I'm an ex ITU nurse and I don't want to go back

[MozzchopsThirty]

I know I am totally BU
And I could care for a vented patient
And the guilt is awful

I've been out of there for 8 years and there is talk amongst our management of redeploying staff with ITU experience

But I don't want to go
I don't want to risk my own health and my family's health by working long hours in a stressful environment with not enough protection

@ThrowingGoodAfterBad Chinese society is trying to provide face masks to NHS now. I hope this can be done soon.

Do you realise how long it takes for the recruitment process in the NHS. Easily 6 weeks plus. Even if I was to volunteer tomorrow, I would need IT privileged, which are only given after a training course (even if you've had 6 months off). I'd need to redo my IV training, blood products training, etc. In fact, you even need a course to pass NG tubes now, despite it being a core skill when I was a student nurse.

I'd need training on the new vents... and those who think 'well just look after the ones on high dependency...', let me tell you that two sick HDU patients is a whole lot harder (and more dangerous) than one sick but stabilised ITU patient.

No one forces anyone into a career.

Masks should be easy projects for kids to make while off school

ex theatre and recovery nurse. I didn't go back after taking a career break to have children. I did enquire about a return last year, but they've consolidated the training universities and I didn't want to travel an hour to go back to college (primary school aged children and limited childcare). I'm not that keen to have that career any longer.

I could go back and help - possibly working at care assistant level but it would have to be when DH is home - he works away for weeks at a time. To be honest I'm done with nursing and setting up an online shop at the moment that's going well and I'd rather do that, but it's extraordinary times.

I can socially distance my family for as long as we need, but not if I go back to healthcare. I know we're not at the at risk group but is it worth my out of date skills to help a handful of strangers and balance that with a risk to my own family?

I'd probably help if I'm in the useful group. But I won't like it.

The ffp3 masks only work if they fit well and everyone that wears them should be fit-tested to make sure it does. If you fail the fit test (basically, you taste the nasty spray they spray that you shouldn't be able to taste) then you shouldn't be working with patients who require that level of isolation.

Morale is low and NHS staff are woefully under equipped and underfunded to fight a pandemic. Our NHS staff cannot get protective equipment or testing for themselves while the government is throwing billions at business losses. Where is the proper support for frontline staff?

I saw on the news that 13 doctors have died of Coronavirus in Italy - and the news report revealed that a 38 year old A&E doctor on life support. This is the reality that doctor are facing

ok, it was just a thought.

We signed up to do a job for when the shit hits the fan and in the better times.

No one wants to die and hopefully no healthworkers will if we all maintain our PPE and practice safely.

Well don’t go, why are you posting to up to sixteen million people to tell them? We don’t need to know

Why be so fucking nasty? Should everyone have their posts approved by you before they can post? Ffs.

And it was a lovely thought, but the reality is that if it's the difference between contracting the virus and not, nobody is going to want to wear a mask that a child has made to keep them busy while they're off school.

"No one wants to die and hopefully no healthworkers will if we all maintain our PPE and practice safely."

Yup, that's gone really well for Italy...

While ordinarily I would agree with you this is extraordinary times. I think anyone with any ICU experience has a moral obligation to help. At work we have two senior managers who have experience with ventilator production / design / delivery - our employer is basically paying them to work for a company that produces ventilators so that company doesn’t have to.

So don’t go then.

I'm a specialist nurse now but was a senior sister in ICU for many years. I'm preparing to be redeployed there, and I know with my past experience that I can offer so much to that area that I wouldn't have it any other way. I must say I would much much rather be in ICU with a known COVID-19 patient than on a ward where anyone could pass the virus on, as I'll have full PPE and be so much more risk aware. We are talking of having 1 trained ICU nurse to 3-4 patients, and ward nurses under our direct supervision, it takes about a year to be a competent ICU nurse usually, and that's without additional competencies.. so to a ward nurse coming in to support, I really do feel for you, but you would be under the supervision of trained ICU nurses.
I don't know about where you are but we do have a reassuring amount of PPE at the moment....

Hopefully some others who have been called back will help - but you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do 🤷🏻‍♀️

You are all amazing - I’m so humbled reading this. Here I am worrying about keeping the dc’s entertained and there are people on here going to work in hospitals every day putting themselves at risk.

I am fast starting to realise what a coward I am. I really hope after all this the nhs workers get the pay rise they truly deserve.

OP - I don’t blame you

I’m one of the ones who will be temporarily registered and I am afraid

It’s so easy for people to sit and judge, whilst they are in their homes with their families. Do whatever is right for you.

Easy to tell who has worked in the NHS and who hasn't on these posts.

"Don't go then" - usually nurses are employed by the hospital as a whole, not a particular area. This isn't a case of picking what we 'want' to do and what we don't want to. This is an unprecedented (sick of that word!) situation. People will be sent to cover wherever is short in the hospital.

And OP I don't blame you for not wanting to at all, we are running out of masks, eye protection, hand sanitizer and disinfectant at my hospital, it's like a bad dream.

For those slagging off nurses may i suggest that you retrain as itu nurses so you can do good during the next pandemic.

Quite. It’s easy to tell others what they should do when you yourself don’t have the requisite skills so know that you’re safe from being expected to step up.

Plenty of healthcare workers have died in Italy.

There isn't enough of the right kind of ppe, so staff are being put at risk.

At the moment I am at work and doing my best, but I don't judge people who aren't. I hate the myth being spread around that you're only a good nurse if you are willing to sacrifice every bloody part of yourself to do an unappreciated and underpaid job.

Also, a couple of weeks ago we were deemed an "unskilled" profession by the government. Is it any wonder nurses feel unappreciated?

A friend of mine is a surgeon. All her lists have been cancelled and she is now focusing preparation for coronavirus. She fears some of her patients could die without surgery. Thanks to all of you working in the NHS you all work so hard. I hope when this is over something will be done to recompense you. Lessons will have to be learnt about funding. It is shameful that essential equipment is in short supply.

I understand your reluctance.

I'm a final year nursing student.

I've just read an email from unison breaking down the plan for temporary register. I either accept - will have very limited supervision and "might" be transferred onto the permanent register after this crisis has ended.

Or if I decline, I have to pause my studies because there is no capacity to support students in hospital HCL. I will return be expected to restart my final year again in the next academic year.

In the notes to accompany the emergency temporary bill, the govt estimate there are 18k final year students eligible to support. The assumption is 100% will say yes. The current nurse shortage is 44k so still not enough.

Paramedic students have been advised that their training has officially paused. They are being offered an enhanced rate to work on the wards as healthcare assistant's.

I'm not trying to guilt you into anything, I'm just outlining what else is happening. Please do what's right for you and your family.

We have no PPE stuffedpepper!

I am a GP and work in OOH. We have actually none.

We are at risk as GPs.

I could increase my hours but I would have to increase my indemnity payments. This has not been addressed by the government though I'm sure it could be signed off in an afternoon. I would do this and take the hit if I felt safe and supported. I am a locum and we get no death in service. This too has not been addressed. Add in no PPE and we're in freefall.

Meanwhile Mumsnet starts a campaign about how 'GPs are shit at HRT', someone on FB just told me that NHS kids are having an 'educational advantage' on account of the hub schools (no sign of them here) and greedy idiots strip out the supermarket so workers and the elderly can't buy basics. Oh and Richard Branson gets a bailout.

You couldn't write it.

OP I wouldn't do anything you don't want to do. All this offering NHS workers free drinks is just window dressing. We need proper PPE, proper rest breaks during shifts, some kind of legal cover if things don't go well in the pressure cooker situation (don't think we won't get sued afterwards!) and some respect from the government which should be reflected in how they address their priorities.

Completely understand OP.

Bluntness, I often wonder why you’re broadcasting on here but I don’t question because you have the right to do so, just as OP does.