Day 10

I can't believe that day just happen. I'm so tired.

I was stationed in the PACU today that was being used as a "clean" ICU patient area. Because yes, there are still people that need to come to the hospital without having the virus. However, as soon as I got there they told me they did have a rule out in a isolation room at the end of the unit. This patient had been tested twice, and had come back negative, twice. There is so much distrust for the results that the physicians wanted to test them a third time. Thinking all of their symptoms looked exactly like COVD.

This meant back into PPE for the whole day.

I started the day with two ICU patients, then admitted three more ICU patients over the course of the day. I down graded one and moved them to another floor.

The other nurse I was working with started with three ICUs and admitted one to be at four ICU patients as well. We thankfully had a medication nurse who was helping us.

The first admit came at 0900, but they were taken off their medication drip that was making them ICU status, and I was given orders to downgrade them quickly. Second admit came at 1000, pneumonia and respiratory distress. They were vented, but stable. Juggled four for a little while then moved the one patient. The rule out patient started trending down on their blood pressures, fixed that. Other patient started having blood come up form a nasal tube that led to their stomach, worked on that. Went back up to four patients as I received a new patient from the ER, who was in horrific shape. As I was getting them settled, the pneumonia patient started trending down on their blood pressure. Essentially, both of the patients blood pressures were quickly declining. I mixed some medication bags - not having time to wait for pharmacy - and got them running. I stood in the middle of their beds - perks of being in the PACU, it's one big open room - and watched their blood pressures fluctuate. Pneumonia patient stabilized. Had to add a third blood pressure medication to the ER admit. Maxed out on three pressers - that is never a good sign.

I know a lot of that was medical talk, but to put it simply, I was also maxed out - which is never a safe position to be in. Honestly, it was scary as well. See, ICU nurses usually only take care of two ICU patients, and both of us had four patients today. That is so many very sick people.

It's not just me working to keep these patients alive. Healthcare is obviously provided as a team. With every. single. department. overwhelmed, there is a lot of stretching happening. Thankfully, everything lined up correctly to get the patients into a better position by the end of day shift.

Here's to hoping tomorrow is a little easier than today was. One more shift to go for the week.

Britt.