ER Nurses In Detroit - Page 2

mimomof4 · ‎03-08-2018

I have a relative who is an ER Dr in Detroit. He has worked in the Detroit hospitals for over 20 years. He is calling them a war zone right now. He has no idea what he is coming in contact with on a daily basis. As a result he sent his family to quarantine away from him.

Also have a friend who is a nurse (not in Detroit) and hadn't worked ER in 20 years but last weekend went back to working in ER and found it very humbling. On her shift an ER nurse passed away from COVID.

I realize that the nurses are overworked especially in Detroit but at the same time you can only bring in those who are trained as well. Its a difficult situation.

LoveMyBaby · ‎03-09-2010

One doesn't abandon ship during a pandemic. Especially during a pandemic. You just don't. They all need to find a different career.

⚓️

JackieHN · ‎09-23-2011

Major shopper, they know what they signed up for. Did they think it was going to be peaches and cream. Or that this was the first epidemic we ever had. There's always been a nursing shortage. I walked into 25 admissions with no beds and the ambulance didn't stop and I had 6 nurses. I told them we are going to get through tonight and then there will be H##l to pay tomorrow. They kept on asking me what are you going to do. I said you'll see. Called my ADN and said how did you leave me this mess with no staff. She said she did her best. I said no you didn't/. Protest assignment forms will be on your desk tomorrow then to the union. In the meantime I called the nursing office and they pulled a nurse from the floors to take care of the admitted patients to free up my nurses. We got through the shift and I did as promised. We got more staff from the day shift. Plus they instituted voluntary overtime. It took one crazy nurse with alot of nerve to get this done. First you take care of your patients, then your nurses. I worked 8pm-8am. I am quite sure the nursing administrator who was on in this Detroit hospital was under a lot of scrutiny if she is still there. Once things get to the news your out.

summer4me · ‎10-06-2019

Rather than be critical I lean to compassion. Perhaps the nurses who walked out were worn out and just couldn't handle any more. They haven't dealt with anything on this level and they broke.

I have a relative who is a nurse in a hospital in another city who is getting Detroit's overflow and also a relative who is a mortician and both of them have said...you just wouldn't believe.

tsavorite · ‎03-09-2010

@JackieHN This is what should have happened....when I saw them on the news (local) here I felt so sad for the patients they abandoned and then the other nurses they left even more short handed. Truly deplorable behavior. I wish they would have handled it the way you did when this kind of thing happens.

What a awesome nurse you are! And thank you for being one....you truly are a special kind of person to do a job like this under any and all circumstances.

Snoopp · ‎02-02-2015

I know in my area they are overwhelmed and are sending home health aides from hospice and home care to the hospital. The nursing staff is very busy and can’t go. They are still admitting patients.

I saw a story where 3 orthopedists were helping on the Covid floor working in teams managing the “proning” of patients on ventilators, so that the er doctors could treat the sick. It was a big help and saved lives.

Snoopp · ‎02-02-2015

@summer4me wrote:
Rather than be critical I lean to compassion. Perhaps the nurses who walked out were worn out and just couldn't handle any more. They haven't dealt with anything on this level and they broke.

I have a relative who is a nurse in a hospital in another city who is getting Detroit's overflow and also a relative who is a mortician and both of them have said...you just wouldn't believe.

I think it’s wrong for nurses to walk out in a crisis. Think about the patients.

JackieHN · ‎09-23-2011

You think I don't know what they are going through. I had the aids epidemic. We didn't even know what we were dealing with All we knew that all of these young people were dying of pneumonia. No staff, no protective equipment. ER jammed every night. I just know that when you walk through those doors you complete your shift. You don't leave your patients and put further strain on your fellow nurses. This is really rough. I understand. I put my name on the volunteer list to go to work again. You really think I want to walk through the fire again?? I know they need help. That's why I am doing it.

on the bay · ‎03-09-2010

Not all nurses in every state has a union nor a protest of assignment form.

It is also quite different being a nurse with 10 critical patients and a charge nurse who has yes a difficult job of managing, still not the same.

It really shocks me that anyone would judge or condemn any nurse dealing with this virus now, many times without adequate protection, thru no fault of their own, who then has to go home to their family, maybe with children.

Nurses working over their usual 13 hours, sometimes 24 hour shifts now, day after most day.

I defy anyone to do this retired or not and do this without breaking down. Then you deserve an opinion. Until you are a nurse right now on the front lines, you have no legitimate say in this. You really don't.

This is not like anything any have experienced. Not, AIDS nothing!

Every single nurse deserves protection and care and compassion too! They are not robots. They are human beings and I bet all of them start out with the higest of intentions to care for their patients. They all are doing their best and for some, until they could do no more.

It doesn't sound like any here are a nurse now on these front lines who are calling these nurses anything but heroes! None! Retired doesn't count.

If you were a nurse on the front lines with this virus, you wouldn't be commenting on these boards. You would be too exhausted and have to go back again tomorrow for as long as you can.

"If you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you'll learn things you never knew. Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains? can you paint with all the colors of the wind?"

deedledeedeedle · ‎05-27-2014

Those of you chastising these EC RNs in the inner city of Detroit: Shame on you!

You have no idea what you are talking about, even fellow RNs. Detroit hospitals during this pandemic are worse than an episode of MASH, people. There have been many doctors and RNs come out of retirement to help. My hospital is starting hazard pay and importing out of state RNs. They are paying for hotel rooms so staff doesn't bring home Covid to their loved ones. We are now told if you are re-assigned temporarily from your position (OR nurses, for example) and you refuse to care for Covid patients you are fired on the spot. I know of no other profession where this occurs.

dee

ETA: In my system there are 1500 workers out due to exposure (out of 38,000 employees for 8 hospitals). MI has lost 1 physician and 3 RNs to death whose families chose to share their stories of ultimate sacrifice due to this #$&^( virus.