My husband has said I can quit my job if I want to.

[QueenofmyPrinces]

I’m a nurse, obviously anxious about what dangers and nightmares lie ahead, and my DH has just said that I don’t have to go to work if I don’t want to, and he’d rather us live on just one wage if it meant I could be kept safe.

Has anyone else working in hospitals ever felt so nervous about what’s to come that they’d consider leaving?

The public cares that you're not protected, i certainly do.

Like F I would be doing your job without the correct PPE. Not a chance.

You do what you need to do for the sake of yourself and your family, and if that is leave then so be it.

But now, it's basically a bin liner and a paper towel. That, apparently, is now fine. Like we believe, for one second, that epidemiology has decreed it.

Yes, isnt it a coincidence that this new "research" saying that ppe isn't required came out on the exact day the ppe ran out.

I am just off for a 13 hour day I am so scared of catching this virus we don't even have visors. My DH is immune suppressed so staying in at all times with the DC, if he caught it, it would be my fault.

When I heard about the death of the consultant yesterday I was in tears, I have doubled my anti depressants, I can't leave we don't have the money, my DH job is uncertain and I do feel the need to stay for my colleagues. When this is over I can see huge problems with nurse retention.

I so feel if I was in your position OP I would probably leave it is too hard to stay. Stay safe everyone.

I thing if you wanted to stay, you wouldn’t be thinking otherwise.

Thankyou for your help so far.

I have been thinking of you OP, hope you are doing okay.

I remember when swine flu started, we were all fit tested for masked and trained in all the correct PPE. Then the team of about 15 of us were provided with 10 masks, 10 full length aprons, and a few boxes of medium size gloves, despite some members of the team requiring small or large. We were also told not to use them up as that was all we would get! Thankfully we didn’t need them, but I can’t say I’m surprised that nothing has changed this time. Absolutely disgusted, but not surprised.

Well we’ve been hearing today from our chief executive about how many cases are in the Trust, how many deaths there have been, how ITU is overrun and how CV-19 is infiltrating all the wards in the hospital. They are saying that theatres will be closed and turned into Covid Ward, as will large parts of the A&E department. There is also talk of closing part of the paediatric unit in order to turn the wards into Covid wards.

Doctors are being sent to unfamiliar environments to work with equipment/conditions they have no experience or knowledge off, nurses are being redeployed to work on the CV wards and ITU departments with no previous experiences and all Specialist Nurses have had their jobs put on hold and instead they are being put in staff nurse uniforms and being sent where they are told.

It’s just awful.
Everyone is terrified about where things are going.

I've also been in work today and dealing directly with covid patients.

There is still some confusion about whether to wear visors etc and there are changes with resuscitation as many people will not be for resuscitation.

But morale was good, teamwork good, communication good. A bit scared but proud.

But yes every ward is earmarked fir covid patient, some are CPAP wards, some just normal care.

kingofkings- can I ask where you are in the country. Is it the same in all areas ?

I haven't RTFT but the analogy with the military is just bullshit. No soldier would be expected to face an enemy defenceless.

Also with the military. If a soldier was unfortunate to die his wife would receive a pension. NHS families won’t receive anything.

I have had the most awful experience today at work won't go into it as don't want to out myself. The PPE is dreadful so cheap you are not covered fully, been carrying out high risk procedures with this awful stuff not what I was trained for. I felt so scared at work today I wanted to leave.

No one is listening and there is so much confusion about policies. No testing yet of HCP either.

Itu’s have not been overrun in any trust yet. And they announced the plan to change theatres into Covid wards weeks ago - that’s a sensible measure no?

It is awful, it’s a pandemic. We all have our part to play as members of society

@stairway

I thibk you mean if a soldier was to die in work their partner would receive a pension.

Not all soldiers are Male. And not all soldiers are heterosexual.

That’s what I meant canofbeans, of course hopefully didn’t offend anyone there.

@stairway

My husband is a doctor and I will get his pension as well as a pay out if he dies

Maybe that’s the case for doctors, I don’t think my partner would get anything for me (nurse)

I'm sure NHS nurses get an in service death pay out too ?

I ever new about that, I hope so . Maybe it’s time to find out.

Thinking about you all on this thread.
At work today saw a patient in the outpatient setting.
Cannulated him
Spoke to him trying to maintain distance which goes out of the window cannulating so 🙃

Anyway long story short. He was confirmed as covid and was under investigation for something else.
Totally asymptomatic.
I had gloves on and that was it as we are not allowed to wear masks in the outpatient setting.
Although the masks we have are as much use as a piece of kitchen towel.

And I've got to carry on working as he was asymptomatic.
So fuck knows really. If I picked it up today i have up to 2 weeks of infecting vulnerable patients and my colleagues.
We have one of our drs on itu and a hca. Both young. We are fucked.

We really are collateral damage.

OP just get out

I painted my toenails and shaved my legs tonight. So I look presentable if I end up on itu.
That is really where my mind is at.

I want to look into a will too as I don't have one.

Oh god these stories are awful. I have signed up to go back on the emergency register as I want to help but rapidly beginning to reconsider whether I've done the right thing.

Babyroobs I think you are very brave and commendable to do it, but I also think you are mad.

As an aside, not all of us feel the way many posters on here do.

Our team morale is quite high. We are ED, front line. We have a plan for the gradual phasing of ED, we have a plan for when/if that gets overrun, we have a plan for if that plan doesn't work out. We're working towards a 'peak' mid to late April. PPE stock is fine (FFP locked away with matron though!). Quite a few absences, but testing will be rolled out soon so they will be able to return if negative. We have pathways to clear out the normal ED attendance, which has obviously dropped off a cliff anyway!

I'm not seeing terrified staff members. Anyone with concerns is voicing them and it's being discussed openly. The PPE we cannot do anything about. Its masks and gloves if you're within 2m of a suspected case, FFP if you are doing a procedure which is aerosol generating. Until the PHE change their guidance (they won't) that's what we have to work with. I'm sure matron would love to give out all of our FFP now but we wouldn't have anything left when it is needed.

We are quietly confident. And scared. But I think we are as near to ready as we're ever going to be.