Impossible assignments. 6 patient per nurse ratio on nights (which is unfortunately the norm) but the acuity was awful. At least 4 of these patients couldn’t go to the bathroom on their own and there was only one (sometimes zero) tech to help. I spent most of my shifts giving meds and helping people go to the bathroom.
I caught COVID 19 from a patient that should have been in the ICU. I was a new grad on a med surg floor. We had to share PPE. I had a preceptor with this patient but the preceptor went into the room maybe once during this shift which left me with the patient alone while she continuously coughed and spit meds in my face. This preceptor intentionally avoided going into the room. One of her excuses was she had to get food from the cafeteria before it closed. I came down with symptoms less than 2 weeks later and missed 4 weeks of work because I was so sick. I only got paid for 2 of those weeks. I wasn’t protected by my employer and then they refused to pay me for my time out by something they caused. My depression declined rapidly after having COVID and there were signs through out the hospital for mental health help for employees. I called 3 times and left messages and never got a call back.
Also as soon as i got off orientation I got floated....as a new nurse......kind of messed up.
