Nurse: Compassion, Humility Crucial In COVID-19 Crisis

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TO THE EDITOR:

I am an ED nurse at Kent Hospital in RI.

I left Social Media because survival in the workplace is more difficult than ever both physically and mentally for the foreseeable future. I am not able to read and hear the (inaccurate) opinions of people who think they understand the science and the reality of what is happening. I am discouraged at the selfish nature of our country.

The empty meat counters and paper products aisles I faced Saturday and Sunday night after working 14 hours on the front lines. Could you maybe leave something for others?

While On the front lines I “donned and doffed” Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) 14 times on Sunday alone. We do NOT have the PPE we need for much longer because people who have NO need for an N95 mask bought them all. Every hospital in the country is running out already.

There were elderly people ignoring the quarantine when I went to six grocery stores trying to find some essentials for my family, that were unavailable. When these elderly people become infected, healthcare workers will likely be held in hospitals to take care of them, beyond our already long and exhausting hours. Our staffing can not support the outbreak and increased patient acuity. Never mind there are only [a few hundred] ventilators in the state of RI. More ventilators is not the answer…we don’t have the manpower to run said ventilators.

I have colleague(s) positive and they will be fine, as they are young and healthy. Most of us in the ED have been exposed and will also, thankfully, get though this like we do all our other exposures without any issue. I pray for them all.

Meghan Harrington Mannochia