when do you think hospitals will go back to not requiring masks?

[J89Mike]

Just curious. In my state many establishments don't require masks anymore, but each hospital system I've been in is still requiring all staff to wear masks. do you think hospitals will eventually not require mask mandates except when deemed clinically necessary IE flu, covid, etc...? Just a random thought I'd like to get everyone's opinion on.

[Wuzzie]

I expect masks to become a regular requirement while providing direct patient care at the very least from October to May. As of now we are not required to wear them in non-public places (offices, work rooms) as long as the group is small and all present are vaccinated. Unfortunately, we have one staff member who will not get vaccinated so we are forced to wear masks to protect her. We are not fans of this person. ?

[Emergent, RN]

I'm not getting the vaccine again if I don't get a vaccine passport to not wear a mask at work. 

[JadedCPN, BSN, RN]

Several hospitals in my area have relaxed their mask rules for vaccinated people so we only have to wear them in patient care areas. 
I’ve enjoyed the protection wearing a mask in an annoying patient/family’s room has given me and my annoyed facial expressions. 

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

40 minutes ago, Emergent said:

I'm not getting the vaccine again if I don't get a vaccine passport to not wear a mask at work. 

Are you being facetious or do you consider wearing a mask equal protection to being fully vaccinated?

[RNperdiem, RN]

Don't see the mask requirement going away anytime soon. The eye protection rule isn't as heavily enforced, but nurses are expected to have eye protection available for certain procedures.

At least we get a clean mask every shift these days, right?

Where I work, early in the pandemic, we were given a mask and a paper bag for storage and told to make the mask last for five shifts. My face would smell bad after wearing that mask. 

[Emergent, RN]

1 hour ago, Jedrnurse said:

Are you being facetious or do you consider wearing a mask equal protection to being fully vaccinated?

I'm very claustrophobic about masks, and the fact that nobody cares about claustrophobic people anymore irks me. It is very stressful for me to wear a mask, it is one of the reasons why I'm backing out of the nursing profession. It is a very real thing to be claustrophobic

[amoLucia]

Emergent - FWIW, I do understand you. I'm barely OK tolerant of masks now because I wear a full face sleep apnea one. (And it took a crisis for me to adjust to it!) But those covid surgical ones are still problematic. I'm compliant to protect others - I wish all would reciprocate.

[Sour Lemon]

My hospital is no longer requiring masks in nursing stations. They are still required when working with patients directly, though.

 

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

On 6/26/2021 at 3:20 PM, Emergent said:

I'm very claustrophobic about masks, and the fact that nobody cares about claustrophobic people anymore irks me. It is very stressful for me to wear a mask, it is one of the reasons why I'm backing out of the nursing profession. It is a very real thing to be claustrophobic

I'm not sure it's true that people "don't care about claustrophobic people anymore," it's just that claustrophobic people can be just as contagious as those who just don't want to wear a mask for their own reasons.

 

 

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

With low vaccination rates and the emergence of more contagious variants, I will be surprised if most hospital groups completely relax mask requirements, particularly if the new variants begin to elude vaccines or present as more lethal.

[amoLucia]

Horseshoe - people just generally don't seem to recognize various phobias as reality for many of us. Like we make these things up!?!? I am petrified of dogs - like  real 'fight or flight' syndrome phobia. With REAL signs & symptoms. Folk freq don't believe me - so I just tell them I'm seriously 'allergic'. THAT they'll believe.

With all the anti-mask sentiment present these days, I'd bet that many folk think that Emergent is just being creatively inventive to get out of masking. I truly understand esp with the fuller claustrophobic discomfort.