Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

I won’t sacrifice myself when I can’t get a damn mask

Susan Shannon, RN
Conditions
April 4, 2020
343 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

Nurses are responsible for patient care. They are the ones at the bedside 24/7. There is no one who spends more time with individual patients. They are the ones most in danger in the coronavirus pandemic.

The news gets grimmer every day about the inevitable surge coming across the country. Forecast of death tolls in the 100,000 to 200,000 range, if not higher, is terrifying.  If the death toll is that high, imagine what the hospitals will look like?  No matter what, the nurses will be at the bedside, or will they?

Nurses have been given such mixed messages about personal protective equipment, it’s hard to know which end is up.  Wear the N95. You don’t need the N95; a simple mask is sufficient. It’s OK to wear the same mask all day while going from patient to patient. Give us your mask at the end of the day, so we can “disinfect” it.  If you are exposed to coronavirus patients, it’s OK to work until you develop symptoms.

Sorry, we are running out of masks. There won’t be enough masks. If it comes down to it, wear a bandana across your face.  You could try to fashion your own PPE like health care workers in other countries.  In other words, good luck with all this, we expect you to keep working. By the way, if you talk about any of this in public, you will be fired.  And on and on and on.

I saw a video of a nurse crying today because she had just quit her ICU job. When she came to work in a place with coronavirus ICU patients, no one was wearing masks.  She was expected to suck it up and deal with it.  She decided no, she wasn’t going to and quit.

Nurses are dying from coronavirus. Doctors, too. In Spain, according to NBC news, 10,000 health care workers have become sick with the virus, 12% of the total positive cases.

Hey, put that all aside, you’re a nurse. You knew what you were getting into, right?  Nurses (and other health care workers)  are expected to be willing to sacrifice themselves for the cause. It’s what the public expects.

Health care workers in this country are already getting sick, and we are just getting started.  A nurse in New York died last week after testing positive.  Thousands of nurses will get sick. Some will die. Their loss will put more pressure on the nurses left behind.

There will come a time when nurses will say: enough.  I won’t sacrifice myself when I can’t even get a damn mask. Then they will walk away.

Susan Shannon is a retired nurse who blogs at madness: tales of a retired emergency room nurse.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Ophthalmology in the era of COVID-19

April 4, 2020 Kevin 1
…
Next

My uncle's battle against COVID-19

April 4, 2020 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: COVID, Infectious Disease, Nursing

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Ophthalmology in the era of COVID-19
Next Post >
My uncle's battle against COVID-19

More by Susan Shannon, RN

  • COVID vaccine distribution is a fiasco

    Susan Shannon, RN
  • Who will care for the caregivers?

    Susan Shannon, RN
  • It’s time to honor those who died from COVID-19 by sharing their stories

    Susan Shannon, RN

Related Posts

  • Lip reading during the COVID-19 mask era

    Lauren Follmar
  • What does sacrifice in medicine really mean?

    Anonymous
  • Medicine rewards self-sacrifice often at the cost of physician happiness

    Daniella Klebaner
  • An outdated law is limiting our coronavirus response

    Leah Hampson Yoke, PA-C
  • Approach the gun violence epidemic like we do with coronavirus

    Charles Nozicka, DO
  • Coronavirus and my doctor daughter

    Carol Ewig

More in Conditions

  • Physician autonomy and patient interactions in corporate health care

    Michele Luckenbaugh
  • Vague criteria can lead to misdiagnosis and prison

    L. Joseph Parker, MD
  • U.S. maternal mortality crisis: a deep dive

    Alan Lindemann, MD
  • Contemporary weight loss: Unveiling the quest for elusive elixir

    Osmund Agbo, MD
  • Why patients write: stress relief, self-care, and sharing experiences

    R. Lynn Barnett
  • Misinformed claims and the offensiveness of discrediting COVID-19 vaccine development

    Angel Garcia Otano, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Reigniting after burnout: 3 physician stories

      Kim Downey, PT | Physician
    • I’m a doctor, and I almost died during childbirth

      Bayo Curry-Winchell, MD | Physician
    • I’m tired of being a distracted doctor

      Shiv Rao, MD | Tech
    • Inside the grueling life of a surgery intern

      Randall S. Fong, MD | Physician
    • Ketamine for mental health conditions: What every primary care physician needs to know

      Carlene MacMillan, MD & L. Alison McInnes, MD | Meds
    • The power of business knowledge for medical professionals

      Curtis G. Graham, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • Medical gaslighting: a growing challenge in today’s medical landscape

      Tami Burdick | Conditions
    • Balancing opioid medication in chronic pain

      L. Joseph Parker, MD | Conditions
    • I want to be a doctor who can provide care for women: What states must I rule out for my medical education?

      Nandini Erodula | Education
    • Mourning the silent epidemic: the physician suicide crisis and suggestions for change

      Amna Shabbir, MD | Physician
    • Reigniting after burnout: 3 physician stories

      Kim Downey, PT | Physician
    • 1 in 4 attempt suicide: the persecution of autistic physicians

      Patricia Celan, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • The power of business knowledge for medical professionals

      Curtis G. Graham, MD | Physician
    • Using the language of art to create work-life balance

      Sarah Samaan, MD | Physician
    • Levamisole is good for your dog, but bad for your cocaine

      Robert Killeen, MD | Meds
    • Physician autonomy and patient interactions in corporate health care

      Michele Luckenbaugh | Conditions
    • PSA screening: What you need to know [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Vague criteria can lead to misdiagnosis and prison

      L. Joseph Parker, MD | Conditions

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 1 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • Black Patients at Higher Risk for Physical Restraint in the ED
  • Compassion Is a Learnable Skill
  • When a Video Visit Leads to Real Connection
  • Smaller Lesions, Better Baseline Visual Acuity Bode Well for Submacular Hemorrhage
  • COVID Conspiracies Return; Norovirus on the Hiking Trail; 2nd Pig Heart Transplanted

Meeting Coverage

  • Loneliness Needs to Be Treated Like Any Other Health Condition, Researcher Suggests
  • Stopping Medical Misinformation Requires Early Detection
  • AI Has an Image Problem in Healthcare, Expert Says
  • Want Better Health Outcomes? Check Out What Other Countries Do
  • ERS Roundup: Cell Transplant Boosts Lung Function in COPD Patients
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Reigniting after burnout: 3 physician stories

      Kim Downey, PT | Physician
    • I’m a doctor, and I almost died during childbirth

      Bayo Curry-Winchell, MD | Physician
    • I’m tired of being a distracted doctor

      Shiv Rao, MD | Tech
    • Inside the grueling life of a surgery intern

      Randall S. Fong, MD | Physician
    • Ketamine for mental health conditions: What every primary care physician needs to know

      Carlene MacMillan, MD & L. Alison McInnes, MD | Meds
    • The power of business knowledge for medical professionals

      Curtis G. Graham, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • Medical gaslighting: a growing challenge in today’s medical landscape

      Tami Burdick | Conditions
    • Balancing opioid medication in chronic pain

      L. Joseph Parker, MD | Conditions
    • I want to be a doctor who can provide care for women: What states must I rule out for my medical education?

      Nandini Erodula | Education
    • Mourning the silent epidemic: the physician suicide crisis and suggestions for change

      Amna Shabbir, MD | Physician
    • Reigniting after burnout: 3 physician stories

      Kim Downey, PT | Physician
    • 1 in 4 attempt suicide: the persecution of autistic physicians

      Patricia Celan, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • The power of business knowledge for medical professionals

      Curtis G. Graham, MD | Physician
    • Using the language of art to create work-life balance

      Sarah Samaan, MD | Physician
    • Levamisole is good for your dog, but bad for your cocaine

      Robert Killeen, MD | Meds
    • Physician autonomy and patient interactions in corporate health care

      Michele Luckenbaugh | Conditions
    • PSA screening: What you need to know [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Vague criteria can lead to misdiagnosis and prison

      L. Joseph Parker, MD | Conditions

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

I won’t sacrifice myself when I can’t get a damn mask
1 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...