Chicago Nurse Imaris Vera has recently quit her job due to the safety of the nurses. Vera decided to express her frustration via Instagram saying, “I chose 𝓂𝓎 𝓁𝒾𝒻𝑒 today…
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& my family members who have pre-existing conditions that wouldn’t get a ventilator if they contracted #COVID19 from me
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I had a different idea in mind when I got to my #ICU this morning; I expected to see ALL OF OUR #NURSES & STAFF wearing #N95 masks but 𝙣𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝘼𝙉𝙔𝙏𝙃𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙊𝙉…
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Each ICU room had ‘make-shift’ ante-rooms attached to them created with plastic tarp & massive amounts of tape..
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A charge Nurse was passing out single N95 masks to nurses with a brown paper bag for them to store their mask in which was to be in inside their plastic ante-rooms & to 𝙗𝙚 𝙧𝙚-𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚-𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙙𝙖𝙮…
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I asked “well what if there’s possible contamination to that N95 mask..? What about my safety”
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My manager told me “well our staff safety is our main priority right now … if we get enough masks, we may consider having staff wear surgical masks in the weeks to come..”
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I replied, “But it’s Airborne… those surgical masks won’t protect us ..”
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My manager then tells me “ we’ve kept up with the CDC & it is only when the COVID patient has any aerosol type treatments like a ventilator, nasal cannula, nebulizer etc that’s it’s airborne..otherwise it’s droplet ..”
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I replied “& 90% of our patients are intubated, paralyzed, & positive for COVID.. people not even in the hospital environment are spreading it .. we have to assume everyone is infected..especially in the hospital environment, & 𝕟𝕠 𝕠𝕟𝕖 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟 𝕙𝕒𝕤 𝕒 𝕕𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕝𝕖𝕥 𝕞𝕒𝕤𝕜 𝕠𝕟”
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I then told her of nurses wearing a surgical droplet masks on their units & now intubated & fighting for their lives …
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Tears were streaming down my face & fog in my glasses at this point..
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I thought to myself.. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘶𝘺 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴..?
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I asked one last time pleading with tears in my eyes..
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“Can I please just wear 𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐍𝟗𝟓 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐤… I understand we have a shortage but I have my OWN ”
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My manager told me that they couldn’t allow me to wear it.
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So I gave report, & left.
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America is NOT prepared & Nurses are NOT safe.
Plz DM me any telehealth jobs.”
Check the full video out below.
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