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?

Is there anyway you can continue to be a nurse but do less frontline work?

@QueenofmyPrinces not sure what the manager would do, that’s their problem. But you can’t expect people to do something without the correct equipment. It’s not that I think lm better than anyone else but l know if it all goes wrong, getting some come back on the hospital or trust would be hard. This is why l don’t work on wards anymore, as l won’t let people take the piss out of me by expecting me to do the job of 3 people, crap money, demanding managers etc etc

Well 80% of us are going to get this anyway. So you could give up your career and your husband could bring the virus home from work / kids from school. We can’t all stay locked down like this for ever.

@MrsMGE- thanks. I don’t consider myself special or a hero - in fact I am cringing at some of the stuff doing the rounds at the moment. I am simply someone doing the job I chose in the profession I willingly entered into and I am following the nursing code to the best of my abilities. I am absolutely shitting bricks and having sleepless nights thinking about the next few weeks but I will it be bailing out.

@Bookoffacts - eh, do you not think nurses are trained to face death? And if they “get the army in”, who do you think will be working the ventilators and life sustaining equipment? It won’t be a squaddy, it will be the army nurses!!! And just because they are army, doesn’t mean they or their families are any less important.

I don't blame you for being scared. I would be too. I might end up not feeling proud of myself though. It might eat at me. Or it might not, I don't know, maybe i'd just be glad I was alive to enjoy feeling like it wasn't my finest hour. I don't think you're a bad nurse by the way. Obviously nobody wants to die and nobody cares more about a total stranger than they do about a member of their family.

I do agree with the military comparison though.

It’s a ridiculous comparison. When you join the armed forces you understand that due to the very nature of the role there may come a time when you will be expected to die for your country. No nurse comes into the job with the expectation that they will die.

@Doggybiccys That's my philosophy too, but I can only guess how challenging it is to keep going for you right now. You deserve the praise.

Are you in a Covid-19 ward?

But you’ve not answered my question about who will look after the sick if all nurses do what you want to do and leave?

Nobody, obviously. But thousands of nurses aren’t going to leave - I’m just wondering whether I should.

Even if every other nurse was willing to put their life on the line that doesn’t mean I’m duty bound to.

All I can think about is my children and not a single patient means more to me than they do.

You're a nurse not a martyr. You and your family come first. Ignore the judgemental idiots on here sat safely at home, leave and protect yourself and your family. No judgement from me, stay safe

There is some awful replies on this post, probably mostly from people who do not work in the medical profession.

You are human, you are putting yourself in the front line, you are increasing the risk of you and your family getting the virus, there are young and old people dying from this disease, so are you being unreasonable to have concerns NO, because your human and you love your family more than anything.

Your husband sounds very supportive, but only you can decide what risk you are willing to take. If you can afford to live on one wage is it worth maybe renting a small flat, hotel room while the pandemic is at it's height save increasing the risk for your family as you are a critical worker who is very much needed at this time.

Are you in a Covid-19 ward?

Not yet - but we are all being re-deployed to the wards/ICU units that need us.

Even if I wasn’t - I would still be exposed to hundreds of people a week who may be harbouring the virus.

I’m a police officer so although I’m obviously not in the same position I do understand the concept of facing tough and dangerous situations. To be honest I don’t feel like a very brave person but I knew when I started that I would be working through horrible times. Although I worry about the impact of this situation on my family I also feel a very strong sense of loyalty to my team. If I left now I would probably get on with my life no problem but I would always have the guilt lingering - that I bailed when I was needed most. And if you’ve never worked in the emergency services or military ( or similar) I don’t think you really appreciate what’s involved ... it’s not like an office job. I don’t think leaving would make me feel very good about myself

The country will survive without you, OP. Do what's best for your family.

If you want to quit then do. Your family is most important to you, you shouldn't feel guilty about that. Wishing you luck for making your decision

MIL is a nurse and I just want her to stay home. I know it's selfish.

I don't blame you OP and I wouldn't judge you at all.

Thank you everyone for your thoughts. I will think on them, sleep on it and see how I feel in the morning.

I would be scared too. If you want to leave then do so.

If the funds aren’t there for the correct equipment then they simply aren’t there

The government is hosing money at this virus. I thought the issue was the supply chain, not funding.

Your call OP, if you can afford to live without the money. I work in a GP surgery as an ANP, we are expecting a flood of calls from care homes and older people who are isolating requesting home visits and cannot refuse. If I don't go in, I let my practice manager and senior partner down, as well as the patients. If I were in their position, this would be hugely disappointing.

DD is an A&E nurse. She has a few days off now and will back on Friday night on the front line in a busy department. Tbh I know she is dreading this, but has managed to find a silver lining. Because all the pubs are closed there will hopefully be fewer binge drinkers coming in to waste their time. This means they can look after those who are ill and give better care.

@Coyoacan cant help your poor comprehension

I didnt say nurses receive the same training as the military person. Im talking about our expectations, no we dont expect anyone to run from the field whether a hospital or battlefield when there are lives at risk... And they are most needed.

I was very clear that our expectations can be unfair and unreasonable because dealing with lives is tough... But it is a moral call, ppl can respond or turn it down

I’d have walked by now. It’s a dog eat dog world and you have to look after you and yours because nobody else will. I’ve done exactly that and I feel zero guilt.

Have a great sleep, OP.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

I too am on the frontline OP.

I completely understand where your coming from. The government can't even give us proper ppe ffs!!

My mum rang me crying the other night begging me to quit. She said i could get the virus, end up dying whilst also spreading it to my nearest and dearest in my own household. Whilst my mother will lose her daughter, to everyone else I'm just another number/statistic.

Its all good and well others saying its what 'nurses do'. Would you honestly put your own life, husbands life and kids life in direction danger without even having the correct ppe?! To save the life of strangers youd risk your own babies? You wouldnt.

So therefore i entirely understand OP.

That being said i will be staying in post on the frontline giving my niche key skills to patience. But i won't lie, I'm not doing it for them. I'm doing it for my colleagues. Patients can be abusive and rude (or lovely depending), the government treat us like shit. So no i wouldn't give my life for them. But i would for many of my colleagues. The people i see day in and day out. Many of whom are my best friends. I couldn't walk away and leave them in the trenches. They are my loved ones. I will stand by my team no matter what.

If i had babies i may feel differently though. Don't think id risk them losing a mum so another person i didn't know could have theirs. That maybe be selfish but im guessing a lot of mothers may feel that way. But I'm not a mum.

We are all scared. Do what's right for you.