Refusing to care for patients

[HDLRNMSP]

In a time of mass hysteria, when is it acceptable to refuse care for certain patients? We entered a risky profession. We have been educated to protect ourselves from the unknown. Why have certain groups felt it appropriate to isolate them selves from certain risk factors? Influenza? Sorry, I need a new assignment. I'm pregnant, I can risk myself or my unborn child. Sorry, I have kids at home. I'll take the alert and orientated chest pain rule out. Covid19? Oh hell no, I can't risk my family.

Chances are there is no nurse that is single and has no family to be concerned about when returning home. We all go home to someone. The newborn, the husband with heart disease, the parent with cancer. What about our patients? They are at their worst. Isolated from their family. Greeted by the concerned eyes, over a mask of a nurse, whom signed up for this. Educated themselves. Taken appropriate measures to ensure their personal safety and work on making their patient's healing process effective. Does this patient deserve to soil themselves, because the only nurse that will care for them is occupied assisting another patient? Call light was answered, but other personnel felt they were too risky of a patient to address their needs? So patient has to wait, while answering nurse finishes their charting and chit chats with another self preserving nurse about their weekend plans?

We are nurses! I may be seasoned but I still remember the nurse's creed from both my LPN and RN graduations. Am I the only one who did not take this as just ceremonial?