It is The Best of Times, It is Covid Times

I am going to share with you my recent experiences as a healthcare worker. I’m going to quote a good friend of mine, with out mentioning his name “It is Covid times”. A time where we have a global pandemic, where our lives are shaken and turned completely upside down. Our country is being torn apart through politics and religion, People are unfriending people via Facebook and in real life due to it. BTW! This is why, even if you are shitting fireworks because of how passionate you are on the topic, it is better left off of social media and when you are surrounded by like minded company. Friendships and Family do not need to be divided over things we can all agree to disagree on. Realize! Some people are struggling to put food on their plates, some people wondering how they can afford to pay for the roof over their heads, or if they can afford the maintenance medication they are on. Everyone has something they are struggling with. This is a time when we need KINDNESS over anything else.

I have seen knock knock zoom zoom wine groups being created on facebook to help fellow neighbors unwind. I have seen people offer help when a person was in need because their tire went flat. Stores are offering lunches to children during certain times of the day because they understand that the families may have depended on the school lunch programs that are no longer available. There are some VERY KIND things being done during this trying time.

On the other hand, I have been on the receiving end of employees at nursing homes treating healthcare workers assigned to test them for Covid-19, like we were nothing but an impingment on their lives. The management not even offering a sanitary room to set up in, only a closet with a pile of trash on the floor, (until we requested a place to set up our laptops). The line of employees went down the hallway and beyond. Instead of understanding that we were trying to keep the contamination risk low, while working at a steady pace, the employees were complaining that they were in line, cursing at us, rolling their eyes, and acting completely boligerant because they were waiting. We woke up before 4am to get to their facility by 6:30am to do them the favor of swabbing them to make sure they did not have covid. An act that can give them some peace of mind. Management acting like we were rented and on their payroll. None of them realizing that we were offering our time, and risking our health and the health of our families to be there. Not eating anything until 1:30pm, And at that point, we were given the ultimate treatment with them banging on the doors while cursing in the hallway; because we requested to have 5 minutes to eat something real quick. (timed ourselves and it took about 6 minutes). Another instance was when we stopped real quick to take a bathroom break and they said “ what do they think they are on break”. (Occurred on 2 different days, for the most part we held our bladder because apparently rented employees are frowned upon for needing a bathroom break)

Swabbing 3 different nursing homes, one we had been told had 40 covid deaths with 20 current covid patients. We tested almost 300 employees, were given a few thank you’s, and one manager offered us a warm bottle of water. I know some people say healthcare is a thankless profession, but at a time like this thankless or not, respect is deserved. We did not deserve to be treated with such little respect. Your welcome for coming to your facilities instead of having you come to us like everyone else, your welcome for greeting every single employee nice or rude with a heartfelt “hello”, and sending them on their way with a ”stay healthy, stay safe”, your welcome for treating your staff like they were a part of our family knowing families disagree.

I promise if you come to our office, not to stick you in the broom closet, I promise to not curse at you or make rude remarks, I promise to be civil and do my job treating you with respect, instead of treating you with the amount of respect and dignity you bestowed upon us.

Stay healthy, Stay safe!