Nursing
in
Covid
times
April 9, 2020 --
In most ways, it's no different than nursing in normal times.
Except for two things:
One: wiping, wiping. I used to be able to take a set of vitals
in about four minutes. Now that is more than doubled by the time
it takes to wipe down the thermometer, pulse oxymeter, blood
pressure cuff/tube/gauge between patients. It's a real
hindrance and I must remind myself not to get sloppy. Lives are
at stake.
Two: PPE (personal protective equipment).
I wear (going from head to toe as nurses are taught)
hairnet, face shield, N95 mask, disposable gown, gloves
(sometimes doubled), booties. Communication with coworkers is
rendered difficult by the muffling of mask and face shield.
Most are immigrants with strong accents and this makes it worse.
We tire of having to repeat everything but what else can we do?
And there's a third thing: fear. Mine. When a
Covid+ patient coughs in my face as I'm affixing a blood pressure cuff
I wonder, was that it? The moment the virus nails me? I leap back
but of course those droplets travel faster than I can.
I wipe down doorknobs, faucet handles, handrails. Then someone says,
did you wipe your steering wheel? And I'm, OMG. There's always
something more. After a while these thoughts are exhausting and I
grow resigned. So far I've been lucky. How long will that last?
I do what's possible and that has to be good enough. What happens
will happen and we'll come out OK in the end.
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