Pretty much everyone has been affected by the COVID-19 response. There is debate about whether or not we are prepared to deal with a pandemic.
We have been told to "flatten the curve" and "help healthcare professionals by staying at home." Only "essential employees" should be working; people should only be out and about for groceries, no groups bigger than 5 to 10 people, etc. There have been clear guidelines. There have been unclear guidelines.
Hospitals are working to acquire more supplies, worried about what the pandemic could mean for them and the community when it peaks. Beds, ventilators, isolation PPE. They want to be prepared for the worst. Non-essential or elective surgeries are being postponed. Visitors are being restricted. Healthcare professionals are having their leave rescinded. They are being screened before and after shifts. And, in many places, this is pre-emptive. In other places, especially with very large populations, the identified infections have begun.
Talking to an OBGyn, she said that she is not sure what good gathering more ventilators will really do. We don't only have a supply/resource deficit in some areas. We also have a healthcare professional deficit in some areas. An OBGyn does not know how to use a ventilator beyond basic theoretical knowledge.
Meanwhile, although practicing proper hygiene and infection control is important, the overall response to the COVID-19 crisis has made it harder for healthcare professionals to be human. And, we are human. We need groceries. We need opportunities to relax. We need to know our families are safe.
Student nurses and student doctors are not allowed in clinical rotations. These healthcare professionals in training are able to provide a great amount of support and care when under the supervision of a licensed professional. Yet, this resource has been taken away.
We might have beds. We might have the supplies. We might have the vents. Do we have the personnel? And, what are we doing to keep them?
We have been told to "flatten the curve" and "help healthcare professionals by staying at home." Only "essential employees" should be working; people should only be out and about for groceries, no groups bigger than 5 to 10 people, etc. There have been clear guidelines. There have been unclear guidelines.
Hospitals are working to acquire more supplies, worried about what the pandemic could mean for them and the community when it peaks. Beds, ventilators, isolation PPE. They want to be prepared for the worst. Non-essential or elective surgeries are being postponed. Visitors are being restricted. Healthcare professionals are having their leave rescinded. They are being screened before and after shifts. And, in many places, this is pre-emptive. In other places, especially with very large populations, the identified infections have begun.
Talking to an OBGyn, she said that she is not sure what good gathering more ventilators will really do. We don't only have a supply/resource deficit in some areas. We also have a healthcare professional deficit in some areas. An OBGyn does not know how to use a ventilator beyond basic theoretical knowledge.
Meanwhile, although practicing proper hygiene and infection control is important, the overall response to the COVID-19 crisis has made it harder for healthcare professionals to be human. And, we are human. We need groceries. We need opportunities to relax. We need to know our families are safe.
Student nurses and student doctors are not allowed in clinical rotations. These healthcare professionals in training are able to provide a great amount of support and care when under the supervision of a licensed professional. Yet, this resource has been taken away.
We might have beds. We might have the supplies. We might have the vents. Do we have the personnel? And, what are we doing to keep them?
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