Thread for NHS staff

[LucheroTena]

How prepared do you think your place of work is? I work clinically in large teaching hospital and not at all confident we’re ready. Outside of wards there is very little planning and yet we have massive outpatient services. Elective stuff is being limited now but nowhere near enough capacity will be created. Millions in deficit so we’re operating on skeleton workforce and even when we can recruit no one wants to work here. Dozens of calls to our small team each day from worried patients, it’s taking up so much time to answer them all on top of already manic workload. Loads of staff with symptoms that are concerning but we’re not swabbing them and 111 uninterested unless they’ve travelled. Admin staff gleeful that they might soon be ‘working’ from home when truth is it’s difficult to get them to do much work on site let alone unsupervised. It doesn’t feel as though there is much consideration for clinical staff and now we’ll no doubt also be burdened with doing the jobs of admin. Never been as close to saying stuff it and quitting.

Hi, I work for the NHS but does anyone know if I would be classed as high risk as I have had lower lobe pneumonia twice before and it’s left me with a weakened side and I have mental health issues which is causing me to feel scared and tight chested every morning I come into work.
I know everyone in same situation but any advice would be much appreciated xx

Any NHS staff who need surgical masks and gloves? I have 500 masks and over 1k surgical gloves to donate. Hospital in C London wouldn’t take them as said all their supplies are distributed centrally. Does anyone have any ideas?

I've just been sent home. Temp of 38.4 and a bit of a niggly cough. Feel like such a fraud, I would never stay off in normal circumstances, I dont feel unwell, just a bit hot and flustered. I know it's the right thing to do but I feel like I'm letting everyone down and pulling a fake sicky. Frustrating that our trust doesnt have enough swabs to test staff.

I imagine there will be lots of high risk NHS workers given that huge numbers of RN's are coming up for retirement age. Very worrying.

@Usernamealreadyexists

Maybe a local care home?

I'm really struggling as I work in a uni and I've previously been a Respiratory ward sister and matron and have non invasive ventilation experience but some time ago. Our head of nursing thinks we have enough to do. I think I could help and should help the nhs. I've written to someone in local hospital because I think fuck him!

@Usernamealreadyexists- that is very kind of you good samaritan of you to offer up your stock. As another poster said, possibly care home, GP practice, community nursing hub, hospices would take them. If you give me an idea of where in central london you are, I could like suggest specific places to call.

I've just posted this on a different thread but my day, I'm an AHP in an acute hospital

Today was vile. I'm still in my normal role for now but the anxiety around redeployment is through the roof for everyone. Some of the therapies have already been redeployed and effectively been given to the ward to do what they want with. They have to work 12 hours shifts and were being sarcastically called 'nurses' by the other staff when I was there earlier. Nursing staff were being vile to them (I guess because they don't want people who aren't skilled taking more of their time up?). The AHPs all look close to tears and have no idea what they're doing and feel really vulnerable and unsafe. We're giving it a week before they are all signed off with stress. There's no direction, virtually no PPE and we all feel really unsafe. We were also told to expect to be like this for at least 12-24 weeks. I got in the car and cried.

I'm really sorry to hear that spirdy ward nursing can be very much like that IME, your description brings back memories of my training days.

I'm sure it will improve once people get to know each other a bit more an become familiar with each others skill sets. Are they allocated to a nurse? I do find the whole idea mind boggling tbh.

No PPE is not on though. Sickness rates will go through the roof for all sorts of reasons if tat continues.

@nogo I don't think there was enough nurses for them to be allocated to but not sure. I did my bit and ran away to the next ward. The atmosphere was toxic and thick with resentment. I felt sick thinking that might be me in that situation and there is just no way I'm doing it. I guess that will make me a coward or something but I'd rather hand my notice in than be put through what I saw today day in day out for months.

We're also being told the PPE for infected patients on the corona ward is plastic aprons, gloves and surgical masks.

spirdygirdy

That's horrendous. Our OTS, psychologist etc have all been redeployed to specific wards and have to report to the ward each day. They arent on 12 hour shifts yet but have been briefed that this may be a possibility.

I've found their input very valuable, were big on proper MDT working anyway but theyve relieved a lot of pressure around keeping people entertained and occupied whilst we reduce leaves and the normal therapy groups etc are suspended.
I hope they feel part of the team, they always have been to be fair it's just now they're here all the time rather than working across multiple wards like they usually do

@FormerlyFrikadela01 that's good to hear. Are you training them to do nursing tasks too? That's where most of the anxiety is for people. They don't mind 'helping' doing things that they know such as feeding or supporting or repositioning depending on their background but the expectation is that they will do drugs, wounds, all basic care, talk to relatives about issues, sort medical issues out, do obs and deal with the info. Then there is a passive aggressive nastiness when it's clear they can't do it because they don't have skills and there's no time to teach them. Honestly I can see most people walking from my hospital.

Now clinics and ops. cancelled, what are the consultants doing?

The consultants are covering their wards so that the 'junior' drs can be redeployed elsewhere such as ITU or A&E.

Emergency surgery still continues. Also telephone consultations.

Are you training them to do nursing tasks too?

No, because we have nurses for that and providing a good level of care isnt just about nursing. So on our dementia ward it's about helping with washing and feeding etc and on the adult wards (mental health trust) its more about doing activities, exploring ways to manage anxiety around being cooped up or even just being the person that supervises the courtyard during ecig breaks. Doing a lot of that basic stuff frees up the nurses to do the nursing stuff.

I imagine a lot of it comes from people not really understanding the skill set of AHPs (we've all heard of the basket weaving OT stereorype). They're valuable, and yes they may end up doing more basic tasks but the skills come in handy so much.

Ago stepping up need support before things get worse.I expect the nursing staff are stressed because the will either be the only nurse on duty on a ward or will be redeployed to care for infected,/ventilated patients soon.

TBH I find the thought of untrained staff being thown on our ICU more stressful than having to nurse 3:1 instead of 1:1
Students are enthusiastic. but infection control is a mindset that takes practise. I already spend my days reminding people to wash their hands and thats senior medical staff. I dont want people with good intentions but no awareness wandering round increasing our risk due to cross infection. Only takes one person to contaminate their gloves, take them off the wrong way, not wash them spreading contamination around and then merrily wander into the staff room touching all the surfaces to spread this on. I could be the most diligent with PPE but if those around me arent then I am at risk.

Anyone in midwifery? Heard some hospitals are only allowing birth partner for actual birth and then they go home. No birth partners on postnatal. Our managers have said we aren't doing this but I think we should, visitors tend to give us the most risk in ordinary circumstances.

Yes @Pinkbunny2811 our trust has done this, partner allowed for the birth only, must leave immediately after. We’ve also banned all visitors on adult wards, awful for the patients but it has to be done.

I'm hoping that people understand. It's awful, I know, but necessary. I guess we'll wait till they agree it...

We are still allowing birth partner on wards at the mo. No visitors allowed anywhere else in hospital (except EOL).

We’ve been told we are allowed to wear a surgical mask in any clinical area.... is anyone? I feel I can’t hear properly with it on so I am not but definitely in the minority.

They’ve also asked for volunteers for the Nightingale. Apparently they have decided that although we will be increasing CC capacity a bit, all our COVID patients over that will go to nightingale.

Community mental health nurse here.
The ward my patient was in - who was discharged too early has now closed. They have re deployed all staff. I’m wondering if they are going to use it for corona virus patients. They are all individual rooms.
Told we don’t need PPE for giving injections in bottom or arms.
Lots os staff self isolating.
Rumours of being able to work from home some days but not materialised yet.
No patient contact unless deemed necessary.
Poor staff in Clozapine clinic - they have started calling patient patients before they come to check for symptons and doing temperatures on arrival.
Was show how to use PPE equipment if suspected in community.
This is only the beginning of a very long journey that keeps changing paths daily. Take care

My DH is moving out today to protect us - I can wfh but he needs to continue to work with frontline staff. I haven’t been apart from him in nearly a decade. I can’t stop crying. I know it is the right thing to do but it is so so painful.

@WearyandBleary that's so shit. I'm so sorry. Sending virtual hugs x