Will you work during a Pandemic?

Nurses COVID

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  1. Nurses, would you go to work during a Pandemic?

    • 1926
      No
    • 5592
      Yes
    • 1288
      undecided

1,893 members have participated

admin note: we just added a poll to this thread today, april 25, 2008, please take a second and vote in the poll so we can have a graphical representation of the responses. thanks

scenario:

h5n1 (the bird flu) mutates to become efficient at transmitting human to human causing a pandemic, with a case fatality rate of 60% and with 80% of the cases in the 0-40 year old age range.

see:

http://www.wpro.who.int/nr/rdonlyres/fd4ac2fd-b7c8-4a13-a32c-6cf328a0c036/0/s4_1113.jpg

hospitals will be quickly overrun. hospital staff shortages are 50%. the government orders all nurses to work. there is not enough personal protection equipment (n95 masks, gloves, goggles, tamiflu, vax, etc)

home quarantines become common (in the fed plans).

your family is also quarantined in your home. you are running out of food and the government promises you will be "taken care of" if you report to work.

will you go?

Specializes in telemetry, med-surg, home health, psych.

I applaud all of you saying that you would report to work......

In such a mega-disaster, however, I will be with my family travelling as far away as I can get.....sorry, but with a Pandemic of the nature you are discussing I see no light at the end of that tunnel.....I see things coming to an end...literally................

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Specializes in Psych, Med/Surg, LTC.

My kids come before any mandate. They need their mother alive. We will find food. We know how to hunt. I don't trust the government to "take care of me".

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exactly!!!

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Specializes in CCU,MICU,SICU,CTICU,Renal, Recovery.

I am with the majority here. I will not be doing anyone a benefit if i am infected also.

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Specializes in Med/surg, ER/ED,rehab ,nursing home.

No I would NOT go in. My place of employment can't even keep supplies on hand for our day to day activities. ALL OF THIS "as needed" basis. We run out of everything. Anyway, my health isn't the best. Would not take much to remove me from the picture. I can not breath with the TB type masks we have, so I would be exposed to just about everything. This is why I believe that everyone will have to use their own knowlege to take care of themselves. There will not be anyone medical or otherwise to take care of you. I fall in the older age group,too, which has a high fatality rate. Our department heads have not worked the floor in ages,so they will not be much of a help. THey need to work 3 or 4 shifts a month AT LEAST. But to go in and work in a pandemic...I would NOT. :typing

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Based on the scenario of no PPE, no I would not work. But I'm assuming that we would still need money, right? Money would still be necessary to survive in our society so I would probably have to work for food and shelter but only if there was PPE available. What good is money if I'm dying because I didn't have a mask or gloves? I don't know, its a hard choice. If it was clear that I was going to bring the plague onto my home I wouldn't do it either but really, how would I know? Interesting thought.

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Someone asked what I do with all the food, etc the lovely bride and I have stored when a few years passes and we haven't used all of it. No secret there, after a time we can do less grocery shopping and use what we have stored and bring the older stocks down.

Another option we exercise from time to time is to donate some goods to a local food pantry or food drive. Aside from foods which have been specially prepared for long-term storage (freeze-dried or dehydrated in most cases, and in a few instances retort pouch foods similar to military MRE's) most canned goods last years on the shelf with only some loss in nutritional status. We aren't so snobbish that minor alterations in taste turn us off. When making casserole or other mixed dishes you'd need a very discerning palate to notice any difference.

Our food and other stores allow us to be choosy when it comes to staying and working or relocating somewhere safer. My lovely bride's health has changed drastically over the past few months, so much so that I seriously have to factor in her health when making any decision about working for my present employer, for instance, vs. another potential employer who is willing to invest in proper PPE and to appropriately limit case loads in order to allow the time for changing PPE, etc between patients. I can't risk carrying something into the house that will infect her. With H5N1 the risk is airborne, because while I can change my clothes, shower, etc before ever stepping foot inside the house I can't do anything about a but I pick up because of a lack of proper PPE. A slip-up in routine is one thing as far as creating a break in protection the bug can exploit, but a complete lack of proper PPE has nothing to do with routine or skill in use.

Ayrman

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no-- i could't go unless my children were one of those sick in the hospital (God forbid)my first duties will always be to them as a mother before that of a nurse to anyone else.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, med/surg, LTC surveyor.

No. Not unless I have all the protective devices that I need.

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No question, I would be there. With the currenjt shortage of nurses, not going is not an option. If the government says they will take care of me and my family or not. this is when true professionalism come out. If you don't want to put yourself or family in harms way you should not be a nurse!! A typical shift in the ED exposes me to HIV, TB, MRSA meningitis, pneumonia, staph etc.. If you don't change your usual practice standards, you will be OK. Change clothes before leaving work or outside your home, if you want. I can NOT believe the other posts I'm reading from these "professionals." If you are so slow to respond that a govenment mandate is what it takes to get you into action, get out now!!!!! Remember, we are here for the patients. I love my family and would do anything to protect them. I'll bet the patients we would be caring for would feel the same way!!

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Specializes in OB, CASE MANAGEMENT.

Probably not as that I work 1 1/2 hours away from home and my children are always my first and foremost concern, as for food, thats why I married a country boy, food is always pretty close by in the country, However does that mean I am clinging to my guns and bible, Guess so But they will take care of me better than the government, And if the government is taking care of nurses PPE should be top of the list

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Specializes in ortho/neuro/general surgery.
The government "orders" me to work? No PPE? They'll "take care" of me?

Nah. Don't think so.

Yeah, whatever... :rolleyes: Ever seen the movie 'Outbreak'? :madface: Ha!

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