Small Victory for staff

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

So since quarantine conditions started, our facility which is considered low risk for exposure has been writing up and even terminating employees who came to work wearing their own masks. Wednesday after a conference call with the Joint Commission, the CDC and the WHO they reversed their position and stated that employees could wear masks but that we would have to provide our own. I do have some N95 masks from the days when my husband was a painter. I will also be making some homemade masks from a DIY pattern for going out to the store.

Hppy

[tropsnegRN, ADN, BSN, RN]

My facility, initially two weeks ago, stated that we weren’t allowed to wear masks because it would “incite fear” unless we were directly exposed to a PUI.

That same day, they placed a PUI on our floor. So, if I am taking care of a PUI (strictly only on droplet precautions, mind you — no N95) wouldn’t that entitle my co-workers to wear masks because I have potentially exposed them now, yes? Thankfully, that was my last day of my rotation.

when I came back, we were told to sign for a N95 and a cloth mask was acceptable over the N95 and that’s pretty much it.

Well, at least we got N95’s.

(My PUI tested negative, thankfully. However, I start my rotation and tomorrow with 3 positives on the floor, nearly a dozen waiting for results, and I’m just a wreck.)