By Zayba Syed, a blog writer at GetUsPPE.org This week, one nurse shared her fears and the source of her strength during this pandemic. From the first week of quarantine until now, she has been reminded of her initial drive to be a nurse – “to help people achieve their best health and provide care with compassion.” Despite the generous donations of personal protective equipment (PPE) to GetUsPPE, there is still a huge shortage of PPE in our nation. This nurse and her colleagues are fighting for the equipment they need. On the Medical/Surgery floor where she works, the nurses…
Brown paper bags used to pack lunches or make whimsical costumes. But during the Covid-19 pandemic, brown paper bags have found a new use. Frontline healthcare workers store their most prized possession in them: their used N95 mask. That’s right, used. The systems of rationing protective gear and worse, patient care, have become all too familiar. With the flow of patients outpacing the supply of ventilators, hospital beds, and personal protective equipment (PPE) necessary to care for them, physicians must face tough decisions every day to stay safe while caring for their patients. Today, we are spotlighting some of these…