Healthcare providers pushed to the brink after a year of the Covid-19 pandemic are tired, burned out, and even suffering the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
“Maggie Smith, a registered nurse at an inner city safety net hospital, arrives at the Covid-19 unit where she works at 6:30 a.m., checks in, records her temperature, completes a pre-shift screening questionnaire, and changes into her scrubs. By 7:30, she’s gotten her assigned patients for the day and completed her room-side shift report with the outgoing nurse. At 9:00, Mr. Brown in 206 suddenly experiences shortness of breath and his oxygen level plummets, requiring him to be intubated and placed on a ventilator. By 11, she’s reached out to Mr. Brown’s emergency contact, gently providing a somber update and explaining the plan of care, then fielded two incoming calls from the frantic family looking for updates, all while tracking and caring for the three other patients in her care. As she changes PPE before entering each patient room, she notices the flecking and bruising on her face from the tight-fitting N95 mask.”
Read the full article from MedCity News.
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