In the above video travel nurse, Emily Bryant went live on The Gypsy Nurse Facebook group to share her experience as an ER travel nurse at a Rhode Island COVID 19 hospital.
Treating everyone as positive
At the hospital Emily is currently working at they are treating every patient that comes into the ER as positive until they have reason to believe they’re not positive.
Updates to the hospital to accommodate COVID-19 cases
Emily talks about how the hospital has made policy and procedural changes almost daily as things change. They are reserving their negative pressure rooms for patients that will need to be intubated or code patients. She also mentioned that all rooms have been stripped of their supplies and equipment because if the patient is positive all of the items in that room would need to be thrown out.
All Admits Swabbed
Emily said that all patients are being swabbed for COVID-19 on admission unless they are very asymptomatic. They are using precautions with every patient.
Staff procedures
As far as changes for the hospital staff of the COVID 19 hospital, as with many if not all hospitals and facilities staff must take their temperature before each shift.
PPE
As far as PPE, Emily says that the staff wears N95 masks for rule out, otherwise they are to wear surgical masks all shift. It appears they have enough surgical masks as far as she can tell. Isolation gowns used at her hospital are reusable, so they are washed and reused. She said they use their N95 masks until they need to be replaced.
Community Outreach
Emily says that the community around the hospital has been great. They have provided many meals for the staff at the hospital. Catering companies bring in food, family members order in catering for staff and children are sending in ornaments to decorate their departments.
COVID-19 Resources
We hope that you have found this video from Emily helpful. If you would like to read more COVID-19 articles click here. If you would like to look for a position at a COVID 19 hospital click here.
Our hope is that by providing these videos from fellow travel nurses not only do you feel connected, but to also see that you are not alone in your positions now.
