Urgent: Need advice please?

Nurses General Nursing

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I am a new grad and just started in medsurg lastmonth. I moved out of the area with my 5 year old daughter and husband. Initially, I enjoyed working during my 2 weeks orientation during morning shift (fully staff), but transitioned to night shift which is always SHORT staff. I am on my 5th week orientation and super exhausted (I only had break during my lunch)...On my 3rd week, I got an alert of possible covid exposure (so terrified?...stressed out)...emailed my boss for advice, but no response! I was helpless?....luckily I was able to get a swab test from another healthcare provider.

I emailed my boss again and asked for n95, but response was they only provide regular surgical mask unless you’re taking care of covid!! I am not comfortable working at all with just surgical mask!! And risk of bringing covid to my family!!
 

I have an offer to work in Dialysis, higher pay and closer to family, non-covid pts bec they do robust testing for all patients. I’d love to get at least a year in med/surge, but with my current experience in the hospital (possible covid exposure, unsafe staffing, lower pay, bad management) I don’t know what to do? Please advice....I appreciate all your input!

Specializes in school nurse.
8 hours ago, Hoosier_RN said:

Unless she is supplying her own as well

Even then, the optics are rife for assumptions of hypocrisy.

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Specializes in Dialysis.
4 hours ago, Jedrnurse said:

Even then, the optics are rife for assumptions of hypocrisy.

I was just being a smartie snot to Wuzzie. She got it ?

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Specializes in Emergency/med surg.

this is a tough one --- COVID has made us seriously re-evaluate our priorities/goals/dreams/aspirations -- while it is great to get the experience under your belt- your safety and piece of mind is key - youre a new grad - you don't want this bad experience in medsurg to taint you - also your manager seems incredibly unsupportive during a difficult time which is downright wrong-- so follow the money and the piece of mind FOR NOW. Once covid is better controlled/better PPE the nursing challenges outside of dialysis will absolutely still be there! This isn't factual so please don't quote me but I suspect that COVID will trigger some sort of exodus from the bedside thus opening up positions for you afterwards .... good luck stay safe

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
On 12/6/2020 at 4:31 PM, Been there,done that said:

We can all expect covid  exposure, from every patient,  in every setting. If your current employer will not provide you with the n95.. you must move on.

 

 

Ultimately this is the bottom line here and I agree with the above.

I don't work covid.  Thankfully during the downturn after the Summer my employer spent many hours searching many sources and we now have N95's on our supply cart to use if we want and when a patient get a nebulizer treatment and we throw it away at the end of the day to get a new one the next day.  Prior to that we had to save them and they wouldn't give them out indiscriminately to non-covid units.  

Like a poster above, I had a couple of exposures caring for a covid positive patient, wearing only a surgical mask and both times didn't catch it.  

It seems rather hit or miss where I work.   Most of us seem to be catching it from each other.  One unit had a crew party and spread it around and another unit seemed to pass it around in their break room.  We shouldn't let our guards down and understand that it's not just patient's passing it on.

Good luck.  

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Specializes in Community health.

In my FQHC, many people got sent home this week for “exposures,” and several tested positive. From the distribution of who has it, and timing, we can tell that they aren’t getting it from patients— they’re getting it from one another. If you’re going to the grocery store, you’re “exposed.”  I do not wear an N95 to the store, and I don’t wear one when I’m checking the BP of a healthy patient. Obviously many asymptomatic people are Covid +, but I’m just not going to treat the entire world like it’s an Ebola unit. 

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Specializes in ER, Occupational Health.

I work for a VERY large corporation where I evaluate sick employees on a daily basis for COVID to determine if they meet criteria for testing or quarantine.  I am in a higher risk category and have not contracted COVID despite coming in contact with several people who ended up testing positive.

I’ve given a good deal of thought as to why I haven’t gotten it when so many others have, and I believe that it has a lot to do with frequent PROPER hand washing (I never use hand sanitizer) and keeping my hands off my face as much as possible.  
 

I’ve watched many people wash their hands and despite the messages to do so, it’s shocking how many people either don’t do it as often as they should or they don’t do it correctly.  I’m not saying this is the only reason, but I believe it plays a much larger role than most people realize and I think that they have gotten lazy about it since COVID started.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med/Surg, ICU Stepdown.

My unit is mostly covid and we have access to N95s at all times, no limit, can wear even if not taking care of covid. Supposed to be one per shift but no one really regulates it. On the floors that don't have much covid they also started giving them free access after a bunch of staff got sick from a pt who wasn't tested and then was positive. They were in close contact with her as 1:1 sitters with surgical masks and no face shields. 

I've been exposed a couple times but all my tests are negative and I have no symptoms. I wear surgical mask and face shield at all times, frequent hand washing, never touch face or mouth. I wear an N95 when pt is not a covid pt but I'm suspicious they have it. Sometimes pts test negative if they come in long after their symptoms started. I hope you find the route that's best for you and your family ?

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Specializes in Emergency Room, CEN, TCRN.

We only get N95s for positive cases receiving aerosolized procedures. Otherwise we wear the same procedure mask we’ve been wearing all shift with a plastic face shield when dealing with covid patients.

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Specializes in Rehabilitation.

dialysis has more benefits, I'd say go for it and make sure that you're gonna get good training 

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Specializes in Dialysis.
16 minutes ago, jb_mmmm said:

dialysis has more benefits, I'd say go for it and make sure that you're gonna get good training 

As a dialysis clinic manager, I second this! As far as I know, all of the companies give good training, especially the big 2. It's a good place to learn and grow!

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Specializes in Outpatient Cardiology, CVRU, Intermediate.

Where I work, we have N95s available, along with Level 3s and Level 1s (to change and protect the Level 3 or N95 we wear with all patients.) Requirement is to wear a Level 3 (with Level 1 over it) in all patient care areas. N95 or Papr in Covid rooms.

IMO, it is an exposure waiting to happen when staff are changing masks constantly throughout the shift, particularly when we are all tasked with answering any and all call light and bed alarms in any room. It doesn't make sense for me to run back to wherever I left my paper bag with N95 every time I go into a room that is not labeled Covid+ or PUI; we have asymptomatic patients all over our floors waiting for a "regular" admission swab to result and they aren't in ISO. We've started calling them "Surprise Covids" because they will be inpatient for 24+ hours without ISO before their test comes back, and then there it is! ?‍♀️ I wear a N95 throughout my shift. ?‍♀️ I'm grateful I have the resources provided to do so!

You will likely have to follow your hospital's policy during your shift. I would question why the supervisor is allowed a N95 but the floor staff are not. If she is wearing her own that she purchased, then there shouldn't be an issue with you wearing/providing your own. The fact that every staff member would have to purchase/supply their own is frustrating and disappointing, and not a reasonable expectation for their staff.

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On 12/6/2020 at 2:58 PM, FutRNRock said:

Yes, my boss said they only distribute N95 unless you have covid+. It upsets me because my boss was wearing N95 on floor!? Obviously she’s not doing direct pt care on floor.

I'm not sure if this applies to your hospital, but our supervisor visits other units, including ICU, ER, and the covid unit itself. They also attend codes and rapid responses without knowing exactly what the patient's status is before arriving.

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