Marshfield Medical Center Nurse Shares Experiences Battling COIVD-19
Friday, December 4th, 2020 -- 2:00 PM
-The coronavirus continues to run rampant through the country, state and even here in Clark County.
Recently, employees of the Marshfield Medical Center Health System provided testimony regarding what they’re experiencing during this increase in coronavirus cases. Theresa Weiler supervises one of their COVID-19 units. She gave an emotional presentation sharing what her team is currently facing on the frontlines of the pandemic:
“Eight months ago I was asked if I would help supervise this unit and I knew it would come, but I never thought it would be like this. The last couple of months, I’ve been working closely with the staff. We started with a mix of med-surge patients and ICU Covid patients and now it’s completely an ICU unit. We see patients coming into the unit without oxygen and their lips and fingers are blue and their O2 levels are in the fifties. The staff do what they can and whatever is best for the patient, but, at times, that’s all they can do. It’s a waiting game and the patient's conditions quickly change and that makes staff on edge.”
“Staff are working long hours with limited resources, sometimes without breaks. They’re doing the jobs of ten people and are scared for the patients. They report to work and the patients are always their first priority. Nurses are picking up extra shifts, working 16-hour days, up to 8 days in a row because they feel guilty that their coworkers are working short in an already stressful situation. Staff are in tears because they feel like they’re not getting the care that they normally would because time is tight and resources are low.”
“Patients are lonely and they miss their loved ones and their families are feeling the same. The front line staff are filling this void. They’re trying to hold it together, but they are literally being pulled from every angle. Leaders are trying to help, but we feel like we’re letting down our crews by not being able to give more. As encouraging as I try to be, I’m becoming exhausted and bitter, like my crew, because of how COVID is affecting us. When it went from two patients to 13 over a weekend, my panic set in. I would help answer phones, grab medicines and do anything I could to help the staff. In my spare time, if I had any, I would try to improve things so they could take a few less steps.”
“At the end of the day, I would go home and go straight to the shower. Part of this was to protect myself and my family. But the other part was so I could go cry in the shower and finally release for the day. I’m now in a more numb state, but I wonder how long we can maintain at this pace before we crumble. Who will want to be in healthcare after this is all done? And what kind of PTSD will we all suffer? I worry about us as a whole. Staff have seen too many people die of this virus. Granted, this week, I had two patients who were able to go home after being in the hospital for 20 days, which was a huge win. But having 3 patients pass away in the same day cuts way more deep. And these are just the ones in my unit, not in the rest of the hospital.”
“They carry the burden of watching someone else die alone, hungry for air, while they themselves are concerned about their own safety and loved ones. Many of the staff are pregnant, have immunocompromised loved ones or small children that are always on their mind. I know nurses, two this week, who have been working with COVID patients and have had somebody in their family pass away. And yet, they’re still here working. We have seen patients go from talking, then to having anxiety, and then coding. Despite CPR efforts, we can’t save them. Watching them do CPR for 40 minutes on a patient in full PPE is not only exhausting physically and mentally, but it’s hard for us to watch. When they’re finally told to stop, their N95 masks literally have pourable sweat and they are drained. Yet, those same staff go and continue to care for the rest of the patients.”
“Are we going to be able to keep up with this pace? Or when will staff not have energy anymore? We have helped too many families come in and see their loved ones for the first time since being hospitalized and it’s also their last time. Families have to make decisions for their loved ones and to let them pass as comfortably as possible. Telling families they shouldn’t hug or kiss for safety reasons feels wrong. Being the decider of who gets to see their loved one is something that I never wanted to be a part of. And this is something that shouldn’t happen, but COVID is controlling us right now. My colleagues and I are stuck between a family’s last goodbye and protecting our staff and community from potential exposures.”
“I know this won’t end soon and my only hope, or request, is that you offer a hand when you can. Every little thing adds up and it could be the one blessing that keeps us from falling. We are a team and this cannot be done in fragments. We are responsible for working together and rising up when we feel like we can’t anymore. Our patients depend on it.”
Marshfield Clinic’s staff are picking up extra shifts, working long hours and doing everything they can, but they’re asking for your help. COVID-19 is very real and it is very serious. They see it every day in their hospitals. Please take this seriously and take necessary precautions to help slow the spread of COVID-19. The full video of Theresa’s testimony can be found on our Facebook pages.
Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.