I understand the Ebola fears circulating. I really do. It's a scary, horrifying disease and just because it isn't ravaging the US yet doesn't mean it can't. People need to take precautions, educate themselves, and not be dumbasses. An incredibly tall and impossible request, it would seem.
I'm continually amazed at how derp people are. I mean, marching into the ER with the N-100 mask ordered from the interwebz to "help me breathe good," demanding a pair of gloves from the triage nurse and then proceeding to keep the same pair of gloves on for the entire visit -EVEN IN THE BATHROOM - is not how any sort of infection is avoided. Loftily telling me that you don't want to sit on the stretcher because "that where a-bola people might sit" is not how to avoid getting sick. Come on, people. Whether it's Ebola or the regular flu or any other communicable disease, not acting like an idiot is the single best thing people can do to not catch something.
I suggested proper handwashing instead of gross glove wearing, and sneezing techniques that don't involve the spraying of snot all over everyone, gave education on the reality of Ebola, recommended a flu vaccine, and - and this is where I got cut off, because she goes "whatever, I know what I doin."
I can't win.
But here's a word of wisdom from me. You don't want Ebola? STAY THE FUCK OUT OF THE ER FULL OF SICK PEOPLE. Don't come in for your made-up complaint, angling for norco, and then bitch to me about how gross the ER is. Guh.
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One day I woke up and realized I'm not a baby nurse anymore. I'm not even a young nurse. I'm a real adult who has now been doing this for years, and I'm definitely expected to know what I'm doing at all times. And that's fucking terrifying.
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HIPAA. Trust and believe, these stories are halfway made-up and halfway made up of lots of other stories. I will protect patient privacy like it's my job. Because it is.
Many of the photos showing mundane things are ones I took. As for memes and other google picture search images, I've been horribly bad at photo crediting - I will be attempting to go back through and properly credit things or remove them if I can't. But rest assured, ain't no real patient pictures up here, folks.
While I appreciate those reading the blog, I don't advertise for any website. I can only be responsible for my own opinion, and thus politely decline any offer to "host a post" or otherwise advertise something not written by me...But thanks anyway!
Many of the photos showing mundane things are ones I took. As for memes and other google picture search images, I've been horribly bad at photo crediting - I will be attempting to go back through and properly credit things or remove them if I can't. But rest assured, ain't no real patient pictures up here, folks.
While I appreciate those reading the blog, I don't advertise for any website. I can only be responsible for my own opinion, and thus politely decline any offer to "host a post" or otherwise advertise something not written by me...But thanks anyway!
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3 comments:
A week ago my primary care doctor asked me what I thought about ebola. I assume that he wanted to open up a conversation to quell any fears I might have. I told him that he had a lot more to worry about than I did. He almost busted a gut laughing. I'm in the Howie Mandell camp on this one. At this point in the game I have no intension of sponge bathing and ebola patient. I'm not worried. If it gets to the point that I do need to worry I'll use the protections that I used when I was neutropenic from chemo. Stay home, avoid public bathrooms and buffets. Carry Clorox wipes with me for the things that I can't avoid touching like the gas pump and the hand rail on escalators. Peel fruit, wash vegetables in a mild Clorox bath... For the love of all things holy, we aren't living in a third world country.
LOL! We had a security guard that wore gloves all the time. The same gloves everywhere because of germs. Sigh! I can't even imagine what was on those damn things after a day in the hospital. Yuck.
Like the lottery, Ebola is a societal tax on stupid people who also suck at math.
It will be a thing to not worry about when there aren't any active cases anywhere in the world, and not before.
"Not living in a third world country" as a defense is most likely going to see THP-Dallas bankrupt and shuttered, as by one current account, their 968-bed top-tier acute care hospital has a current patient census in the single digits.
Others may stay and play if they like. Ebola comes in and I go out is my motto. I've seen our expertise in action.
The derp from the patients and family pales when compared to the derp from hospital administration and floor-level supervision, and you can't even complain about it if you're dead.
I'm glad the current U.S. outbreak is over (so far, until the next Duncan or Spencer brings more here). But we're all at the mercy of the biggest Gilligans in the group on this, in perpetuity, and the poker chips at stake are every day of the rest of your life.
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