NormaSaline

NormaSaline's Latest Activity

1. 

   Mask refusal on unit

   NormaSaline posted a topic in Disasters

   Hi - I tried searching already existing topics, so as not to add to them, but couldn't really find an appropriate place to post this. Someone with an admin job in our unit and who works in a small yet moderately / regularly trafficked office, takes off her mask when talking on the telephone, even when people are less than four feet away. She is someone who has worked as an MA in the past, and who comes from a medical family. Still, she doesn't get that talking is one of the main activities for which you should wear a mask. I asked her, while in the office with her, if she could put her mask on when on the phone, and her reply was, after attempting for a nano-second, "I can't." and then pulling it back down. I have a pretty good idea how this would go down if I pushed the issue, and that is that I would end up being the bad guy for bugging a good ole gal so much. She is a key member of our team, has been there a number of years, and liked by management. What have others' experiences been? Thanks!
2. 

   Refusing Care of a COVID-19 Patient Due to Inappropriate PPE

   NormaSaline replied to ER_BiscuitStripes's topic in Disasters
3. 

   COVID in the Break Room?

   NormaSaline replied to adventure_rn's topic in Disasters

   A solution really needs to be found. I often go outside as I think it's the safest place. I sympathize with people's need to breathe freely without a mask and of course to eat. But what's the point of all the mask wearing the rest of the day if during breaks we are giving coronavirus to each other? They need to find large enough spaces (again, for me outdoors is best) where people can safely space out to eat and drink. These days I eat in a hurry and then quickly get my mask back on. I'm not there to luxuriate in lunch or dinnertime. Eating is risky business, and I realize that this will be over at some point.
4. 

   Coronavirus Second Wave?

   NormaSaline replied to sirI's topic in Disasters

   I follow Michael Osterholm's characterization in that it's not about waves. He likens it to a forest fire. As long as there's wood to burn, it will burn.
5. 

   Patients testing Covid positive AFTER admission

   NormaSaline replied to telenurse2009's topic in Disasters

   I work with patients who are generally Covid negative until they're not, and sent in for testing and perhaps longer-term hospitalization. In terms of our possible exposure, and what "counts" as exposure, we are referred to a PDF with an information graphic featuring different scenarios of low and high risk exposure depending on who is masked, if the patient is showing symptoms, etc. I'm sure people have seen them. And that's it. (Amazingly, no one's been deemed yet to have actually had exposure, which is a load of you know what.) I'm of two minds about this approach. On one level, it's a joke. Hey folks!, Step right up, and use this infographic to determine your risk! On the other hand, it sort of empowers me, but in terms of testing, I'm on my own, gotta do it on my own time and maybe incur the expense. Also, I can't help but harken back to March and how we'd have these long drawn out meetings featuring very complicated exposure scenarios and what to do (isolate and quarantine) if x, or x and y, or y - so complicated, I shut down my brain during the meetings, it was nearly ridiculous. Point being, at that time, there was little virus circulating and the risk unlike now, was low. And now, now when the risk is high, it's - refer to your emailed PDF with the masking graphic. I'm glad you're wearing the KN95 underneath your surgical mask. You should always be wearing an N95 or KN95, no matter what. And so should your colleagues.
6. 

   COVID-19 ICU, The 12 Commandments for Front Line Clinicians

   NormaSaline replied to NickICU-RN's topic in Disasters

   A discussion worth having is whether this is a respiratory illness or a vascular one. I have been doing a lot of reading and research on Covid, but I'm not at the point yet where I could piece it all together. There is definitely something "alien" about this illness, right?, but for now, I am sticking with what those who are smarter, have more education, and have spent far more time, meaningfully, researching this than I have.
7. 

   COVID-19 ICU, The 12 Commandments for Front Line Clinicians

   NormaSaline replied to NickICU-RN's topic in Disasters

   Pause, rewind, replay. Say what? (Otherwise, I'm enjoying reading this.)
8. 

   Why not quarantine McDonald's and ban soda pop?

   NormaSaline replied to Emergent's topic in Disasters

   Baldwin, Florida, opens government-run grocery store to address food desert https://www.axios.com/government-run-grocery-store-baldwin-florida-ea5ee9f5-227d-4327-8105-f09c0792fe05.html
9. 

   There's "no evidence" coronavirus survivors can't be reinfected, WHO says

   NormaSaline replied to NRSKarenRN's topic in Disasters

   How much we don't know about Corona could fill several Grand Canyons, while what we do know could fill the grass field of your local high school. I still personally "believe" in the value of testing even if that value is to help us figure out what's wrong (or right) with the test itself. We need to generate knowledge and we need people there, ready, to capture and analyze it. More specifically, I do not see very much in the way of chatter or papers about how we are clearing this virus and that's what we need to know in order to know if insufficient clearing is possibly contributing to the idea that those of us who've been infected are not immune to reinfection. ETA: And this morning, I had a thought that maybe this thing turns into something like LTBI (latent TB). ?
10. 

    Why not quarantine McDonald's and ban soda pop?

    NormaSaline replied to Emergent's topic in Disasters

    I can't tell you how much I like this posting! The virus is having a disproportionate impact on almost any area or city's population that is more disadvantage economically. A group of people stressed and often pressed for time, their diet is often (not always) poor, with a heavy emphasis on processed carbohydrates, sugar and HFCS. For what seems like years now I’ve been saying, writing, yelling that what we put in our bodies is tied directly to our health outcomes and here we have something that is illustrating in the cold hard light as almost nothing else can the truth of this. No one listened or is listening.
11. 

    COVID-19 and extinction of human species

    NormaSaline replied to DannyBoy8's topic in Disasters

    Eye-opening video about intubation.
12. 

    Ageism Is Making the Pandemic Worse

    NormaSaline posted a topic in Disasters

    Read in its entirety: Ageism Is Making the Pandemic Worse
13. 

    Break Your Face Touching Habit

    NormaSaline replied to J.Adderton's topic in Disasters

    My tip for not touching my face: it decreases my odds exponentially of getting sick/dying from Covid. I have that in mind, and yep, that does it!
14. 

    Refusing Care of a COVID-19 Patient Due to Inappropriate PPE

    NormaSaline replied to ER_BiscuitStripes's topic in Disasters

    I said among healthcare workers.
15. 

    Refusing Care of a COVID-19 Patient Due to Inappropriate PPE

    NormaSaline replied to ER_BiscuitStripes's topic in Disasters

    Maybe someone can post statistics about COVID-19 infection rates, complications, hospitalizations among HCW.
16. 

    Refusing Care of a COVID-19 Patient Due to Inappropriate PPE

    NormaSaline replied to ER_BiscuitStripes's topic in Disasters

    Young caregivers have died from Covid-19. I would not automatically assume that "older" nurses ought not to care for Covid-19 pts.