of a system that is often not fair or humane.

In addition to the great input you've had from other posters, I was thinking that could very well be the actual job making you feel depressed, OR it could be that you are changing phases in your life from student to full-time working adult. I know for me when I finally graduated and went to work as a young adult I remember getting some sticker shock-- was depressed that this might be what the rest of my life would be like-- just work endlessly and pay bills, etc. I am always an advocate for counseling. Seriously. It's good to talk about your feelings, tease them apart and find out what the source of them is, and then what changes need to be made to get you to a better place-- whether that be a job change, a career change, or personal change (such as stress management, etc). I found my first nursing job to be very difficult and I stuck it out to the point of burn-out. I finally changed jobs and it was not as scary as I thought it would be. I now love the area of nursing I work in, and can see myself doing it until retirement. I'm so glad I didn't give up on nursing.

For those who have been following this saga . . I'm glad she was finally allowed to be at peace. Jahi McMath, girl at center of brain death debate, has died after surgery, family says | Fox News

Wonderful!

Ahhh so wonderful! Thanks for sharing! I am a hospice nurse and I have seen some amazing things that make me (and my co-workers) believers in powers that are outside our human understanding.

I have struggled with this as well. My company doesn't take any particular stance on it other than to do whatever is needed to make the patient and family comfortable. I also don't want a patient to die on my watch because of poor nursing care instead of because of their underlying disease. For example I will suction a trach to keep it patent. The patient should not die from a plugged trach. They should die because their body gives out from their disease. Here's my general personal rules: -- If the patient is fully aware or even partially aware of the fact that they can't breathe because of secretions, I suction. No one wants to die this way. -- I then call the MD and advocate for further medications so the patient is not aware enough anymore. Generally if a patient is close to death from respiratory issues and aware of it, such as an ALS patient, Versed will be given to make the patient more comfortable and unaware of what is happening. -- If the patient is unresponsive because of disease and dying process but still struggling to breathe, I suction only enough to preserve the patient's dignity (no one wants to die with secretions flowing out of their nose and mouth) and I make sure they continue to be medicated for respiratory distress, just in case they are aware in some way but can't tell us.

When I was a newer nurse I sought out counseling to help me deal with these feelings, and learn healthy boundaries. I now only "own" the 12 hours I spend with the patient and I make it the best 12 hours I can for them. At the end of those 12 hours I clock out and leave it all at work. I don't hold them responsible for whatever they did to themselves (poor choices) to get where they are. I'm glad I'm not the one in the bed. And on a more personal note, my boyfriend/partner is a recovering alcoholic who ruined certain aspects of his health. I did not know him at that time and only met him after he became sober. I look back and imagine that alcoholic man he used to be-- I'm sure he was still the kind person I know and love now-- and I hurt for that man and the pain he must have be in to drink like that. And that becoming sober took a huge amount of work, pain, humbleness, and, frankly, money to pay for an outpatient program. Not everyone is that strong or has the support or strength that he did to get himself straight. I remember that we are all at different stages in our lives, in our journeys, and again, we can only meet a person where they are right now, and give them the best 12 hours we can while they are in our care.

In such cases not only is "patient refused" a good friend, but you can also just simply re position the patient *in bed* regularly, which is the whole point. Here are some examples of documentation to deal with this: --Patient remains bed bound due to high fall risk. Unsteady, unable to sit upright to dangle feet, unable to support trunk. Requires multiple pillows to remain sitting upright in bed. Re positioned in bed, tolerated well. --Attempted to assist patient in dangling feet at side of bed. Patient became short of breath including pursed-lipped breathing, asking if oxygen is on, and increased use of accessory muscles with minimal exertion. Returned to bed with HOB elevated, positioned with pillows to maximize chest expansion. SVN breathing treatment administered. MD notified.

I live in an area with high LDS population. The LDS nurses often prefer to work night shift so they don't miss out on church. One co-worker would get off shift on Sunday morning and then get her three kids to the early service. I don't know how she did it but I admire her dedication to her faith! I had a couple of day nurse co-workers who had enough seniority to ask for Sundays off and work work every Saturday instead. And lastly, there were newer nurses who didn't have seniority yet who found co-workers to trade with. So while it may be difficult right now as you are newer, it will get easier. Good luck!

I don't have a lot to add to the above comments, all good points. I just wanted to share what I see as a hospice nurse. I work in palliative care units, which often receives patients fresh out of the hospital. When I explain what to expect on our unit, one of the first questions I get is "You mean you will let me sleep and not keep waking me up in the middle of the night? That's wonderful!" Being in a hospital is stressful and draining. Yes it's necessary to wake certain patients such as those requiring frequent neuro exams. No, it's not necessary to wake patients just because. I let mine sleep in until 10 before I make small attempts to wake them gently. If they have once a day meds due at 0800, I give them at 1000 and just mark down the time and the reason they were late as "sleeping." I don't, however, skip important meds such as ones for pain or ones that need to be taken exactly a certain amount of time apart.

I'm glad this article was featured! It's a very important skill to walk in that gray area between hospice and healing. The nurse in the story handled the situation beautifully. Here are some of my thoughts as I was reading the article: -- This could have very easily been one of my patients. Many of them have months left to live. If they live past the 6 month expectancy that is the qualifying factor for hospice, they are reevaluated and often approved for another 60-90 days of service. This will continue sometimes for a long time, other times they are taken off service if they appear to be getting better-- with the option to sign back on as they decline at a later time. I recently had one patient who came into our palliative care unit looking like they had days to live. They recovered to the point where they literally drove their own car home! The patient didn't sign off from services because it was clear that their condition was life-limiting and would eventually cause rapid decline-- but it was not happening at that time. :-) -- It is very common for palliative procedures to be covered by hospice-- procedures that do not extend life but provide comfort. This could be as simple as providing oxygen or a pleurX drain. There have been times when a patient is declining but wishes to have just a bit more time to allow their loved ones to come and say goodbye. We have done blood transfusions, TPN therapy, BiPap, etc. to allow those reunions to happen. Patients are also treated (if they wish) with antibiotics for UTI's and lung infections and cellulitis. Again, these treatments do not cure them of their underlying disease, but they may give them a bit more time, and increases their quality of life in the time they have left. -- A patient has the right at any time to sign off hospice and seek more aggressive treatment and care, or seek the opinion of a specialist to make sure there is nothing more that can be done for the patient. I have seen people sign on to service, then a family member convinces them that they should see so and so specialist because that person can cure them. If they wish to do that, we will often hold off on officially signing them off service until we hear back from the family after that consultation has taken place. More often than not, they will remain on hospice after the consultation-- but now at peace that truly nothing more can be done-- so they can now focus on the time they have left.

I work in a hospice/palliative care unit. It's like a free-standing little hospital where we focus on comfort care, emotional support, education, etc. I absolutely love it!

I am a hospice/palliative care nurse. Any time a patient or their representative wishes to withdraw medical support, they are free to do so. We sometimes get patients who have been on vents long-term who decided they don't want that anymore, even if the vent is keeping them alive. They or their family signs papers, the patient is made comfortable, and the vent is removed. The body is allowed to have natural death with no more medical interventions. If there is no hope of a meaningful life after an acute illness or accident, the patient or rep may choose to stop feedings, IV fluids, meds, vent, etc. at any time and allow natural death to happen. Usually they are signed over to hospice care at that time. The boy didn't need to be brain dead for his family to decide to turn off the machines or withdraw care. In the case of my father, we wanted to make absolutely sure there was no hope of recovery before agreeing to donate his organs and then turn off the support. He was found to be brain dead with two separate trials several hours apart. I was able to meet one of his organ recipients and it was a wonderful experience. No regrets and I never questioned the process.

I was taking care of a 104 year old woman. She was amazing-- could still dress herself, was continent, could use her walker to get around, and her brain was sharp. I asked her, "Mrs. So and so, what's the secret to living to 104 years old and still doing so well?" She smiled and said, "I can't tell you." I said sure you can, and she said, "I shouldn't." I persuaded her to whisper it in my ear. She proceeded to tell me, "Have great sex!" Then she asked if I was married, and I said no but I had a boyfriend. She asked how I met him and I told her I met him on the internet and exlained about online dating. She then said, "Ohhhh! You gotta sign me up! Show me how to sign up!" I just laughed it off. Later as I was saying goodbye to the patients at the end of my shift she got a twinkle in her eye and said, "Remember what I told you!"

I have had some experience in this. :-( In a non-nursing job a man harassed me, flirted with me, and kept pestering me to go to lunch with him-- but only him, other co-workers were not invited. I was married at the time, kept turning him down, and reported him. The company dealt with this by transferring him. So he could bother other women at the new place. After I quit a job, the manager asked me to work on some "private" projects for his other company. But I had to go to his house if I wanted the job. This man had such a bad reputation that his personal assistants kept quitting. (The one who lasted the longest was a cross-dressing male assistant!). Anyway, I told him no thank you and never heard from him again. And yes, in nursing. One male nurse has made sexual jokes more than once, talked about other female co-workers's bodies in front of me, and when I tell him it's not cool and please don't talk about that kind of thing with me, he insists he's "just joking" and implies I don't have a sense of humor. He also asked me out the first time I met him after he found out I was a newly single person. He has been married for 30 years. And, I found out that recently he and his wife (who he always talks badly about at work) had a vow renewal ceremony. I feel sorry for her and wish someone would tell her about her husband.

She was a surprise unknown, has no sponsors. She also graduated with a 4.0 while running for track and field at college. This race qualifies her for the Olympic trials. Go Sarah Sellers! Sarah Sellers: Virtual unknown shakes up the Boston Marathon with a second-place finish - CNN [video=youtube;obtfwGTco-Q]