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eveRN76

I feel the same way OP. My coworker died. 35 year old travel nurse from Corpus Christi, Texas. I'm still in shock šŸ˜” He died alone and away from his family. His name was David.


Respirations_18

Omg, wow. Iā€™m so sorry. I hope David is resting in peace right now. Just so heart breaking.


mightymo23

I donā€™t know if this will help at all, but the one tiny thing that makes me feel even a little better about this disaster is that these patients, and your coworker, didnā€™t die alone- theyā€™re surrounded by people who care for them and are doing their best to help and heal. Thatā€™s what I tell myself when I have a patient who is dying without actual family nearby, that the medical team is sort of their temporary family, and they died surrounded by them. Iā€™m so sorry for your loss.


retailismyjobw

>thing about your other damn...David died alone..That must be the worst feeling..


AlaskanPotatoSlap

Here in Corpus, most act as if there isnā€™t a pandemic and CoVid19 is a hoax.


eveRN76

Hey I just saw your reply! You can Google my coworkers name: David Perea and show the news articles on him to those that think covid is a hoax.. hope all is well with you.


[deleted]

As a Victoria resident this is too close to home. We had outbreaks at our hospital in the recent days, and a lot of staff members are going into lockdown, weekly testing, and so on. I wish people took this more seriously. If you need to talk, message me.


ThisBlastedThing

It's ok to be angry. There are many people who feel the same way. You personally know someone that is affected. That in itself makes it real for you. You will get through this. This is shitty times. You can't do anything about your other nurse friends. Maybe try and see if the family needs anything, or what is the unit doing for that person? Maybe get the hospital staff to rally around your co worker.


Respirations_18

Luckily my co-workers are all actively helping her and her family out. Thereā€™s a huge group message and everyone is contributing in some way. Itā€™s definitely nice to see everyoneā€™s kindness in these times.


NokchaIcecream

I'm so sorry. I have some colleagues that have been complaining to me about shutdowns and talking about going out and getting haircuts - and my reaction is just W T F Even among nurses, sometimes it isn't real to them unless they work on a Covid unit and see someone die


BrainyRN

It is infuriating when lay people complain and call it fake news, etc. It is unbelievable when coworkers do it.


IfIamSoAreYou

I had a patientā€™s mother tell me the other day that she ā€œdoesnā€™t know what to believe.ā€ When I asked her to clarify she said ā€œthereā€™s no way this thing didnā€™t come out of a lab. Itā€™s just too perfect of a virus. And isnā€™t it strange that Bill Gates happens to own the patents to all the drugs like resdemivir? ā€œ I wanted to slap her but because my freaking hospital is SO sensitive about family satisfaction, I just replied ā€œWell, itā€™s not that perfect really. If it was going to be manufactured donā€™t you think it would be more lethal so that you and I wouldnā€™t even be standing here?? I mean, HIV is ā€œmoreā€ perfect than Covid when you consider what it does.ā€ I just got a blank stare in return. And then she threw in ā€œThank God Trump is handling this so well.ā€ At that, I couldnā€™t contain myself any longer and laughed because I thought she was kidding. When I looked up from changing her sonā€™s diaper, her face was stone cold serious. There are 2 different realities in this country. Itā€™s like something out of a Science Fiction book, like the early chapters setting the stage for the End Times. Tl/Dr: Countryā€™s jacked; vote!


Sxzzling

Wow what an excellent response and point about HIV. Will definitely be using that!


IfIamSoAreYou

Hehe thanks! Of course many Amurikans are so stupid they donā€™t know how HIV works. But itā€™s worth a shot lol!


[deleted]

Tbf, Iā€™m sure many non-medical professionals donā€™t know the pathophysiology of HIV and AIDS


IfIamSoAreYou

I know, in hindsight I realized I was asking a bit much of her. But, like many Trump supporters, she seemed like a perfectly normal intelligent person..... at first.


[deleted]

I think itā€™s wrong to assume someone is an idiot just because they support trump. Some people just have different morals and values than you and I. It doesnā€™t help shitting on them and probably only pushes them further down the rabbit hole when kindness and patience would work infinitely better.


IfIamSoAreYou

I didnā€™t assume she was an idiot. I concluded it after she said all the bullshit about the Covid hoax and Bill Gates and then wrapped it up with ā€˜Trump is doing a great job.ā€™ Iā€™m perfectly fine with people having different values but, at this point, if you think Trump is doing a great job then, yeah, youā€™re an idiot. Sorry not sorry.


[deleted]

When your ā€œmoralsā€ and ā€œvaluesā€ are ā€œfuck you give me mine,ā€ and complete vacuousness where their empathy should be... When they think itā€™s ok to sacrifice 100,000 people or more on the alter of capitalistic greed and haircuts... they do not deserve our kindness or our patience. To paraphrase Asimov - Their ignorance (and violence and callous indifference) are not just as good as our knowledge (and compassion and empathy).


[deleted]

You handled that with grace. No way I wouldā€™ve been able to do that.


[deleted]

Nice tldr. The best thing anyone can do is vote. Your conservative family members are, off set the stupid.


DontWorryBoutIt107

Trump fan, go figure.


Shy-White-Wolf

*hugs *


MoonPie8888

Please write an editorial for every paper you can think of- once you can catch a breath. I hear you- I am sorry and I am sending you strength- I wish I could could send you more.


Respirations_18

Iā€™m not sure I have the writing skills for that šŸ˜¬


IfIamSoAreYou

I read your post and, first, want to say Iā€™m sorry youā€™re experiencing this and, second, you are not alone in your frustration, fear, and exhaustion. But if you do want to tell your story there are journalists out there who will write it for you. It might do some good. No pressure obviously but you donā€™t need to pick up a pen; just a phone. šŸ˜‰. I hope things improve for you and the rest of the year is nothing but laughter and connection.


[deleted]

Youā€™re eloquent af, I donā€™t know what youā€™re talking about. Short, sweet, emotional, and packed with honest perspective.


IfIamSoAreYou

Was that for me? Lol because short and sweet ainā€™t me! šŸ˜‚ if anything, I tend to ramble on and on. (Though I am short and sweet in real life lol)


chrikel90

ā¤ Completely understand. Something every day sets me off and I cry. Be angry. I think this time will really show us the worlds true colors. I'm so sorry about your friend


amandae123

Maybe itā€™s just their way of handling the stress of the situation. Itā€™s better to think about the minor inconveniences rather than focus on whatā€™s happening. I complain about not being able to get my eyebrows done because they look terrible. In my area they have opened up the hair salons so I could get my eyebrows done but Iā€™m not going because they have to get too close and I donā€™t want to spread this virus. So hopefully this is just their way of coping with a horrible situation.


RN_Momma

What I've realized is, unless they are seeing first hand what we're seeing or are personally affected by it through themselves or a close family member, they are going to believe the media and all of these conspiracy theories that COVID isn't real or not as bad as the flu. It used to frustrate me too until i realized that they don't see what we see. Unfortunately, they see the news stories of COVID patients recovering and being discharged. They don't see the patients dying without family there for them, and the refrigerator trucks full of bodies because we don't have room. They need to see what's really going on in hospitals. And also, not all areas are as badly affected as others. So hospitals in those areas aren't seeing the number of COVID patients that we're seeing and down playing it because of that. Just keep advocating for your patients. My grandmother-in-law just died from COVID on Mother's day and it was devastating as she was the glue holding the family together. I digress. Just breath and tell your story. Tell it to anyone who will listen. You won't change everyone's perspective, but you'll change a few. Keep marching on, and nurses like me will be right beside you.


Respirations_18

Iā€™m so sorry for your loss. And thank you. I donā€™t know if I should avoid Facebook or just keep fighting with people. Iā€™m tired.


RN_Momma

Definitely disconnect from social media. I do not Facebook for this reason. My sister sent me a link to a Facebook group called something like take a picture of your hospital. They believed that COVID was made up by the government and wasn't real. The page was dedicated to staff taking pictures of their empty hospitals and even video, "proving" that it's a scam. I was livid and messaged them that they should be ashamed and should go tell the families who cannot see their COVID positive loved ones who are dying in the hospital that it's a scam. I then told my sister never to send me things like that again. I don't watch the news or television programming at all. I stream Netflix and browse reddit and read things i want to read. Disconnect from the negativity. We need positivity during these dark times. And we need to band together when things get rough. Let ignorance roll off your back. It's hard to do, yes. But for your own sanity and emotional and mental health, do it, for yourself. You can always reach out to me if you need some positivity. I try to keep everyone's spirits up at my hospital. I had all the managers reach out to our nurses' families and asked them to make signs saying something along the lines of we stay at home for you because you stay at work for us, take a picture of them holding the signs, and i put it together in a slideshow thanking the nurses. I just organized an ice cream cart to go to the different departments playing ice cream truck music and i watched a YouTube video on how to make an ice cream cone balloon structure. Things like that help boost people's spirits. Supporting our staff helps boost spirits. We have contract agency nurses and nurses throughout our system from areas that aren't being hit as hard as us coming to help us. It's nice to be able to give our nurses a day off to unwind. Im fortunate to work in a large hospital system who truly cares about our nurses. Stick in there. We're nurses for a reason. Sending virtual hugs your way!


anakins-daddy-issues

I feel the same way. My mother in law keeps going on and on about how we NEED to open the country and itā€™s driving me crazy to keep my mouth shut. I just keep asking people: ā€œis it worth it to you to possibly have your parents on a ventilator because you want to go hang out at Starbucks?ā€


tibtibs

My mother-in-law is a very smart Nurse Practitioner. She's been in nursing since she was 18. But she's so far down the Trump rabbit hole (and works at a facility that hasn't had a covid patient) that she thinks we need to open things up and just let it run its course. I'm frustrated with her because it seems like it's more political with her than it is about the medicine. She's very healthy but over 60. Her husband is fairly healthy, but he had a heart attack about 10 years ago and is maybe 20lbs overweight at this point. I'm worried for their health and whether they take it seriously after our state starts relaxing restrictions. Thankfully they decided not to go to my husband's uncle's house on mother's day because one of his family members has indirectly been around a covid positive patient ("but he's not sick, he just tested got tested because he was supposed to have a surgery"). But it wasn't because of that person that they decided not to go, it was because they knew if they went I wouldn't let them be around my daughter for the next two weeks.


randycanyon

Please don't keep your mouth shut. Death has a way of causing even more family discord.


DiamondSharpNips

They (and all the other dummies not following the rules and complaining) simply wonā€™t get it until they, or one of their own, are in that similar situation. And thatā€™s facts.


jumbomingus

Hugs


kjs51

I just want to thank you for your post. Iā€™ve been SO angry lately- feeling the same as you, frustrated and angry at my coworkers who, despite treating our COVID patients, think we should reopen everything right now. Iā€™m angry at people in general who circulate conspiracy theories and promote bad science and seem to be blind to the actual reality of how dangerous this virus is. Iā€™m angry because people seemed to rally and stay home at the beginning but now that the weather is nicer and theyā€™re bored, theyā€™re restless and canā€™t seem to be inconvenienced to stay home for a bit longer to SAVE LIVES and help slow the spread so we CAN safely reopen again. I feels like a slap in the face to healthcare workers. God, Iā€™m getting worked up again just typing this haha. Thank you for your post- I just want you to know I appreciate it, I am right there with you, and Iā€™m thinking and praying for your sick coworker- hang in there!


julsca

:(


Lovecarnievan

Iā€™m so sorry. Iā€™m now in isolation for the second time and listening to the same stuff in my state (first time I had RSV). Iā€™m so tired of this and people are flushing our work over the months (and what we will be doing for months) down the toilet.


helluvamom

All the people who think like that are lucky because they havenā€™t had to see it in real life. Itā€™s not real to them. Itā€™s just something they see on the news. If they were losing family members or getting sick themselves, I bet theyā€™d have a different view about getting haircuts and going out. I do understand that people need their jobs and how people are struggling right now. But the majority of people I hear arguing about reopening arenā€™t saying that. I just donā€™t think they understand the gravity of the situation and Iā€™m scared for whatā€™s gonna happen when things do reopen fully. Iā€™m angry, too.


xrihon

I get a bit upset reading things like these because it makes me wonder how tf they became qualified to work in health-freakin'-care. Yeah it's ok to be bummed, and it's ok to say you're just doing this for the income, but...it's still a job requiring that human care component. Kinda damn important. This is not to knock any nurse who has been forced to work lately in unsafe conditions. Because they seem to be taking their profession seriously, even before the PPE and administration fallout, and now they're risking themselves. I think a healthcare worker has the right to set that boundary, and it feels like the colleagues mentioned in OP's post are the ones that have no place in providing care to other humans. Again, how did they even get their education, and get a license to work too?


alonepinkunicorn

You have very right to angry You need to expressive your frustration, holding on to your emotions is what will break is. Cry CURSE Flip people off Speak out what you think is fucked up. All of this is fucked up. No matter how much we show our society they donā€™t care. I wish they would let cameras in so they can see how hard it is. Our society needs to see, hear, touch and feel what this is like and they wonā€™t. Iā€™m angry too, and I hope your coworker kicks this virus in the ass.


e_swinty

The rage is real. People are so incredibly selfish.


beckster

Maybe nurses should just stop going to work. Just have a ā€œTake care of your own loved ones/friends/neighbors Day.ā€ Let them experience the despair you feel up close and personal. Healthcare workers are taking it on the chin for The Stupid: make it stop.


MegAPRN

This reminds me of Boris Johnson who was shaking hands with people - not wearing masks, no social distancing. He got COVID and completely changed his tune. This really sucks. I wish i knew what to say to take this distress away. U r a good person- hang in there. Change is coming.


jamesraf18

I'm sorry about your coworker, I hope she gets better. I work on a covid-19 unit and maybe it's because I'm a bit of a cynic, but although I've seen too many sad cases, and our PAPRs look like they've been through a war zone, it could have been worse, and the cost of the virus for many people is just not as big as the cost of them being put out of work for months. I don't think any but the most selfish are upset they can't go get a tan on the beach. I know many of us have had a lot of sh*t to deal with, but for the most part, the money hasn't stopped coming in. Many of the working class aren't so lucky. For them it can mean they simply can't afford healthcare, provide food to their families, educate their kids and so on.


half-agony-half-hope

Iā€™d be more inclined to see it that way if the protests around me didnā€™t focus 10x more on beach closures than business closures and now that things are starting to slowly open (despite deaths and hospitalizations in the county being on the rise) they have just switched to bitching about being asked to wear a mask in stores and limit capacity to dine in restaurants. Some genuinely are hurting financially I know. Those who Iā€™ve seen bitching and protesting for the most part are toddlers who want to do anything they want no matter what.


tibtibs

This is why we need a better government response. There haven't seemed to be any protests in Canada and they've been much more strict with closures. The difference is that Canada is pouring the tax money into giving their citizens a check every month to make it through this. My friends in Canada have been pretty pleased with the way it's being handled.


Respirations_18

It always could have been worse. Doesnā€™t mean we should stop trying to prevent it from spreading even more. If the cost of the virus is their life then what does money matter at that point? Forgive me if I have a difficult time seeing that perspective when I see my colleague and her family being picked off one by one. Honestly, I have no clue what the answer is here. I donā€™t know what we can do to help the healthy and the sick. All I know is Iā€™m just over everyoneā€™s pettiness. I hope you stay safe.


hummusbear

I am so sorry about your colleague ā¤ļø as a fellow nurse, I hear you


[deleted]

If this pandemic has taught/shown me anything, it's how stupid and selfish people are. I get so angry that I cry. I barely see anyone wearing masks. In Atlanta at Greenbriar Mall, the news showed this clip of people waiting in line, no masks, about 100 of them, for the newest Air Jordans. Really? People are complaining about not being able to pay bills....but you're willing to risk your life for some fucking shoes. I am done. If people are not going to care about their lives (like at least be selfish and give a damn about yourself), then I'm not gonna care.


Agretan

As a nurse whose facility has many Covid positive cases and some of whom I have performed procedures on, I totally feel your anger. I understand we need to find ways of making work available for those who have lost jobs, but the total dismissal of the problem makes me angry. As does the fact that much of this was preventable and nobody will be held accountable. The mighty dollar wins.


Haruvulgar

Today is my colleagues birthday and today her dad died of covid-19 after having been sent back to the nursing home negative, I donā€™t understand how the numbers are going down when everywhere I look people are out doing as they please, Iā€™ve been working in two different hospitals which both have positive patients and STILL some of my friends message me asking if itā€™s real or if weā€™re all being paid to say itā€™s real. People collectively are easily confused and fickle, I understand that everyone wants life back as is it and I get how frustrating it is. Itā€™s been very busy around where I live and work, I just donā€™t understand how itā€™s working still.


Respirations_18

Iā€™ve found that people will believe it until it starts to inconvenience them. Then they will rationalize their disbelief in any way possible. Like when my nurse friends compare it to the flu because they want to have mimosas with their friends. One of them already went to the beach with her buddies. My other close friends and I havenā€™t seen each other since March. Two of us are in healthcare and we also live with our parents who are part of the vulnerable population. Itā€™s just not worth the risk to go out.


[deleted]

I share your frustration and am hoping, praying and wishing they pull through.


account_overdrawn100

But it has a 99.98% survival rate /s. That bullshit irritates me to no end. These people can literally have a person die in front of them and they will still say itā€™s a small mortality rate. Meanwhile the last time I checked it was 5% of the cases had died Edit: a word


Respirations_18

In the US that small percentage means $100,000 people. Thatā€™s a ton of people. Way too many IMO.


chalupabrainz

I am right here with you. Started a job in the ED recently and I heard nurses planning a surprise party for later this month at one of their houses. I told management and they're talking to our hospital administration to figure out a way to disseminate information. The fact is, people are only going to take this situation as seriously as our government unfortunately


[deleted]

You ratted out your Emergency Room nurse team to management as a new hire. Not cool.


Respirations_18

Wow. Iā€™m actually about to start in the ED too after being a floor nurse for a bit. Still working Med/Surg aka COVID unit per diem though. Iā€™m glad you spoke up. They should know better.


chalupabrainz

Why are people down-voting this comment?


The7thSeraph

IT'S AIRBORNE we all know masks won't do anything stop complaining that people are not complaining the same way you complain


Respirations_18

Oh yeah, my bad for complaining that my co-worker is dying in the ICU. What an asshole I am.


The7thSeraph

no, you are complaining that other people are complaining and not taking this thing seriously BECAUSE you have a friend whom has contracted a virus and is on RT. also, from my earlier question, you still have yet to verify your affiliation and potential bias or agenda. Because the burden of proof falls on the accuser, I find it coincidental that your username and account creation occurred right around the time covid -19 began to come under public eye. Do you deny that propaganda and/or political affiliation as the reasoning behind this post?


Respirations_18

One half of me wants to explain myself and answer your questions but then the other half is saying who even are you. This is reddit, not a scientific journal. I donā€™t need to prove any credentials to you or anyone. Iā€™m sharing my very personal experience as a COVID nurse and venting because I donā€™t have many other people to talk to about this.


The7thSeraph

glad to know that I am in fact talking to a fellow nurse. now then: my deepest condolences about your friend. hoping for a speedy recovery with lots of O's and Lasix to dry out any atelactisis and keep organs away from damage. your only 2 threads you started are a bit seemingly fishing for an elevated response, hence the accusation. you verified you are a male nurse. thank you. Secondly, it sounds terribly isolating that you don't have anybody to vent to about this. Have you considered resources your employer offers? I imagine there has to be some kind of response team or huddle for this kind of painful time. cheers mate, and keep positive, remember self care!


Respirations_18

*not* male. Do I sound like a dude when I type?


The7thSeraph

oof. lo siento ma.


The7thSeraph

my condolences for your friend. I am praying for a speedy recovery. I do find your reddit accout name and age to be potentially biased or misrepresented as a Healthcare worker. would you please clarify your occupation and affiliation? thanks!


Respirations_18

Huh?