| Despatches From The Front Line part One: 10:20 - Mar 26 with 20618 views | BlueBadger |
So, first day back at work yesterday following the escalations of the past 10 days or so.
Very much a 'calm before the storm' atmosphere at [redacted] hospital.
We now have TWO Critical Care Units - Main ITU is now the 'hot' ITU - anyone with actual Covid-19 or strongly suspected will be in here and 'cold'(a former outpatient area close by) is for anything non-Covid-y. At Present.
There's two 'cohort' wards up and running for the unwell-but-non-critical crowd and final preparations for fitting out a third being completed as well as the 8-bedded 'Isolation' ward that we already have.
A&E and the Assesment Unit are eerily slow - with the pubs shut and 'soft lockdown' in place our two main sources of timewasters, sorry 'inappropriate attenders', - drunks and the Worried Well are nowhere to be seen at present.
Anyone who can be decanted out home(or elsehwhere) has been.
Other patients needing ongoing inpatient care are dispersed elsewhere - rather concerningly, a number of very sick, long-time liver patients are currently residing on our 'winter escalation' ward, which is a cobbled-together team of various nursing staff from all corners of the building plus some really rather (I'm going to be generous here) poorly supported junior doctors and a nice-but-not-very-dynamic locum consultant - I was called there three times yesterday with a very unwell individual with some very complicated issues. thankfully, this individual has now been transferred to a more appropriate environment on one of our 'cold' general medical wards.
All elective surgery is effectively cancelled and a lot of 'specialist' nursing services are releasing staff in order to redeploy elsewhere - the main beneficiary of this has been the Critical Care Unit - several staff have left there in recent times to take up these roles and now being recalled to the mothership(and are generally happy to do so, it should be adde), in addition to this, a number of former staff who've moved out of the trust to do things in the private sector are returning to the fold on short-term contracts.
The PDN's(Professional Development Nurses) on ITU have a particularly challenging job ahead of them over the next week or two, training up theatre staff to become 'conscripted' Critical Care nurses. They will definitely be glad when the 'phone war' is over.
Very few, if any, retirees have returned - in the words of one of the wisest consultants I know 'we're seeing the return of those who went 'sideways' with their careers but not those those who retired 'broken".
From a personal point of view, it was a very odd day - finding out the the last patient that I personally admitted into Critical Care turns out to be Covid-19 positive - which means I've definitely had one confirmed exposure and throws my 'head cold' of 7 days ago into a whole new light - I'm still not convinced I've had it as my own symptoms weren't wholly 'textbook'(given that we don't really have much a Covid textbook yet), but it adds another little voice to the back of the mind.
My own team of Critical Care Outreach nurses(we act as 'eyes and ears' for Critical Care, providing support with the sickest on the wards, in a nutshell) are currently 'doubled up' on all shifts for the foreseeable future - which is quite nice as it's usually a pretty lonely job working solo, particularly at night and, as with 'proper' ITU some of our former team members are returning to the fold temporarily. How long the 'doubling up' will last is anyone's guess - I personally suspect that myself and a few other colleagues will be redeployed to Critical Care at some point.
PPE remains something of a bone of contention, with guidelines changing on a seemingly daily basis, but a consensus is developing on a few things, such as PPE during cardiac arrest and for the confirmed cases and those required procedures which are likely to 'aerosol'.
Visiting hours are hit hard - no visiting at all to critical care and extremely restricted elsewhere.
A few reminders however, that life goes on - I spend a very nice half hour yesterday helping a post C-Section lady(and new baby) to her waiting partner's car, several wards are still holding Easter raffles and one of our most treasured volunteers(a young lad with a learning disability) is still offering smiles and compliments(but has stopped offering fist bumps) on the quality of one's hairstyling to all who pass him.
Oh, and the WRVS sweetshop-in-the-broom-cupboard is still open, albeit on reduced hours as all the over-60 volunteers are very sensibly staying away.
Back in again for a few hours over Friday evening to make up some lost hours from a cancelled study day then it's a full weekend on nights Saturday and Sunday.
Stay safe out there, stay home.
[Post edited 26 Mar 2020 13:57]
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| Desptaches From The Front Line part One: on 10:22 - Mar 26 with 14719 views | Steve_M |
It's interesting to know what preparations are in place but, yes, can see how it is very much 'calm before the storm' at the moment.
Best wishes to you and your colleagues. |  |
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| Desptaches From The Front Line part One: on 10:23 - Mar 26 with 14695 views | giant_stow |
Fascinating stuff. Cheers mr and all the best. |  |
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| Desptaches From The Front Line part One: on 10:25 - Mar 26 with 14675 views | BlueBadger |
| Desptaches From The Front Line part One: on 10:22 - Mar 26 by Steve_M |
It's interesting to know what preparations are in place but, yes, can see how it is very much 'calm before the storm' at the moment.
Best wishes to you and your colleagues. |
A lot of barely-concealed anxiety at the moment - I suspect a lot of people will actually be calmer once the hammer does drop as they'll just have to Do Their Jobs. | |
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| Despatches From The Front Line part One: on 10:25 - Mar 26 with 14672 views | PJH |
Stay safe yourself Badger and that goes for all your co-workers too. |  | | |
| Desptaches From The Front Line part One: on 10:26 - Mar 26 with 14675 views | Lord_Lucan |
| Desptaches From The Front Line part One: on 10:22 - Mar 26 by Steve_M |
It's interesting to know what preparations are in place but, yes, can see how it is very much 'calm before the storm' at the moment.
Best wishes to you and your colleagues. |
Edited - Don't want to put your sticky on a swerve [Post edited 26 Mar 2020 10:43]
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| Desptaches From The Front Line part One: on 10:30 - Mar 26 with 14624 views | BlueBadger |
| Desptaches From The Front Line part One: on 10:26 - Mar 26 by Lord_Lucan |
Edited - Don't want to put your sticky on a swerve [Post edited 26 Mar 2020 10:43]
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Honestly - not a clue, about a four day lag between testing and result at the moment is all I know. There's a few(mostly the younger and/or fitter punters) been in, been treated and gone home before results are in. | |
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| Blimey, a Sticky! (n/t) on 10:39 - Mar 26 with 14541 views | BlueBadger |
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| Despatches From The Front Line part One: on 11:34 - Mar 26 with 14389 views | jaykay |
keep safe and its good to know you there for us and members of the top gear gang |  |
| forensic experts say footers and spruces fingerprints were not found at the scene after the weekends rows |
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| Despatches From The Front Line part One: on 11:44 - Mar 26 with 14374 views | J2BLUE |
Massive respect to all of you. Take care.
Seems almost comical that people on the front line are saying something as simple as 'stay home' and yet plenty are too stupid to do it. |  |
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| Despatches From The Front Line part One: on 12:31 - Mar 26 with 14299 views | tractordownsouth |
Cheers for your work Badger, hopefully your lot will all finally get a pay rise after all this. |  |
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| Despatches From The Front Line part One: on 13:03 - Mar 26 with 14234 views | BlueBadger |
| Despatches From The Front Line part One: on 11:44 - Mar 26 by J2BLUE |
Massive respect to all of you. Take care.
Seems almost comical that people on the front line are saying something as simple as 'stay home' and yet plenty are too stupid to do it. |
Might have upset someone on our village FB group - they're trying to get people organised for an 8PM 'applaud the NHS from your bedroom window' thing and I've just pointed out that the day shift finishes at 7:30 and a lot of the local workers won't be home.. [Post edited 26 Mar 2020 13:50]
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| Despatches From The Front Line part One: on 13:29 - Mar 26 with 14166 views | scotdoc |
| Despatches From The Front Line part One: on 13:03 - Mar 26 by BlueBadger |
Might have upset someone on our village FB group - they're trying to get people organised for an 8PM 'applaud the NHS from your bedroom window' thing and I've just pointed out that the day shift finishes at 7:30 and a lot of the local workers won't be home.. [Post edited 26 Mar 2020 13:50]
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General practice land here in urban practice 20 miles outside Glasgow.
As we've been on strict "no patient in the building" telephone triage only we're bizarrely quiet at present-though clearly may change.
We're bringing down acute "non-covid" patients as required,but all routine stuff not happening[and most patients are self isolating-elderly,chronic disease etc].
Majority of snowflake time-wasters have disappeared[Badger's pubbie types etc].
will see how next 2-3 weeks go but we may,as a practice,decide to run skeleton staff here and volunteer our services to A/E etc-no point in approximate cumulative 80-90 years of medical experience sitting around when it's all hands to the pump.
It may well be different in other locations,and ,as stated, become very busy in GP land soon, but clearly this is a vocation not a job so we'll adjust our roles to suit.
And yes-keep safe one and all[and stay home!] |  | | |
| Despatches From The Front Line part One: on 13:43 - Mar 26 with 14136 views | soupytwist |
Nothing to add without sounding trite except thanks for all your hard work and look after yourself as well as your patients. |  | | |
| Blimey, a Sticky! (n/t) on 14:25 - Mar 26 with 14039 views | OsborneOneNil |
| Blimey, a Sticky! (n/t) on 10:39 - Mar 26 by BlueBadger |
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Respect, bro. Unbelievable jobs you guys do. Thank you. |  | | |
| Despatches From The Front Line part One: on 16:22 - Mar 26 with 13908 views | 524hudson |
lovely little insight into the preparations. My wife went back today, she works for a hospice/NHS in the field providing end of life care. I believe they are expecting covid patients within the next couple of weeks.
Keep safe |  |
| "More knowledge is passed by the reading of books than at times the spoken word" Some pissed chap at my local. |
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| Despatches From The Front Line part One: on 16:25 - Mar 26 with 13905 views | bluelagos |
If you have time (am sure you wont) but do keep up the posts as best you can. You'll be able to look back over it too.
Good luck with it all. |  |
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| Despatches From The Front Line part One: on 17:02 - Mar 26 with 13832 views | usm |
Great update Badger.
Stay safe. |  |
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| Despatches From The Front Line part One: on 17:16 - Mar 26 with 13816 views | BlueBadger |
| Despatches From The Front Line part One: on 16:25 - Mar 26 by bluelagos |
If you have time (am sure you wont) but do keep up the posts as best you can. You'll be able to look back over it too.
Good luck with it all. |
I'm hoping to do an 'after-every-block-of-shifts' update rather than keep to a strict timetable. So, next one will be Monday earliest - more likely Tuesday, as it's nights all weekend and my thoughts will NOT be coherent Monday, I suspect. | |
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| Despatches From The Front Line part One: on 17:31 - Mar 26 with 13790 views | Keno |
| Despatches From The Front Line part One: on 17:16 - Mar 26 by BlueBadger |
I'm hoping to do an 'after-every-block-of-shifts' update rather than keep to a strict timetable. So, next one will be Monday earliest - more likely Tuesday, as it's nights all weekend and my thoughts will NOT be coherent Monday, I suspect. |
You have always been and remain one of the good guys Badgey
Thank you for all you are doing and tonight at 8 I will give you the clap, sorry a clap.
Thank you |  |
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| Despatches From The Front Line part One: on 19:49 - Mar 26 with 13625 views | MJallday |
Thank you for everything you and your colleagues do |  |
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| Despatches From The Front Line part One: on 20:30 - Mar 26 with 13569 views | Nthsuffolkblue |
You all got a decent round of applause at 8.00 round our way from the sound of it. |  |
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| Despatches From The Front Line part One: on 20:48 - Mar 26 with 13544 views | eastangliaisblue |
Sending my wishes to you and everyone else in the NHS.
I have signed up to be a volunteer today and hope to play my small part. Anyone else thinking of signing up please do. |  | | |
| Despatches From The Front Line part One: on 22:01 - Mar 26 with 13468 views | WicklowBlue |
From across the Irish Sea, thanks for the insight Badger and for all the amazing work you and your colleagues do!
What struck me was your PPE comments, which has been an issue over here in Ireland. Are you aware if more PPE is en route to help protect you all? |  | | |
| Despatches From The Front Line part One: on 06:51 - Mar 27 with 13307 views | NewcyBlue |
| Despatches From The Front Line part One: on 13:03 - Mar 26 by BlueBadger |
Might have upset someone on our village FB group - they're trying to get people organised for an 8PM 'applaud the NHS from your bedroom window' thing and I've just pointed out that the day shift finishes at 7:30 and a lot of the local workers won't be home.. [Post edited 26 Mar 2020 13:50]
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Day shift at MrsN’s hospital finishes at 2030... Night shift starts at 2000! They have a 30 minute overlap for handover.
Anyway, best of luck to you in these trying times.
You’re a bloody good man. |  |
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| Despatches From The Front Line part One: on 06:53 - Mar 27 with 13294 views | Churchman |
Thank you for all that you and your colleagues do. |  | | |
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