Have you heard the saying “ I cuss like a sailor?” It should actually be “ I cuss like a burnout nurse.”
This blog will consist of nursing humor along with daily struggles of a frontline worker during the pandemic. Where should I begin telling you about the hot mess most of us endured this past year. Alittle bit of a back story. I work in a long term skilled nursing facility. AKA a nursing home. Before the pandemic a typical work day consisted of medication pass, wound treatment, serving and feeding patients meals, all parts of bathing care, and a crap load of paperwork. Doesn’t sound too bad huh? Any small incident can make your 12 hour shift seem like a 24 hour shift. You might ask “well what kind of small incident?” Well to start FALLS and a lot of them. Skin tears are next on the to due list followed by Emergency situations such as choking, falls resulting in head trauma, cardiac arrest, and decline in a patients condition. Nursing isn't all about ”wiping a**” as some would like to think. Fast forward to February 2020 when lockdowns began to start. My facility went on lockdown the middle of February. Everyone said ok and? Big deal? Well that included no family visits, no items being dropped off for loved ones, no contact to the outside world only through FaceTime or phone calls, and birthdays and holidays spent alone with strangers you depend on everything for. We made many tear jerking calls that’s day saying “ I’m sorry but as of 2pm today the facility will be locked and no in person visitation will be allowed. Many families thanked us for protecting their loved ones, others cried and swore at us but understood, and others, well they just didn’t take no for an answer. Beginning of march we were trying to make this terrible situation better. All staff wearing surgical masks and eye protection and encouraging patients to wear masks also. We tried our hardest to be a step in family knowing we could never/would never replace yours, but we tried. We held your hand while you cried for your husband, wife, and kids. The patients who only recognized us by face began fading unable to tell who we were anymore. Many in the beginning were afraid of us and would just cry for family. It was heartbreaking everyday to watch patients I’ve worked with for years slowing fade away and give up all hope........
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