“Almost everybody who comes through the emergency department these days requires a portable chest x-ray. Because of COVID-19, x-rays take much longer to perform since everybody is isolated and a two-step cleaning process is required.
Due to the novelty of the virus, the hospital protocols are changing daily.
N95 masks are only provided to staff during ‘necessary’ situations. It seems there continues to be a lot of debate as to what these situations should be. The idea of reusing PPE was unimaginable a few weeks ago, but due to limited resources, this is the only sustainable solution.
When we are about to enter an isolated patient room, there is a safety officer assisting staff with hand hygiene and the donning and doffing of isolation equipment. They make suggestions to improve our techniques. This will definitely help with future practices when the pandemic is over.
With the heightened tensions in the hospital, there are always colleagues who are willing to provide extra assistance. This is a big relief when we feel overwhelmed.”
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