CantDecideUsername

Funny, a patient in the dr office I work in is a nurse. She began to tell me yesterday how stressed she was and how many short-staffed the hospital has been.... Suddenly her eyes got wide and she clapped her mouth, as she realized she divulged something she's not allowed to be discussing I kind of laughed because this ain't news to me! I know that all hospitals are cutting staff and squeezing pennies from every which way

Nurses who supplement their income doing unsavory things such as stripping don't exactly get announced to the stage as "miss crystal chandelier (or whatever strippers call themselves) RN, BSN" My point is that even if they do this it's not like they have "nurse" written all over them

You're story sounds eerily similar to the things I'm hearing in my neck of the woods. Hospitals are cutting back on practically EVERYTHING, which stretches the nurses to the limit, and sadly there have been many pay cuts for nurses in my area (the hospital I'm referring to has also scaled most nurses to part time so they don't have to give them benefits either) I'm not a huge fan of unions, but obviously in some cases it really is necessary!

Virus's by nature are constantly adapting and changing. I see no lack of "critical thinking" in anyone's part by wondering if the disease is mutating to become airborne.... Especially given the fact that two KNOWLEDGABLE healthcare professionals contracted this disease despite using proper precautions.

Interesting point... So this MD you're talking about is selfless enough to go help dying people in a third world country, but would selfishly expect to be brought back with Ebola and risk the health of millions? I'm not judging him/her, nor am I inferring that they are wrong in any way Just wondering if I am understanding correctly

This oddity is what makes me nervous about the CDC They'll just say/do anything to make the public "feel safe" even if it's not 100% accurate If they're incorrect in they're portrayal of healthcare workers in hazmat suits, who knows what else they're not being honest about/hiding from the public/downplaying/sensationalizing

Oh please Gimme a break

Don't think many places offer anywhere close to that The major hospital system near me pays CNA's $12.05/hour and if you take the evening weekend shift the differentials make it $14.16 an hour And that's considered AMAZING! LTC's pay around $9

Not sure if I should laugh or cry!!

I certainly didn't mean to come across as cavalier.... And I'm Surely not heartless- and didn't mean to come across that way But going to third world countries does come with risks. As medical professionals they knew the risks and decided expose themselves anyway. I commend them tremendously, I really have a ton if respect for them! I just am not 100% certain that bringing them back at the risk of millions of Americans was correct. Like I said, I'm glad I wasn't involved in this decision and I really do hear both sides I hope they both have a speedy and successful recovery

They knew what they were getting themselves into when they went to east Africa. They knew the risks and took a chance. Glad I'm not the one having to make the decisions because it's a tough one I really hear both sides

Agreed about the white!!! I can't stand the white scrubs we have to wear in the CNA program

Maybe this sounds dorky, but I think at least one pocket with a zipper so things don't fall out.... Also possibly built in small pockets at the waist of the pants... For small items. Yes it adds possible extra bulk, but could be really useful for small things (alcohol swabs, cotton squares, etc.)

Yes, but it's a whole different story when an infected person is voluntarily and willingly brought into the US for treatment, due to the immense pressure of Samaritans Purse- an organization that knows next to nothing about infectious diseases. Also the infections we come into contact with on a routine basis are nothing remotely as deadly as Ebola. Obviously I understand the risks of nursing, but this isn't a normal circumstance. Again, I'll reiterate this: I have no idea what I would do if I were on the team of nurses at Emory in this situation.... But i do believe that they deserve the fair chance to refuse the pt if they so choose (again, under these circumstances only- I am not referring to routine hazards of the job) I see a lot of amazing nurses on this site and I am honored to be able to (hopefully) work alongside you guys! But I also understand that everyone has to draw the line somewhere. I won't judge anyone who physically/mentally feels that they cannot handle the Ebola scenario. And by the way, cleaning up a 400 lb patient with constant diarreah and needing to be turned over etc is not included as one of the things that I think nurses can run away from. They knew that this was part of the job!

Many interesting posts