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Re: Any nurses out there?
Blue:
I appreciate how you feel. I found myself putting words on paper for a plan that I knew in my heart was not practical and could not be safely carried out. I could commandeer hospital-owned buildings to designate as out-of-hospital clinics but where was the staff going to come from when we were already operating on skeletal crews to run day to day schedules? We built a brand new hospital with gorgeous curtains and artwork but I couldn't justify stockpiling PPE for staff while it was still available and at reasonable prices but the landscaped lawn with the hidden sprinkler system looked great! We couldn't afford to give a free meal as a courtesy to a 90 year old man who was sitting with his wife in the hospital and had no way to go out and get something and forgot his wallet so the nurse bought him a meal so how the heck were we going to stockpile food/supplies to feed or IV infuse an influx of patients?
A plan on paper without the means to provide care is useless and I finally said, "I can't do this." Worked a notice, took a long vacation, let the job offers come to me and chose the one with the less stress, best hours and best pay that suited my needs. I can say, though, that the facility I now work in has offered NO pandemic education at all to staff according to those that I have questioned in my department and I KNOW the ICP staff are aware because we worked on the state task force together. I hope they are working diligently to get it together to mass educate folks, soon (large teaching hospital). If not, this well-educated, in-the-know, single white female will be taking another sabbatical and eating her Spam and rice at home while listening to my wind up radio and reading my stocked up novels by wind up LED light.
An experienced and LIVING RN will be able to find a job after the pandemic, I predict. A foolish and dead one taking chances during a pandemic won't be too in demand, JMO. 
Blue:
I appreciate how you feel. I found myself putting words on paper for a plan that I knew in my heart was not practical and could not be safely carried out. I could commandeer hospital-owned buildings to designate as out-of-hospital clinics but where was the staff going to come from when we were already operating on skeletal crews to run day to day schedules? We built a brand new hospital with gorgeous curtains and artwork but I couldn't justify stockpiling PPE for staff while it was still available and at reasonable prices but the landscaped lawn with the hidden sprinkler system looked great! We couldn't afford to give a free meal as a courtesy to a 90 year old man who was sitting with his wife in the hospital and had no way to go out and get something and forgot his wallet so the nurse bought him a meal so how the heck were we going to stockpile food/supplies to feed or IV infuse an influx of patients?
A plan on paper without the means to provide care is useless and I finally said, "I can't do this." Worked a notice, took a long vacation, let the job offers come to me and chose the one with the less stress, best hours and best pay that suited my needs. I can say, though, that the facility I now work in has offered NO pandemic education at all to staff according to those that I have questioned in my department and I KNOW the ICP staff are aware because we worked on the state task force together. I hope they are working diligently to get it together to mass educate folks, soon (large teaching hospital). If not, this well-educated, in-the-know, single white female will be taking another sabbatical and eating her Spam and rice at home while listening to my wind up radio and reading my stocked up novels by wind up LED light.
An experienced and LIVING RN will be able to find a job after the pandemic, I predict. A foolish and dead one taking chances during a pandemic won't be too in demand, JMO.
I burned out sooooo bad ... I'm still slightly singed around the edges!
ta-da)
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