Day 15

Today is my two week mark from first being on the floor a full day. You know what has a probable incubation period of up to two weeks? COVID. Thankfully, you know who is not feeling symptoms? Me. I am now at the phase where I could become sick at any time and will not be in the clear for up to 37 days from now (two weeks after I get home).

When this all started, staff were not allowed to wear masks - they did not want to scare the patients. That policy was being upheld throughout the state. Unfortunately, that decision exposed several nurses to the virus before they even realized how widespread it was already. Dozens of nurses became very sick at the hospital I am at. As I said in one of my first posts, one of their own ended up passing away from COVID complications. There is the potential that he caught the virus during the "no mask" time frame.

Administration did not have a secure supply of PPE for a while. Nor did the CDC have a clear idea of what the best methods were for protection. Several staff members quit out of self preservation. Honestly, I do not judge the individuals who decided to quit during this time. I do greatly admire the ones the ones that still came in. Those individuals are truly the front line heroes. The ones that showed up despite the highest level of risk to themselves. Then still kept showing up as the chaos continued to build. They kept providing care as people flooded in. All while not being completely protected themselves.

I came in while things were still difficult, but from a patient load standpoint - I have always had access to the proper PPE. I would like to say that I would still keep coming in, for my patients and my coworkers, even if I did not have PPE. Thankfully, I do not have to make that decision.

Britt.