So Discouraged...

Cattz, ADN · Nov 2, 2020

I too must vent a little also. I am in a somewhat unique position, as I am on the County Health Board in one of the counties that my schools are in. Sometimes, it feels so overwhelming from both sides. But, at times, one helps the other and vice versa. I check in on the Health Department at least once a week. I want them to know that my heart is there with them.

I have had many conversations with my school admins., as we all have. But, what I have really started to hammer on lately (as well as many other things). Is the toll this is taking on our Health Department Employees. I don't know why we can't see and embrace what is for the greater good, do the right things, and live life accordingly!

My message to the teachers, Admins, anybody that will listen, is this- All we can do, is what we can do. To the best of our ability. And, at the end of the day- if I/we can honestly say that to ourself- then it has been a successful day.

I do have to say that my Admins. appreciate me and want my input. We have experienced a huge increase of Positive cases and hundreds in Quarantine in our general area. So far, we have been very fortunate in my school population.

I had a pretty short, sweet, and to the point conversation with my teachers on Friday- I told them - "I am afraid the battle has just begun. So far, it has just been warm-ups." I got some looks from them a lot like this--? .

Our biggest concern is that we are at the beginning of High School Basketball. Moving sports inside- makes me shudder. We have put some restrictions in place- I hope this helps slow the spread and keep us in school.

Happy Monday Friends-

We can do this!

?

SchoolNurseK, BSN, RN · Nov 2, 2020

This webinar just popped into my inbox. I think I may check it out.

Quote

Title: "Healing the Healers: Understanding and addressing clinician burnout during COVID-19,” presented by SmartBrief

Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2020

Time: 02:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

Duration: 1 hour

Join SmartBrief and experts from academia, community practice and organized medicine as we explore the impact of COVID-19 for clinicians. We’ll cover:

How COVID-19 is affecting clinicians personally and professionally

Clinician-level solutions for physicians, nurses and others under added strain

System-level solutions for health care leaders to implement today and in the future

Insights for building a more resilient health care workforce

https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobbyServlet?target=reg20.jsp&partnerref=RT2&eventid=2707967&sessionid=1&key=74ED1F11D782D77CE1F292C35D4DC542&regTag=&sourcepage=register

Cas1in72 · Nov 2, 2020

Sending love and virtual hugs to you all. My heart is heavy, I fluctuate between times of major anxiety and complete anger. My sister was diagnosed with Covid over the weekend, went to ER with chest pain and difficulty breathing. No beds, we are diverting patients over 100 miles away. Told to go home and see what " you can do" come back if you have to?!?!?! AND YET, I look at social media and see my teachers at parties, no masks, I walk in classes, kids without masks ( teachers aren't paying attention, or don't care) Parents send kids to school with fever and tell their kids " not to tell anyone they had meds" I get asked " how are you doing?" What do I even say to them? The numbers here are out of this world and all I hear are people btching about wearing a mask and tired of hybrid blah blah blah. We haven't even seen the worst of this, I'm afraid. I also feel guilty that I'm not in the "trenches" with the nurses at my local hospital, I know they are tired and beyond frustrated. I'm sad for all of us.

Cattz, ADN · Nov 2, 2020

I feel like it's closing in on us. Keep talking to each other here, friends. We will see the light of day on the other side of all this.

ruby_jane, BSN, RN · Nov 2, 2020

21 minutes ago, Cas1in72 said:

We haven't even seen the worst of this, I'm afraid.

Truth. I did HIV education in the early 90s and if that taught me anything it was that eventually people learn that we're not all making this up. Unfortunately people have to die before other people realize this.

21 minutes ago, Cas1in72 said:

I also feel guilty that I'm not in the "trenches" with the nurses at my local hospital, I know they are tired and beyond frustrated. I'm sad for all of us.

No guilt here. None. Just a general anger that people who work in hospital systems still don't have enough PPE for this. C'MON.

SchoolNurseK, BSN, RN · Nov 2, 2020

21 minutes ago, Cas1in72 said:

I also feel guilty that I'm not in the "trenches" with the nurses at my local hospital, I know they are tired and beyond frustrated.

I was feeling like this at the beginning (March/April) as I sat at home and wondered how I was supposed to be a "virtual school nurse" but now that we are back in person, I feel like we have such a valuable role in all of this. Think about all you are doing every single day to educate your students, staff and families, not to mention screening sick kids, contact tracing, teaching YOURSELF everything you need to know about COVID as it changes almost daily, providing mental health care, offering expertise and dispelling false narratives about the virus. We as school nurses are working so hard to keep these kids here in school. Don't feel guilty for not having a different role right now. School Nurses are more important than ever and even if I am so discouraged, I think what we do is valuable. Hugs to all of you!

schoolnurse61 · Nov 2, 2020

My schools K-12 went back in person at the beginning of September with all mitigation efforts in place...all going well until last week when the staff started dropping like flies with positive Covid results, spreading amongst staff due to co-teachers traveling from room to room. Nurses positive or quarantining. A few students positive, but not many. We went full remote today due to decreased staff and its not pretty! Teachers, staff, parents not happy! FB lighting up with unpleasant comments. I have this impending sense of doom surrounding me. Just feels like its going to get much worse before it gets better. We were late to the game as our county numbers have been low. sad and scarey times we live in right now.

SchoolNurseK, BSN, RN · Nov 2, 2020

17 minutes ago, schoolnurse61 said:

I have this impending sense of doom surrounding me. Just feels like its going to get much worse before it gets better.

Yep, I feel like I am always waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Lbarba84 · Nov 2, 2020

Same here im in a community who doesnt necessarily believe that this virus is really a real thing or a threat and weve been back to regular full time learning 1 week and already have a confirmed positive in my daughters class at our high school.

JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN · Nov 3, 2020

They issued another stay at home advisory here in MA. It isn't much (10 PM to 5 AM), but for me, it actually speaks volumes. All places (except some essential places) have to close and have people leaving by 9:30 PM. And alcohol sales cease between 9:30 PM and 5 AM.

I know why they are doing this. Because spread is happening a lot due to parties and social gathering. Add in alcohol and people get even more lax. Indoor gatherings at private residences have been restricted further to 10 people (unless your actual household that lives there is greater than 10). How to enforce? That is another issue and I feel even more for my public health colleagues...especially after I saw so many folks post pictures from larger Halloween gatherings this weekend featuring no masks and and no social distancing.

I feel it in my bones. I think December through February is going to be very, very, very rough here in the Northeast. I'm just hoping for a mild Winter so March can give us some more outdoors time again...

Crystal-Wings, LVN · Nov 5, 2020

Ya it was pretty bad when all the stupid antifa (aka terrorists) protests over the Summer were going on as well. People weren’t wearing masks or social distancing at all where I live.