Corona virus and A&E

[Howmanysleepsnow]

Would you attend A&E at present for MH reasons?
I ask as a nurse on a zero hours contract. I last worked 10 days ago, and am currently self isolating. I need to decide whether to pick up shifts in 5 days (assuming no symptoms). It was much quieter than normal 10 days ago, mental health wise, but no idea what it’s like now. 10 days ago the nearest hand sanitizer was a 10 minute walk from our office, and MH nurses couldn’t access gloves/ aprons let alone masks.
I’m scared (and suffer from depression and anxiety which has lead me to feel suicidal previously, for full disclosure). Not for me but for my family (no major conditions but 1dc has an inhaler and dh is on immunosuppressants).
If there’s a real need, I’d go in (but be terrified). If need is reduced then it seems an unnecessary risk.
Disclaimer: as I’m not a member of the team I have no way of knowing how it’s functioning/ if any safeguards are in place until I turn up.
Please don’t hate me.

Surely in the current climate, all nurses are protected in some way. Are you seeing patients without knowing their background? If none MH nurses are caring for these patients without ppe then it'll be ok for you to? They will have been assessed before you see them. Maybe phone the nurse bank or whoever you work for and ask for clarification? It's a difficult one and I don't blame you for being scared

It’s an agency. They don’t know. General nurses employed by the trust have ppe, but we don’t have access to where it’s stored (MH is a separate trust). Patients attending to see MH are triaged (triage nurses have PPE) and referred to us without being treated unless they’ve overdosed. We don’t know their history and have to see within an hour once referred.

At least that’s how it was when I was last in. And we had a ward full of suspected cases, plus some confirmed at that time.

Hence why I thought I’d ask here. I don’t want to let people down if demand is there, but equally don’t fancy a 12 hour shift without protection.
Sorry for multiple posts, I’m pretty anxious atm!

Can you ring the ward or office where you would be based? There is no point panicking and anxious at home, when you could just call. Not always easy i know but people on here are unlikely to know what's going on in your specific trust and specific hospital. What we know of the virus shows that people are shedding virus without symptoms so you need to know from the horses mouth. Most places I am sure now have ppe for everyone seeing patients but I can't speak for everyone

I suppose. I’m just worried about how it’ll look too, as I’m not employed by them but still feel part of the team and am not acting like a team player IYSWIM.
The other side of opting out is no pay, and no pay if I’m off sick either on a zero hours contract (no SSP, no unemployment allowance, nothing) whereas staff directly employed would get full pay if off sick.

Has anyone been to A&E recently?
Would you if needed?

I went to A&E last Tuesday for treatment after self harming as I needed an x-ray/ stitches etc but did also see the mental health team. It was quieter than usual and I don’t think there were many cases of corona virus in the hospital yet but the number of cases is obviously increasing a lot day by day so I am trying very hard not to self harm and thus have to go into A&E again whilst this is happening, but I don’t know if I will be successful or not.

Would add that if I am trying to avoid self harming so I don’t need to go to A&E or to at least not self-harm badly enough that I can’t treat at home with steri-strips, but if I do end up self harming badly and needing stitches I will still go.

Thanks @BillysMyBunny. Hope you can cope without and that if you do self harm you can have your wounds tended quickly and leave safely. I also hope you are able to access RL support.

The fact you're worrying so much shows you're a team player and care about your co workers, agency or not. You have no obligation to work there but you obviously want to help out. It's so hard at a time like this to be rational I know.
You have been self isolating and you now need to know what the situation is. You don't have to put yourself at risk if you don't need to. Just ring them and see what's happening.

I say this as a nurse who recently came off the register to be a SAHM and have declined to rejoin to help in the effort against CV19. I don't want to put myself and my family at risk (as well as hating nursing for the last 5 years and was finally in a position to jack it all in!!!)

Anyone else?