Nurses.

[sheshe2]

An eight hour day becomes an eighteen hour day. One mask. A raincoat worn backwards instead of normal PPE. Hot and sweaty for eighteen hours. An ICU that had to expand to three separate floors. Normally the ICU would have one nurse to two patients. Now one nurse to seven. Hiring nurses that have not taken final exams.

Two cardiac arrests last night. Huge number of admissions. So many dying.

After eighteen grueling hours and watching their patients die. they go home to their family. They have to drag themselves in, strip their clothing and wash them and then shower themselves. They need to keep their family safe.

I know this nurse, she is one of mine.

[Tikki]

1. Kerri

I know this nurse, she is one of ours.

The Tikkis

[MLAA]

2. There are not adequate words to describe what we owe this nurse and others like her.

They must be physically and emotionally exhausted.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

3. In recent years nurses typically work a 10 or 12 hour shift.

Personally, I'm horrified at that. I was an airline ticket agent many years ago, in the 1970s. All too often I'd work ten or twelve or sometimes more hours because of delays or cancellations. It was brutal. I was on my feet the entire time. In high heels, on a concrete floor, I'll add.

But no lives were on the line. If I screwed up, I might get a reservation wrong, but no one died.

I NEVER want to be taken care of by a nurse in the 11th hour of her 12 hour shift. Because I know from personal experience that she will not be remotely alert, efficient, or capable of caring for me.

Don't get me wrong. I am in awe of what nurses are doing these days. My on mother was a nurse, in a vastly different time, but I still have admiration of what she, and all nurses do.

But working people beyond their limits really does not make sense. Nor does it accomplish anything good.

[BlueMTexpat]

4. Nurses are true heroes!

Last edited Fri May 1, 2020, 06:28 AM - Edit history (1)

One of my granddaughters is currently working on her Master's in Nursing, while working as a nurse as well.

She recently left a good job to work instead at the Baltimore Convention Center, which will serve as a recovery center for COVID-19 patients, as a joint project of the Johns Hopkins Medicine and University of Maryland Medical Centers.

https://wtop.com/baltimore/2020/04/field-hospital-set-to-open-at-baltimore-convention-center-amid-coronavirus-crisis/

[Initech]

5. I'm directly related to an ER doctor.

Who is working on the front lines, he says the stress of just working every day is overwhelming him and his staff, but they do pull through it as best they can. He and I both have the same opinion that if Trump torpedoes the lockdowns, which is what he seems to be doing right now, something incredibly bad is going to happen.

I just thank god that we live in California where Gavin Newsom has a much cooler head than Trump does.

[murielm99]

6. I am related to one as well.

We haven't heard much lately. He is not going home to his family these days.

[Initech]

8. We've been having family group texting since this began.

And he's been giving daily updates through it. One of the hospitals he works at was hit quite hard (but that one is very close to downtown Los Angeles) and the other one hasn't (but that one is much further from downtown). But he said that things have calmed down a bit, but we're not out of the woods yet by any stretch.

[lpbk2713]

7. Next day start it all over again.

My daughter is a nurse. I never worried about her going to work for over eight years.
Now I do.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

9. May you and yours stay safe and be relieved.

Every nurse I ever met was tough, but they're all human and should not be treated this way.

[smirkymonkey]

10. My heart breaks for these people.

I don't know how they endure it. I honestly think I would crack if I was under the same kind of pressure. I have donated to a fund through the Boston Globe to help feed them restaurant meals, but other than that, I wish there was something I could do for them other than trying my best to stay healthy and out of the hospital.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

11. kick -- it ain't over

[sheshe2]

14. I know.

Some news from Cuomo today. NY and six other NE states have banded together to purchase PPE, a 90 day supply. They are working together.

We are better together.

Thank you.

[Maru Kitteh]

12. I'm wearing garbage bags now sheshe. Ordered some Tyvek suits that will

hopefully arrive in a week or so. Not enough N95s so I've made my own from hepa bags. But hey. The meat plants are open.

What a mess.

All my fond wishes, respect and love to your friend. May she remain healthy, and find her peace. It's so hard.

[sheshe2]

13. Please stay safe, Maru.

Garbage bags, that breaks my heart. I am so tired of all his lies at how well he has done to give you what you need to stay safe on the front line.

Peace to you and yours as well. I know it is hard.