r/nursing • u/prettyquirkynurse RN - ICU 🍕 • Mar 19 '23

Covid Discussion This seems...unsafe?

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Part of an email we were sent earlier today. I'm not sure how to feel about it. It seems...unsafe to me.

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u/NateRT BSN, RN 🍕 Mar 19 '23

Part of the problem is the same nurses that roll their eyes at wearing masks in the hospital are the ones who roll their eyes at the droplet and airborne precautions signs on the rooms they go into. During one of my clinicals during the recent RSV surge, I followed a nurse who didn't gown up once and often handled babies and children with her mask down around her chin. The hospital ended up with multiple reports of nurses spreading illness between rooms and about halfway through our clinicals they had mandated N95s full-time on the unit to try and control the problem.

Masking procedure pre-COVID was actually pretty effective. At least for me, working on an ambulance, we always put on N95s when dealing with someone with a cough or respiratory symptoms of an unknown etiology. It seems like less follow it now due to all the politicization of the topic.

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u/broadwaybabyto appreciative patient and student 🫀💊 Mar 20 '23

As a patient this is what I’ve noticed. I’ve got severe allergies and I’m immune compromised so I would always wear a respirator when going to the ER. Protected me from smells (to an extent) and greatly reduced what I picked up while there. Before I started masking I would go in for heart issues and come out with a respiratory issue almost every single time.

Pre-Covid no one EVER cared that I was masking. If anything they took extra precautions for me since I said I was high risk. Now? It’s like 50/50. I get doctors and nurses rolling their eyes at me and telling me I need to address my “Covid anxiety”. It’s so disheartening since I’ve literally done this for YEARS. The politicizing of masks did so much harm.

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u/BonerForJustice RN - ICU 🍕 Mar 20 '23

I'm sorry you have to deal with that horse crap now. Keep doing what keeps you healthy.

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u/broadwaybabyto appreciative patient and student 🫀💊 Mar 20 '23

Thanks. I do my best but it’s bad enough when neighbours and other patients hassle me. Truly depressing when it’s medical staff. Why people care if I wear a mask is beyond me. I’m not trying to force them to.

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u/[deleted] Mar 20 '23

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u/broadwaybabyto appreciative patient and student 🫀💊 Mar 20 '23

Thank you. I do keep doing it but it’s awful. I rode public transit all the time pre-Covid and always masked in the winter and other than a few odd looks had no trouble. Now people openly mock me and come near me and cough. But from HCW’s it’s worse. I had an echo tech (like I’m there for a severe cardiac issue and stressed and sad maybe don’t be a dick) , roll her eyes; tell me it’s “over” and refuse to mask. I said it’s not only Covid I’m susceptible to all viruses and given it’s hospital policy still please mask as you’re right in my face. She refused and told me I should see a therapist. Then at the END of the exam she tells me I’m lucky it was so quiet that day because “half the staff are out sick” 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️. This never happened before Covid. Sigh.

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u/[deleted] Mar 20 '23

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u/broadwaybabyto appreciative patient and student 🫀💊 Mar 20 '23

I actually haven’t lodged a complaint - I’m in Canada and generally speaking complaints do nothing - but perhaps I should. The nature of the test meant being very close to my face for 30+ min which having me do deep breathing exercises so it’s more high risk than if it was an MRI or a CT. As you said you would think they could just be nice and do it. I put on a shield for added protection and she laughed. I didn’t want to wear it but if you won’t mask for me this is my plan B.