-Megha Shrestha RN(Registered Nurses) working at community Hospital,Portland USA.

My name is Megha Shrestha. I work in one of the hospitals in Portland Oregon USA as a Registered Nurse. I am also a graduate student getting my Family Nurse Practitioner degree. I wanted to share a day as an RN with all of you during this period of uncertainty because of COVID-19.

COVID-19 is a respiratory virus first identified in Wuhan China at the end of 2019. It rapidly spread resulting in an epidemic throughout China followed by other countries as a pandemic.
The state of Oregon, where I live, has now more than 600 positive cases with 13 deaths. The state’s Governor has issued a stay-at-home order to flatten the curve so hospitals don’t get overwhelmed. People are staying home, schools and colleges are closed, no large events are being conducted, only essential business-like grocery stores, pharmacies, and hospitals are open.

In our hospital all the outpatient clinics are closed, elective surgeries have been put on hold, and all the staff who cannot work on the front line which involves patient care are working remotely. We practice social distancing at work by staying 6 feet away from each other.

I am in the float pool which means I am not always working on the same floor. I work in many different departments within the hospital, for example, the Emergency Department, med-surge, Progressive care unit, labor, and delivery, etc. I know my assignment on the morning of my shift. I float in different departments in the hospital.

My responsibility that day depends on my role as an RN for the day. For example, some days I am taking care of a team of four to five patients, some days I am an admission-discharge nurse and (some days I am a break relief nurse who ensures every nurse working in that unit gets their break.

We have inpatient COVID 19 patients. Patients coming to ED are screened and assessed by ED nurses and providers. If the patient is suspected of COVID -19, they are placed in an isolation room right away while they await their test result. We have dedicated a floor to cohort patients with COVID 19 to prevent cross-contamination depending on the level of care they need. Many people think COVID 19 is a death sentence. Which is not true.

I have taken care of COVID 19 patients who have recovered and been discharged home. Fortunately, so far, patients admitted with COVID 19 in our hospital all have been discharged home. Not everyone who comes to ED has to be admitted. Some patients get tested and get sent home to be on quarantine while they wait for results. Only very sick patients get admitted to the hospital.

My experience as a front-line staff during this pandemic has taught me to be a strong and kind nurse. I appreciate all the small things. This whole experience has also taught me to not take things for granted. Healthcare workers around the globe are working under a tremendous amount of stress. This has brought us closer together more than anything. I see my co-workers supporting each other, standing up for each other. The hospital that I work right now is trying their best to get PPE by organizing a fundraiser and asking for donations so that we do not run out of them. We have a staff breakaway room which is stocked with snacks, teas, coffees, water, massage chair, foot massager and cot to take a little snooze on your break. Other industries are trying to support healthcare workers by providing free stuff to them.

I closely follow the news in Nepal. It is heartbreaking to see all this news regarding frontline staff there not having proper PPE to care for the patient. I also read a piece of news that patients are being abandoned and not taken care of by health care professionals due to not having PPE. I want to encourage fellow nurses in Nepal to stand together for each other, support each other and find a way to handle the situation in the best way. Follow the guidelines provided by an organization like WHO.

We need each other’s support during these times more than anything. It can get overwhelming but please remember to breathe, look at all the positive things in your life, do a random act of kindness, distance yourself from negative news, only read the news from reliable sources, take a break from social media, and most of all remember to take care of yourself by meditating, exercising.

Published Date-2nd April, 2020.