PHYSICIAN AND STAFF COVID-19 PROTECTIONS
I was put on the 3rd floor, the heart and kidney floor of the hospital which is a non-COVID-19 wing of the hospital. I had a nurse and an aid on every shift. I had a Gastro doc, a Nephrologist, and a Hospitalist that visited me at least once a day. I have a port for blood draws and infusions. A member of the Intubation team (a nurse) checked my connection to my port and infusion bag at least twice a day. The nurses and the aides dropped by my room at least once an hour. The maintenance staff came by once a day. A social stopped by twice during my stay. So there was a lot of contact between myself and employees from the hospital. Here are some of the ways the Doctors and Staff tried to protect me from Cyrus the Virus:
1. Social Distancing - I noticed every time I had contact or a conversation with anyone from the hospital, they stood a minimum of six feet away from me;
2. Person Protective Equipment- I noticed that all physicians and staff wore PPE in my room at all times. This included masks, gowns, gloves and sometimes even shoe coverings. My Hospitalist also wore a face shield in addition to the other PPE.
3. Expectations for me during room visits- I was asked to wear a facemask any time someone came into the room. I was also asked not to shake hands or touch anyone.
4. Gloves- There were boxes of form-fitting plastic gloves in boxes in my room that came in sizes from small to large. I noticed that every time a nurse, doctor or aide came into the room, they would put on the gloves when they came into my room and immediately dispose of them when they left. This may be standard operating procedure, but there seemed to be more of an emphasis on not taking a set of gloves from one patient room to the next than I normally observed during a hospital stay. I have been fighting kidney disease for over 40 years now, and I average about 2 hospital stays a year. I don't recall seeing this much deliberate precision in the past.
5. Walking- Near the end of my stay, I walked around the floor to help prepare me to go home. My friend, the IV stand and a nurse had to come with me. I was asked to wear a mask and the nurse and people in the hallways maintained their social distance.
6. Admission & Discharge- I came into the hospital by ambulance because I was extremely light-headed due to blood loss and not able to ambulatory. Although social distancing was not possible under these conditions, PPE was worn at all times and I was masked. On discharge, the nurse did wheel me to the Lyft ride share that took me home. Same story, full PPE for her, mask for me. Even the Lyft driver had a plastic shield between the front and back seats and was wearing a mask.
CONCLUSION
The healthcare professionals at Munster Community not only took very good care of me, the made every effort to make sure I was protected from the virus. I greatly appreciate their help and professionalism. I would also like to thank all of my friends and my son, Jim, who supported me during my stay, and gave me a warm welcome home. I would like to thank my landlords at Mt Zion for helping me obtain an ambulance. I hope this blog gives those of you that need medical care for something other than the Coronavirus, the confidence to contact your local emergency room or health care team. They will take all necessary steps to try to keep you safe and informed. Peace my friends! Your Uncle Jim Myers
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