COVID: My thoughts after caring for a COVID patient.

COVID Perspectives: Things I learned caring for a coronavirus patient.

Coronavirus is such a hot topic these days. Coronavirus, COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2 as it has been called is a virus that is believed to have mutated from a coronavirus found in bats. Many speculate that this virus made the jump to humans possibly through an intermediate host such as the spiny anteater in an open-air live animal market in the Wuhan province in China . Some people are even speculating that this virus was lab-created and ‘turned on’ by the 5G cell towers as part of some nefarious plan to destroy the world! Regardless of the origin, this virus has become a serious public health concern throughout the world.

You can’t turn on the TV for flip through your social media without seeing something about the coronavirus and how it has affected everyone’s lives. I know there is not a nurse on this planet who hasn’t looked up the virus to learn how to better care for patients who are coronavirus positive. It is about the only thing on anyone’s mind! So, when I was faced with my first coronavirus positive patient, I was understandably anxious about the whole situation—not only for myself and my loved ones, but for him and his overall wellbeing.

Here are a few things I learned with my first coronavirus positive patient back in April when my hospital got our first coronavirus positive patients:

1) Don’t give any “false sense of security” statements. I made the mistake of telling this patient that he is fine, all is well, nothing to worry about because I could see the fear in his eyes when he found out he was positive. I did not want his morale to be damaged, so I told him that all will be ok, but within a week, he was intubated in ICU. This broke my heart for him and made me feel like I lied through my teeth to this poor terrified man. His story has a happy ending with him recovering, but there was a rough patch where his prognosis was not looking good.

2) Try to group care best you can. Heaven help me the first time I donned the PPE, put on the PAPR helmet, had everything—so I thought—and then forgot the patient’s pitcher of water! I was so focused on the pandemic and my own concerns that I forgot the little things that could make his stay less traumatizing for him. I work with amazing co-workers who had my back, but it is best to have everything and double check, if time permits, that you have all you need before entering the patient’s room.

3) Let the patient vent their concerns. The patient I had was a sweetheart of a guy who hated complaining but I could see he was very concerned about his situation. I had to ask some probing questions but was able to get him to open up about his concerns. Come to find out, he was worried about his family at home and didn’t want to take his virus home to his loved ones. A valid concern! We worked to make sure his family was informed of his condition, they got tested and were negative, and they prepared for his return home if he was discharged.

4) DO YOUR RESEARCH! Don’t go with what the media or your weird neighbor in his Spongebob boxer shorts tells you on Zoom. Do your research. The CDC has amazing resources for COVID information, your state’s health department has up-to-date information, and the WHO has plenty for you to read to stay informed. Things change daily with this pandemic, so it is best to stay on top of the research. You can sign up to get emails for daily updates from these organizations. A well-informed nurse is always worth their weight in gold! Having a knowledge base on the coronavirus does help with advocating for the patient as well as helping your fellow nurses with their pandemic concerns.

5) Do not be afraid to speak up if you feel something is not right. This is true for ANY circumstance—pandemic or not! There were a couple times I felt the patient needed something and a doctor was not on board with that particular suggestion. This is also why you should do your own research with valid sources. The doctors where hesitant to try this medication or that lab. Once confronted with the evidence from the reliable sources—such as the CDC and the WHO—the doctors were more inclined to follow along with the guidelines. You are the front line advocate for the patient and the patient is depending on you to protect them during all of this coronavirus mess. Just because there is a worldwide pandemic, we cannot lose sight of our mission as nurses and that is to advocate on the patient’s behalf.

6) Keep your spirits up. When I was in the room with my patient, we would joke, laugh, tell each other stories and just try to lighten up the mood. He and I were both afraid of this coronavirus, but you have to remember we are all still humans. I enjoyed hearing about his family and his military service. He liked hearing my stories about my pets and their silly antics. I firmly believe our conversations helped to ease the tension—if not for a moment—of his situation. In the midst of all the preparations, labs, medication administration and tests, that patient is still a person. There is nothing wrong with taking time where time permits to talk with your patient. It can make all the difference to them, especially being isolated and lonely during their stay.

Speaking of keeping spirits up: I know we all watch the news in horror, seeing all these new cases pop up, hearing about colleagues fighting depression, and the nationwide stress this pandemic is causing everyone. Be sure you discuss any of your fears, concern and issues with someone. This pandemic is scary, y’all! Plain and simple, this is terrifying, uncertain times for all of us. My most important lesson I learned is we are not in this alone. If you feel overwhelmed, scared or uncertain, I assure you, others feel that way too. Do not endure anything alone in this trying time. Nothing breaks my heart more than seeing a fellow healthcare worker get so overwhelmed that they commit suicide. Please, if you feel isolated and have thoughts of harming yourself, please seek help. No one will judge you because, honestly, we are all uneasy about the current situation and uncertain about our future. If you see a colleague struggling, be there for them. We all need each other in these trying times, more than ever before!

I, by no means, am not on the front lines in a major city that has been hit hard with coronavirus patients like New York City, but even in my little town out in the country, we feel the effects of this pandemic to a lesser degree at this time. Hopefully, my experience can help give some perspective on things you can do to make your care of your coronavirus positive patients less terrifying. Nursing is the most amazing team to be a part of in healthcare. Sharing each other’s lessons and experiences can make all the difference in caring for our patients. As a collective, we can beat this coronavirus while giving the best care to our patients.