Whether you are a day one brand spanking new grad nurse or a ten-year healthcare veteran, this year has been challenging for us in too many ways.
It is hard on us in so many ways that hurt us DEEP to our caregiving soul. There are so many things going on with the pandemic that we cannot control, and it isn’t easy to stay focused and stay positive or realize that one day this season will end.
Initially, we thought this would take a few months to blow by, and then month after month after month, it has persisted nationally and globally. It is getting difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it is there.
One of the hardest parts has been watching the amount of fighting the health care world has had to do for proper PPE to take care of patients safely, so we don’t ourselves fall ill to the virus, get sick, and die like so many healthcare professionals have during this time. In general, as a nation, why do we have to fight for the safety within the workplace, for the PPE, why couldn’t this be assumed, why isn’t this something we can proudly say all of our organizations PROUDLY provide so we don’t feel disposable. Those corporations who are stepping up, showing support, and delivering what you need to make us feel worth something THANKYOU, YOU are setting the example. We are humans, we care, and we want to watch for everyone, and we WANT to end this pandemic. Why do we have to FIGHT for everything? Why is it November of 2020, and this many months in, and it seems on a national level that corporations are not listening? We are tired of fighting, and we NEED change, NO health care professional should have to fight for the right to protect themselves with FRESH PPE that hasn’t been contaminated by the virus or reused for X amount of shifts.
The other most challenging part has been to see nationally nurses and other health care professionals have on the job work exposures to KNOWN cases of COVID-19. Then these professionals have to dig into their own sick time and vacation time or what’s left of it to try to cover the costs and expenses of the 10-24 day quarantine. FURTHERMORE!!! SOME STATES ARE OPTING TO LET NURSES WORK WITH A POSITIVE CASE OF COVID19 BECAUSE THEY ARE SO SHORT ON STAFFING. This is UNACCEPTABLE. This goes against EVERY code of ethics we have a profession not to do any harm to any patient. Nationally, this will affect the patients, but it will also affect the nurses’ ability to recover from the virus, putting them at an EVEN HIGHER RISK of a fatal outcome. There is a national outcry for continued support. To this day, there are so many health care professionals who need solidarity. We should NOT lose sight of our ability to work together to move mountains.
Get involved with your union association if you have one. We need to speak LOUD enough for those who can make a change or impact our situation. Your voice is needed. How will YOU take action? The more we professionally voice our concerns for ourselves and the patients we diligently serve, THAT is when we will see change. NOT complaining on social media about it, NOT waiting for someone else to take action but by all of us taking action! TAKE ACTION!
THANK YOU for coming to my TedTalk.
Nurse Dani BSN RN CCRN-CSC DNP-S
1 thought on “A LETTER FROM AN uNFILTERED, OVERWHELMED, AND OVER-IT ICU NURSE”
Wow! Great summary and so well said. I agree completely and people outside of healthcare just don’t get it. This will change the nursing profession FOREVER. More states need unions. I see ANA has a suit against HCA. Big corporations profit at our expense.
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